It may not have escaped your notice that today is International Literacy Day. There are of course many aspects to this, as you might imagine when you discover that this year’s theme is “Literacy and Sustainable Development”. They go hand-in-hand. But of course there are also personal aspects to literacy. Being able to read makes a tremendous difference in the lives of individuals. As a librarian and as a father and as someone who has made a career on the written word, I know this.
After coming home from work I would read to my kids every night since they were six months old. My wife allowed me to do it as “Daddy bonding time.” In the early days it meant trying to control squirmy twins while reading a succession of board books. But it soon evolved into a beloved tradition for all of us, especially as they took control of picking the books. Eventually, and at an early age, they landed on a book of folk tales from around the world. This book was not intended for children. It is a thick book without a single illustration. The language used was clearly aimed at adults. And they loved it.
We read and re-read it until it was falling apart and I had to sew and tape it back together (see picture). Soon they were sneaking books to bed and reading when they should have been sleeping. And then, to my dismay, as I enjoyed this time with them so much, they told me they wanted to read on their own. This was before they entered kindergarten.
You may notice that I never said I taught them how to read. This is because I didn’t. All I ever did was read to them. I did not actively do anything to teach them, and to my chagrin, we leapfrogged right over Dr. Seuss. Green Eggs and Ham, which was my younger brother’s favorite book and the first book he could read, was simply not what they wanted to read. At 21 they continue to be voracious readers, and are usually in the middle of several books at once.
So finally, after many years, I am stepping up to make a difference in my own community for literacy. Thanks to my wife, who was active in this program last year but can’t this year due to schedule conflicts, I will be reading to children at a local school in their after school program. I went to the orientation last week and will be back for training next week. After that, the fun begins.
Because I know from experience that literacy isn’t something that happens in a day. But I also know that the commitment required is well worth it, and pays dividends for a lifetime. So I know exactly how I will be honoring International Literacy Day. It won’t be quite like having the twins back on my lap, but it will be close.
About Roy Tennant