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If I have to blame someone for the decline in the popularity of reading, my first choice for that honor would be uninspiring teachers. Too many teachers do not read themselves, are unable to pass on a love of reading to their students, and do not understand a book if the understanding requires going beyond the cliff notes version.
When I was in elementary school many decades ago, one of our ongoing assignments was to read x number of books each week, write a brief report explaining the book and why classmates should read it, and outlining all the new words and meanings we learned. The teacher also participated and did the same tasks. Then once a month we had reading day when we had to read to the class excerpts (if the book was too long) from the best book we had read that month.
When my youngest was in elementary school 30 years ago, not a single teacher gave similar assignments. Consequently, I picked up the ball at home, and set an example by banning TV and having reading time instead.
I look at my neighbor's child who is now in elementary school and, again, there is no reading assignment. There are computer assignments and the child certainly knows how to Twitter, but read a book -- just isn't going to happen except as his parents ecourage it. According to the parents, you can't even ask the teacher for reading recommendations because they have no clue -- it isn't on their smart phone or computer so it must not exist.
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