According to the Telegraph, it’s not in a classroom.  The article goes on to say that reading, and especially a passion for reading, is pretty much garnered everywhere else but a classroom because teachers are either teaching books that kids don’t want to read or “don’t have the time” to properly teach them.  WTF?  What is going on in the British school systems that English teachers don’t have the time to teach their students whole books?  What’s the point of an English teacher then and just what are they doing that’s taking up so much of their time?

I don’t know much about that situation but when I was in school, if it was found out that you cribbed your way through a book, you got detention.  Even now, kids are reading entire books, not excerpts.  Granted they may not be books the kids are too thrilled about but I know quite a few teachers slide in a “your choice” reading assignment as a means of engaging the students and allowing them to read something for school that they actually enjoy instead of something that makes them want to gouge their eyes out.

Yes, I do believe a love of reading is born at home and the parents aren’t going to read newer books to their kids but the books they loved as children.  Whether they are classic books like Little Women or Winnie the Pooh, in that sphere or the “oldies but goodies” is usually where the reading starts.  Once kids get their fill of those they move on to books they enjoy; usually the newer, more contemporary books with a much more updated reading style.

That can lead into the whole “books nowadays are crap” argument that seems to never have an ending point but considering each era demands certain styles to its writing, it’s unfair to judge each against the other.  No, children might not get into the “classics” as easily as, say, Darren Shan, but does that make contemporary literature any lesser than the “classics” where many writers were paid by the word (thus resulting in superfluous writing)?  Different times, different writing.  But that’s beside the point.

I don’t think a love of reading can be completely eliminated from a classroom.  An engaging English teacher that wants their kids to read, not only books on the curriculum but popular books that they want to read, I think a love can be borne of a classroom setting.  The setting just needs to be right and encouraging and a lot of the times that falls to the teacher to create.  If they just don’t give a damn and “don’t have the time” to teach books properly, well then kids are going to suffer for it.  But if teachers actually sat down and tried to work in fun into their state-mandated teaching syllabus, it could actually work.  But that involves the teacher giving a shit.  Why be a teacher if you don’t care, I have no idea but there you go.

A love of reading can come from anywhere so long as the environment’s there to encourage it.  Yes, being forced to read books that you’d rather set on fire is not a fun thing but if you have someone there telling you, “well, you might think that one suck but try this one,” it could be all the encouragement that kid needs to start reading and actually see that not all reading is soul-sucking.  Kids have to not associate reading to homework and force.  The free will has to be there and the fun has to be there in order for them to move on and pick up a book on their own.  I think the second a child finds out that read can be fun, and reading whatever they want and not being discouraged that they’re reading the “wrong” thing, the love is born.