Reading IS Fundamental!

I took my teenage son and two of his friends to the mall today, not to shop, but to meet District English teachers to discuss the book they had to read for their Mandatory Reading assignment. No, I wasn’t forced to grab both his legs and drag him, kicking and screaming, out to the car, he went willingly. The high school students in his district, had to read, “The Hunger Game” by Suzanne Collins, and they LOVED it! The District developed a “one-book, one district” policy and the results were amazing! There was a small turnout at the mall, but suprisingly, most of the students were male. I haven’t read the book yet, so I asked one of my son’s friend a question about the story. In the middle of answering me, he paused, and said, “I can’t believe I’m sitting here talking about a book!” I laughed and let him know it was ok to read. The teachers discussed the book and helped the students understand the project that accompanies the book. I spoke to the participating teachers afterward and they have heard nothing but good things about this initiative. One teacher said she saw one of her students from the previous year, who almost failed her class, at a McDonald’s she visited. He yelled, “Mrs.F, I finished the book, and I can’t wait to read the next one!” Wow! I am encouraged by this experience, excite them and they will learn! By the way, my son will also be reading the second book in the series. 🙂

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