Posted: 8/14/02

Any time is a good time to pick up a book

I must admit I am not the recreational reader I once was. Back in my school days I considered myself a voracious reader.

From books to magazines to newspapers, I couldnít get enough.

It was a good habit that slipped away as I fell into a job where reading was so much a part of my work life.

For most of us, a gentle reminder to pick up the reading habit is a good thing.

If you took in the marathon Forest Lake Fourth of July parade this year, you probably saw the ISD 831 school bus and the school employees who walked the route. The bus was one of the first units in the parade so you should not have missed it.

It was the districtís kick-off to a new reading promotion, ìReading Tour 2002-2003; Turning the Pages Together.î The tour is a way to promote literacy throughout the school district.

It targets not only students, but parents, citizens and businesses in our communities.

A school district committee made up of parents, school staff and community members has spearheaded the drive to promote literacy this year.

The goal is straightforward and achievable: Read aloud or along, or alone for 15 minutes each day. The theme will circulate throughout all schools and among staff during the school year.

One school, Southwest Junior High School, is already on the fast track with its ongoing RAP program. This reading appreciation program has been in place for several years. At Southwest, the school has designated 13 minutes each morning as reading for every soul in the building.

As Principal Marc Peterson told the school board last week, you can ìhear a pin dropî during the daily reading time. Teachers have found creative ways to encourage kids to read books, magazines, newspapers and trade publications.

The school district has many good programs and the reading tour is one of them. But it is not an initiative that should be left solely in the hands of the schools. This is also a program for the community in general.

Here are some tips from the Reading Tour 2002-2003 on what individuals, parents and businesses can do to promote the program.

Individuals

ïVolunteer at a school. Read to kids, listen to kids.

ïBe an adult literacy volunteer.

ïDonate books to your neighborhood school.

ïWhen giving gifts to children, give books.

ïTalk with children in your life about the books they read and about the books you read.

Parents

ïHelp your child to select books that are challenging, but will not frustrate them.

ïSet an example by reading yourself.

ïMake bed-time reading a part of your family routine.

ïMake lots of reading materials available. Use the library.

ïGive and request books as gifts.

ïCarry books for your children wherever you go.

ïListen to your kids read. Show an interest by telling them what part you like best or relating their reading to events in your life.

ïLimit TV viewing time. Reading is better for building vocabulary. Childrenís books have 50 percent more new words than prime time TV.

Businesses

ïRelease employees for one hour each week to tutor students in reading.

ïProvide mentors. Organize a mentor program to provide role models for students.

ïOrganize a drive to collect books or raise funds for book purchases.

ïProvide speakers. Allow employees to visit classrooms and talk about the importance of reading in their work.

ïPromote the Forest Lake Area Reading Tour 2002-2003. Include a note or flyer about the reading tour with paychecks or include an article in your organizationís newsletter.

ïSet reading goals. Set up your own reading goals for employees or group members, similar to the school district goal of each student reading 15 minutes a day.

ïProvide financial support. Assist the school district with printing costs for posters, bookmarks, brochures and other materials promoting reading.

The tips seem reasonable and something all of us as individuals, parents and business people can commit to do. But it takes a commitment.

Take this as a challenge to all within reading reach today. Get involved.

Personally, Iíve accumulated a small stack of books that are next on my list of things to do. It may mean losing a few minutes each day, but the sacrifice is well worth the gain and the satisfaction that one receives from reading.

Habits can sometimes be bad things, but not always. Catching the reading habit is something that we all should fall victim to each day.

Try it, you may just like it, too.

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