Hey Kids! Adults Only!

Increasingly high school students are struggling with reading stamina. Middle school readers often have momentum from elementary school reading habits. Proven teaching methods like reading aloud and interactive reading in the classroom are typically discontinued in high school. This has led to a decline in reading test scores and concerns about students' ability to read full books.

Marlena Jackson-Retondo has compiled a good survey of strategies to encourage reading, including relatable content, graphic novels, library accessibility, multimodal literacy, and interest-based recommendations.

A recent study reported that 78% of educators say that kids read more when given the choice to read banned books. It reminds me of a banner on the cover of an underground comic I had in the 70s that promised: "Hey kids! Adults only!".

Article:‘Banned Book Club’, Anime and Third Spaces: How to Get Teens Really Reading

Related Website: Teen Banned Book Club

Hey Kids! Adults Only!

We don’t spend much time imagining all the possibilities the future holds.

The challenge before us is learning to see ourselves, our communities, and the living world not as separate parts, but as participants in a larger web of relationships.

If we only see ourselves as we are now, we miss our ability to imagine, grow, and choose new paths.

What people think they can do together can shape outcomes as much as any policy or formal plan.