I really, really disagree with this.
Maybe we know very different kinds of kids, but a bunch seem to enjoy reading if you actually allow them to pick up things relevant to their interests. Without mandatory lists and those bullshit, curated things published by big companies.
Now their choices will possibly turn out to be kinda nonsense and weird, but yeah.
If they are brought up seeing reading as a perfectly normal and equally legitimate entertainment choice as every other form, they will most likely do it. Maybe not be insanely obsessed readers, but it will be part of their life.
It also gives this fear to many people who do read. Like OMG, what if I am misunderstanding the book, not picking up on all the messages, etc.? Who cares? You had a good time, you came to your own understanding. Whatever, it's not like you have to write a thesis on a book you read for fun.
I really, really disagree with this.
Maybe we know very different kinds of kids, but a bunch seem to enjoy reading if you actually allow them to pick up things relevant to their interests. Without mandatory lists and those bullshit, curated things published by big companies.
Now their choices will possibly turn out to be kinda nonsense and weird, but yeah.
If they are brought up seeing reading as a perfectly normal and equally legitimate entertainment choice as every other form, they will most likely do it. Maybe not be insanely obsessed readers, but it will be part of their life.
It also gives this fear to many people who do read. Like OMG, what if I am misunderstanding the book, not picking up on all the messages, etc.? Who cares? You had a good time, you came to your own understanding. Whatever, it's not like you have to write a thesis on a book you read for fun.
I read manga, and that's about it. Ideally, what should high school English classes do?
Stop existing? Public school on the whole is a failed paradigm. Not just bits and pieces of it, all of it.