“I hate to read!”
That is a statement I hear frequently and I want people to clarify it. Do they not like long novels? Do they not like being told what to read? Do they believe that real readers choose “important novels” that are 600 pages long? Do they read the back of the cereal box? Do they like to look at the Guinness Book of World Records? Is it the act of reading or the storyline they don’t like?
Over Easter weekend I was told by my 6-year-old cousin that he hates to read. “You don’t like to read anything?” I asked. “NO!” he said vehemently. Then he admitted that he did like to look at books with pictures if he could choose them himself. And he especially liked for his mom and dad to read to him.
Learning how to do anything, including read, can be difficult. It takes time, patience and practice. Lots of practice! Encourage your friends and children to read by getting them books they will enjoy and reading to them/with them 20 minutes every day. Practice and reading choices make a big difference in attitude! Most people really do like to read…they just don’t consider what they enjoy reading as "reading!"
