My elementary school teachers were big on pushing kids to read. If you read a certain amount of books, they would provide you with incentives, sort of like what we are doing with the WrestleMania Reading Challenge.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
You have to give kids things they're interested in reading. That's what teachers do who are engaged in what their students want.
The best way to get kids reading more is to give them books that they'll gobble up - and that will make them ask for another.
I believe we should spend less time worrying about the quantity of books children read and more time introducing them to quality books that will turn them on to the joy of reading and turn them into lifelong readers.
Children have to be motivated to want to learn to read. Reading must not be taught simply as a school exercise.
I'm just trying to get kids motivated to be readers by connecting them with a book they like.
Kids just don't read any more. They spend much more time with video games. It's just hard to get kids to read anything. Book sales have dropped dramatically, too. I think 90% of the books are bought only by 5% of the US population.
I have so little patience with the whole Y.A. book thing. As far as I'm concerned, you either read books for children or you read books for adults.
Reading is a free practice. I think the readers are free to begin by the books where they want to. They don't have to be led in their reading.
The early readers are in-between books for the kids who aren't ready for novels yet but are done with my picture books. It's really rewarding to think that they can grow up reading my books at all the different levels.
Textbooks are no longer given to schoolchildren; they're too expensive. So they're given to the teachers, who probably need them more.