Beth Schimansky, proprietor of Honeydew Books, writes:
With thousands of children starting and returning to school for another academic year, the focus on education, and more specifically, literacy, again comes under the spotlight.
Many pupils today are virtually illiterate and the drive towards being able to read and write is becoming vitally important.
As a former playgroup teacher and in more recent years, owner of a bookshop, it concerns and distresses me that the majority of children – regardless of race and colour – have such poor reading skills.
Reading has become more accessible with the advent of digital media format such as e-readers, tablets, and giant online booksellers but still, the younger generation is not reading enough.
Moreover, watching television, DVDs, and playing Xbox games is of course far more entertaining than perusing a good book.
How many children, or for that matter adults, can actually spell today?
With SMS and WhatsApp sending quirky jargon and laptops/computers with automated spellcheck, we don’t have to apply or worry about linguistics.
I have found that people read for a variety of reasons.
A book can entertain, amuse, inform, and educate.
A book can inspire the imagination, fuel hopes, and fulfil the dreams of the individual who reads it.
I urge the nation to start reading today.
It is an affordable pastime and an investment in oneself.
Download books, join a local library, or frequent the closest second-hand bookshop to you.
Isn’t it time that we build a nation of readers who can become leaders?
