“The Age of Reading is Over. Can Civilization Survive the Post-literate Era?” Rose Horowitch, writer for The Atlantic magazine.

This article in The Atlantic caught my attention and put into written words what I have been worried about for years. I started working in the school library almost 30 years ago. In the first years, kids would beg to start reading chapter books. Now they open up books and if they aren’t a graphic novel (comic book style) they put it back on the shelf. They don’t have the attention span or the ability to comprehend words to enjoy a developed story line.

Have you thought about what this means? Kids can’t read and understand a story problem in math. They can’t focus on scientific explanations. They don’t understand written instructions or job applications. They can’t even begin to see what the future might be for themselves. We are becoming illiterate like during the dark ages. Is this what we want for our children?

I would encourage you to read the in-depth article in this month’s issue of The Atlantic, on the history of the written word and how it has changed society and how our brain works. Two-hundred-fifty years ago a revolution was fed by the written word of essays, newspapers, and pamphlets tacked on fences. Why do you think it was illegal to teach slaves to read? Why are we letting our kids enslave themselves to video games, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts? True, they are reading captions and texts and paragraphs, but very few in-depth passages that teach comprehension.

I hope the decline of reading in the schools will be helped by the new regulations to keep cell phones out of the classrooms. In the article, a kindergarten teacher told the story of how the children would cry for their mamas the first few days at school. Now, she had a child crying for her iPad.

Some schools, including some in our area, are going back to pencil and paper and severely limiting computers in the classroom. It has been proven with research that children are on the computer over four hours of the day outside the classroom. Limiting the computers, forces the kids to write which improves retention. That’s why adults make lists to help them remember.

How do we help our children love reading? Be a reader yourself. Let them see you enjoy a good book. Read to them from before they are born until they are out of your house. Listen to them read. Encourage them to read out loud, even if it’s to the dog or a stuffed toy. Take them to a library and get book suggestions from the librarian.

Reading skills have to be in place by third grade or it is a real uphill battle to be a success in school and careers. A high percentage of prison inmates have a third grade or lower reading ability. Read Everyday - Live a Better Life.

Library calendar

• First Friday in August, come join us for a FREE fun-filled evening of music and food in our new backyard reading spot. The fun begins at 5 p.m.! Save the date: Aug. 7.
• Monday mornings 10-11 a.m. Preschool Story Hour
• Tuesday morning Summer Reading Program 10:30 K-2, 12:30 grades 3-5.
• Lazy Days of Summer - Book Challenge ends Aug. 1
• Every Wednesday except 2nd Wednesday - ESOL with Rachel Sandoval at 6 p.m.
• July 28 - Recently Read meets at 5:30 p.m. Come enhance our conversation.

Gerry Hildebrand is the head librarian for the Nora Larabee Memorial Library, 108 N. Union St. in Stafford. Phone 620-234-5762, email larabeelibrary@gmail.com or visit Facebook at Nora Larabee Memorial Library. Library hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday; 2-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.