Last week was Literacy Week, so many schools, libraries, and communities hosted events designed to highlight the importance and joy of reading and writing. Literacy skills, the backbone of everything we do as humans, were celebrated and honored.
One of the events I participated in was a Family Literacy Night at a local elementary school. It was not the school at which I teach, so I did not know the hundreds of parents and children who filled the school. Although I was a guest speaker and presenter in one of the many inviting sessions that were available to families in attendance, in some ways I watched the events as an outsider. I watched the children and adults laugh together, talk, wonder, and wander.
And what resonated more than anything else with me, was the underlying premise that literacy is a social endeavor. The purpose and power of literacy is to be able to share and communicate. The evening was joyous. It was filled with discovery. It helped to build connections. And it focused on books and reading.
Many came dressed as their favorite literary character, and there were squeals of excitement to see some of their beloved characters come to life. Students positively beamed when you recognized who they were, and wanted to immediately tell you why they loved this character/book so much.
Reading is not a solitary endeavor. Yes, in many cases when we read, we are doing it by ourselves, just the book and us. But that is just the first step. Sharing, discussing, and reflecting on what we are reading is a social endeavor. Think of the popularity of book clubs.
This month our school’s Battle of the Books Team started meeting, and I was once again reminded of the social connections that reading and books can build. The students arrived in my classroom at 7:45 on a Monday morning, and within minutes, they were talking, laughing, passing books back and forth, and sharing insights. All without me having to do a thing. That is the power of books.
I remember reading a quote once about how seeing a stranger reading a book you have read and loved, is like an introduction to a new friend.
Clearly, books build social connections. That is the power of reading and writing!
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