Reading Is A Chore!

[Drusilla]

The Qualification and Curriculum Authority have stated that teenagers (14-16) have little 'reading stamina' because they are not being exposed to novels frequently enough and teachers are relying too heavily on short stories and extracts from novels. Apparently, this applies particularly to pre-twentieth century novels.

Is anyone surprised children today have the attention span of gnats when they are not encouraged, even in literature lessons to read a whole book?

I think it's sad! Are we trying to cram so much into young peoples heads in schools, that we give them too little time to reflect on and enjoy what they are being taught. I'm only 35, but I feel like I'm harking after some long dead, ancient world.

Any comments??

[gary baldy]

I used to teach History and one of the (many) reasons i left teaching is that because of the constraints of the National Curriculum you are given little time to develop themes and ideas. I felt that no sooner were the kids getting hold of an idea then you had to move on to the next unit - like you said leaving no time to reflect.
Was interested to see Victoria Beckham's comments on books and what a good role model she serves as!

[metagirl]

it is sad - it seems that reading is not fully appreciated as the learning tool that it is. i even have a problem with the term "pleasure reading" as it infers that reading any book outside of a basic paperback novel is not "pleasurable".

if you can't read well or have no interest in reading (and why would you if you are just given a section of a story to read!) than your education - your ability to digest complex ideas, write and forward your own opinions/thoughts and understand other cultures and societies --- and your creativity will be severely stunted.

and libraries need to be better funded and made more "user friendly" - but thats another issue (or is it?)!

[Oneeyedvic]

There was an interesting programme yesterday on BBC2 presented by James May all about toys.

As he said, things like meccano and lego really made you think - they were all about having a few differnt pieces and making something with imagination.

Today, although both brands are still poular, kids don't actually have to use their imagination anymore.

Still, seeing as most children get 3 As at A level, who's worried ;-)

[Drusilla]

Do I detect a touch of sarcasm, Oneeyedvic? :-)

[Oneeyedvic]

Fraid so (and I'm only 32 - but when I was a lad, A levels meant somehting) hehe

I know it is easy to criticise the younger generation - but I was actually abroad for my O levels and came back here to do my A Levels - for the first term of my sixth form, I did absolutely no woek, all the work having been needed for O Levels (whereas all my classmates did not need to know this for GCSE).

Always loved reading, and have now had Sky tv turned off so that in the evenings we are not watching mindless rubbish on tv, but reading instead.

Society is obviously continually changing, but some aspects of it are not neccessarily for the better.

[Hermia]

The short-attention span of teenagers drives me loopy. I'm a librarian and they come to me for help with their homework & it's like trying to help an imbecile (although I'm sure they all have okay IQs). I regularly see teenagers using books aimed at junior school kids for their homework. I've seen GSCE students writing history essays based on picture books for God's sake! Half of them don't know how to even use books. They have absolutely no idea of how to use the index. When I was at school the school librarian would run sessions teaching us these skills.

Don't get me on to reading... The kids will often come to me with their homework query and I will find them a book that has one or two pages that will tell them exactly what they want to know. At the point the kid will look at the book in horror and say, "I'm not reading all that!". One girl even asked me to read it and sum it up for her. Fiction reading is no better. Half of them look at you like you're mad if you show them a book that's longer than 50 pages. One teenage boy was moaning about some old-fashioned book with funny language in it he had to read. I assumed he'd had to read Chaucer or something. It actually turned out to be a book written in the 1970s!

The schools in this area are pretty bad so I am not surprised. When the kids from the local Catholic schools come in it's completely different. I can understand why parents are desperate to get their kids in religious schools. I find it so sad to see these teenagers who appear to be complete dimwits, but may have great potential.