| Introduction:All of us receive and give gifts | | | | Simon, the scribe made a discovery, white |
| during our life while on mother earth. Some | | | | spaces; Gutenberg elevated manuscript culture |
| of these gifts become old and torn, others | | | | to an art form; Sputnik gave us ecology which |
| are no longer relevant in our lives as we | | | | became an art form; and electronic media |
| grow older and some, which we receive are | | | | forged ahead in western culture, while oral |
| given to others on Christmas or other | | | | traditions dominate eastern culture, not |
| holidays and occasions. But one gift given to | | | | because books, television or electronic media |
| me by my mother and grandmother is still | | | | are not readily available and every society |
| retained. Which is the gift of reading on a | | | | realizes the value of listening to an oral |
| regular or consistent basis.ForwardThe | | | | presentation, coupled with visually following |
| reality that more impressions are received | | | | along, while reinforcing this process with |
| from reading than from all other sources | | | | recital. So why not eliminate an obstacle to |
| combined, is more relevant to me today, than | | | | reading by revisiting or renewal of oral |
| it was in my younger years. I obviously | | | | traditions. Just remember this picture of |
| dreamed or thought that all of my fellow | | | | your grandfather with you sitting on his knee |
| human beings also read on a regular basis, | | | | long after he has left mother earth and do |
| that is until a National Endowment for the | | | | what your heart says for you to do.Drudgery |
| Arts Survey in 2004 was revisited in light of | | | | Not PleasureA man in the mid 1600s named |
| recent studies which indicate a national | | | | Antonio di Marco Magliabechi confessed that |
| decline in math skills, the inability to find | | | | he could read, comprehend and memorize entire |
| well known counties on a map of the world, | | | | volumes at a rapid rate, yet when we were |
| what seems to be a general decline of ethics | | | | reading Dick and Jane in the first grade it |
| or morality in business and with respect to | | | | took hours, the reading list in high school |
| our elderly, defenseless children and so | | | | and college took weeks to complete, leaving |
| forth.NEA SurveyWhile the reasons for a | | | | very little time for actual study or going to |
| decline in reading are not spelled out in the | | | | the movie show and then we realized the |
| NEA study and we are left to ponder this | | | | problem. We just read too slowly, did not |
| decline which is across gender, ethnicity, | | | | remember very much of what we had read, what |
| age and education lines, we can none the less | | | | we did remember was not retained from reading |
| evaluate the decline based upon our own | | | | until test time. Reading became drudgery not |
| experience by exploring some of the major | | | | a pleasure, until Evelyn Wood burst upon the |
| obstacles to reading on a regular or | | | | scene with a few discoveries, which firmly |
| consistent basis.Obstacles To Regular or | | | | established speed-reading. Reading at last |
| Consistent ReadingNot Reading To SomeoneFew | | | | became a pleasure. While our readers may |
| pictures will invoke fonder memories of | | | | agree or disagree with what has been written, |
| reading or being read too, than a picture of | | | | is there any one of us who would not gladly |
| a child in a grandfather's lap, looking up as | | | | trade our current reading or not reading |
| if to grasp and understand every word | | | | habit for one in which we can triple reading |
| uttered, while the grandfather smiles as he | | | | speed with the same comprehension or |
| reads, in enjoyment a story or nursery rhyme | | | | better?ConclusionsWhile there are many more |
| which was read to him as a child, by an | | | | obstacles to our friend, reading, this short |
| adult.The value of reading to our children | | | | list is at least an excellent start. Now |
| was called into question by Jean Piaget, | | | | having said that and written this paper, I |
| whose research showed children are not ready | | | | must contemplate the reaction to having a |
| to learn until the age of six or seven; | | | | published something to read, which just may |
| teaching styles were thought to be the | | | | benefit non- readers who have not been |
| problem and rote was replaced by phonics; | | | | exposed to the value of reading on a regular |
| brain science was becoming of age and baby | | | | and continuing basis. Perhaps you dear |
| speak or talk gained greater acceptance as | | | | reader could help by engaging in our oral |
| fact rather than fancy; Sesame Street came to | | | | traditions by telling someone about this |
| television and our very young associated a | | | | article, and then let them read the article |
| visual presentation to learning subject or | | | | and both of you reinforcing by discussion |
| object; and in our quest for material objects | | | | what has been learned. |
| and just getting by, our children were | | | | |
| literally forced to find books as a companion | | | | Who really knows, if you give a child or |
| to replace the lack of parenting.While we can | | | | adult the gift of reading, the gift may be |
| either agree or disagree with any or all of | | | | the greatest gift given or received. Now let |
| what has been presented so far, none of us | | | | your mind wander and ponder the how and |
| would discount a value of Lent, which to we | | | | why.Citations:History of Speed Reading and |
| Catholics is giving up something like | | | | Evelyn Wood, by H. Bernard Wechsler, March |
| cigarettes, but apply this objective in | | | | 31, 2003 |
| reverse, by doing something of value we do | | | | |
| not do at present, like read. To ourselves, | | | | The Reading Matrix, Volume 1, Number 1, |
| to our children, to an audience and in the | | | | April 2001 |
| process develop diction, self-confidence and | | | | |
| a feeling of self worth as a parent and world | | | | National Endowment for the Arts Survey, 2002 |
| citizen.Lack of Oral TraditionAnother | | | | |
| picture, which comes to our minds at | | | | Schools Attuned Online, All Kinds of Minds, |
| birthdays and other occasions, is that of a | | | | 1999-2006 |
| loved one who took the time with children and | | | | |
| other adults to recall a mind-boggling story, | | | | Kump, Peter (1988). Break-through rapid |
| which we can remember even in our later | | | | reading. New York: Prentice Hall. |
| years. Remember this dear reader. Prior to | | | | |
| 900 A.D. the world read aloud until Seymour | | | | Redway, Kathryn (1999). |