While I was doing some research for my third portfolio, I came across this quote by Maya Angelou which I am actually using in my essay:
“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.”
This quote reminded me of AR or Accelerated Reader, a program everyone in my middle school participated in. AR gave points to books that could be accumulated. One could receive points after reading and taking a short quiz on a book. At the end of a quarter, students were to have accumulated at least a certain number of points. Students could choose any books they desired from the list. AR was a means of encouraging us to make reading a part of our daily activity. It definitely helped encourage my love of reading.
Here is the AR Book Finder website
It is interesting to reinterpret her proposal of “any book” as either a print or e-book. Whatever gets us to love reading, any kind of reading, is good.
I feel like that AR program might actually have a negative impact. On one hand, it does encourage reading. On the other, it’s forcibly encouraging reading. I’ve always thought that making something a requirement takes some of the fun out of it. Of course, if by that point you enjoy reading, then there’s no real harm.