| Read a Post for The “Decline” of Reading in America, Poverty and Access to Books, and the use of Comics in Encouraging Reading | | | | Reply to this Post | | | Poor Kids, Poor Reading Instruction, Poor Logic | | Posted By: Dick Schutz on March 15, 2005 | | | Krashen reports that we have been doing a poor job teaching many poor kids to read. That is, there is a relationship between SES and reading test scores; a finding that has been around for at least 40 years.
Then he reports a second “finding” that’s almost definitional in nature. Poor kids and poor book access are related.
So, concludes Krashen, it’s obvious (sic): “the obvious cause of their reading problems is a lack of access to books.” .
To refute this causal explanation, put your thinking cap on for a minute. Let’s say we gave each problem reader a bookcase filled with books, including a healthy set of comic books and any other kind of reading material requested. Would that solve a kid’s reading problems? If you believe it would, you may need a new thinking cap.
Dick Schutz
3RsPlus@usinter.net
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