“R” is for reading.

The ability to read is critical to having a successful life. Depending on what study you look at or what criteria you use the rate of functional literacy , meaning the ability to read  what you need to read to get by day to day, is some where between 70% and 80% of the population of the United States. This means as much as a quarter of the people in our country can’t read a driving test to get a license or read the directions on a bottle of medicine. Wow. I once had a friend and fellow teacher say to me “If nothing else we have to make SURE students learn to read –even if that isn’t the thing we are supposed to be teaching because if they can’t read it is hard to learn anything else but if you can read you can use that skill to learn EVERYTHING else”. That is probably true. I am so fortunate that both of my kids are amazing readers. One of Caelun’s favorite things in the whole world is reading. Being read to and reading to some one else are equally good. This is that long time classic brought to you by the Dr. of Seuss- Hop On Pop and this is Clint having it read to him for the hundredth time.

May the world be open to him every time he opens a book.