The Power of Prime

Hi Dr. Taylor

Thank you for writing this important post.
I just went to the www.rif.org/saverif link
you provided, sent an email to my senators,
and signed up for their newsletter.

Yes I agree that it is imperative to save RIF,
but I do think that a bigger problem is that
the general public, parents, and even teachers
don't realize that there is a large amount of
research showing that "reading for pleasure"
really is the best and only way for children
and adults to become really good readers.
And that "reading for pleasure" is also
essential for becoming a good writer.
And that being a good reader is even important
for becoming good at math i.e. work problems
and being able to understand a math textbook.

For anyone who is interested, I would most
highly recommend the book "The Power of Reading,
Second Edition: Insights from the Research"
by Stephen D. Krashen professor emeritus at the
University of Southern California.

Also here are some relevant links regarding
some of the research:

"Fifteen-year-old students who are highly engaged
readers and whose parents have the lowest occupational
status achieve significantly higher average reading
scores (540) than students whose parents have the highest
occupational status but who are poorly engaged in reading,"
the report says. All the students who are highly engaged
in reading achieve reading literacy scores that are
significantly above the international mean, whatever
their family background."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/2494637.stm

"The connection between leisure reading activities and
reading achievement has been established by numerous
studies (e.g., Watkins and Ewards, 1992). Part of the
reason for this connection may be that students who
frequently read for fun not only gain practice in the
process of reading, but also are likely to be exposed
to a broad scope of topics and situations in their
reading that can provide a base from which future
reading experiences are enriched and made more
meaningful. A clear connection between frequent
reading for fun and higher average reading scores
is suggested by the NAEP 1994 (and 1992) results.
At all three grades, students who more frequently
read for fun on their own time had higher average
proficiencies."

http://nces.ed.gov/pubs96/web/96814.asp

""In the early grades, children learn to read;
in middle school and beyond, they read to learn.
Without good comprehension skills, kids lack the
ability to manage more difficult text, and their
progress across the curriculum suffers. Sadder
still, they often lose interest in reading. The
process has become more difficult, yet their skills
have not caught up. They view reading as tedious,
boring, and useless. It doesn’t offer the immediate
reinforcement they crave. Unfortunately, reading for
pleasure has become somewhat of a rarity among kids."

http://youthdevelopment.suite101.com/article.cfm/teen_reading_scores_down

Back in the 1930s, 40, and 50s kids loved to read
comic books, other kids books. Eventually TV became
much more popular than comics to the point where now
comic books are more of an adult hobby. Now electronic
entertainment has largely usurped reading for pleasure
among kids and adults.

Fight the dumbing down of America, read a book !!

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@TerryS: Thank you for your kind words and support for RIF. And I really appreciate your research links.