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A few weeks ago, I was reading “Green Eggs and Ham” to an 8-year-old girl with green eyes, freckles and chipped fingernails decorated with Halloween designs done by her mother. She knew the book very well and had read it several times before, so she interrupted me when she knew what rhyme scheme was coming next. She could go on for pages at a time, reciting the story word for word.
When we came to a part she did not remember quite as well, I took the opportunity to help her sound out the words she was unfamiliar with. I taught her about the “sh” sound and silent e’s, and she applied these new skills as we continued. It felt good to know that, when our 30 minutes were up, I would have left her with new knowledge that would help her along her reading journey, and her education as a whole.
Many things are debatable, but the silent “e’s” at the end of words and the shhhh sound of the letters “sh” will always be undeniably true, and I find comfort and value in the idea that I could introduce at least one child to some new facts of life. Those reading skills will remain true and reliable even as she grows up and finds her place in the world. They will eventually guide her to pursue more knowledge, discover personal interests and form her own educated opinions. When I left the Boys and Girls Club that day, I had the feeling that maybe I had opened her eyes to new ideas, possibilities, and books to read.
Two days a week, volunteers spend about 30 minutes as a “reading buddy” to children at the Boys and Girls Club. Some volunteers read with a different child each time, while others have certain kids that gravitate toward them week after week. As reading buddies, volunteers are able to connect with children by engaging with their interests and helping to foster an interest in reading.
“Read to Succeed,” an IU club and organization that volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club, is an organized opportunity for college students to make a positive difference within their community. Since becoming a volunteer with Read to Succeed, I and many other college students have been introduced to an extremely rewarding and engaging experience through becoming an important part of children’s reading journeys.
While incredibly rewarding, this experience has led me to observe firsthand the lack of comprehension and reading skills in elementary age children. Besides difficulty with phonics and fluency, children I have read with displayed a distinct absence of enthusiasm. Research shows that children’s attention spans have been shortened significantly by easy access to short-form entertainment content, which may explain their lack of enthusiasm.
At the risk of sounding against progress, I have noticed children nowadays are unfamiliar with the joys of losing oneself in a book for hours on end, instead having become harmfully accustomed to the instant gratification of all the technology at their fingertips. Quick fixes of entertainment seem to be the norm for today’s young children.
This lack of enthusiasm for reading is disheartening to me as someone who was a child who absolutely loved reading and felt that it enriched my life in so many ways. As a kid, I devoured every book I could get my hands on, and I believe this was crucial in the development of my personality and interests. My love of reading instilled in me an interest in history, mythology, and the arts, as well as a desire to gather as much knowledge as possible. Reading taught me to think beyond just myself and my own life, and it changed my perspective of the world.
Now it seems books have been replaced with iPads, and curiosity has been replaced with short attention spans, poor reading skills, and a lack of critical interest in the world around them. They seem to lack the childlike excitement and exuberance that reading enhanced within my own childhood.
As a college freshman who is not pursuing a degree in childhood education or anything related, I feel somewhat powerless against the issue of children’s disinterest in engaging themselves in learning and reading. I often wish that I was better equipped to give children the motivation that I see so many of them lacking; nevertheless, I feel a responsibility as a reading buddy to simply try my best to spark a love of books in the children I read with. If I am able to leave a child even just a little more excited for next time, I consider my time with them to be successful.
I have found that the key to helping a child become interested in reading even a little bit is to give them a reason to be excited. Whether it’s encouraging them to choose a book they think looks interesting, celebrating their progress or speaking words of praise, I’ve found that it is so important for children to associate excitement and positivity with reading.
Although the experience can be discouraging at times, I have found my time as a reading buddy so far to be extremely rewarding. It has improved my skills of interacting and communicating with children, as well as my ability to remain calm among chaos as I am often volunteering in the midst of loud noises. Though I am only one person, it is incredibly rewarding to feel as though I am giving back to my community in such a meaningful way.
Abby Whited (she/her) is a freshman studying journalism.
