Children’s Reading Rights
Peggy Sharp 2001
Children have the right
to read good books. Exposure
to high quality writing will help children become critical readers, and help
them learn how to select books that are good enough for them. Literary standards are not lower for books
for children; young people deserve the same high quality books that everyone
wants to read.
Children have the right
to gain something from the books they read, to take something away from their
experience. Books
give children an opportunity to explore new worlds and learn new ideas. Provide them with a wide range of books that
allows them to travel places they’ve never been, and see things they’ve never
seen.
Children have the right
to choose their own books to read. Children
need an opportunity to learn to select good books for themselves. By selecting both books that they like and
don’t like, they will develop the criteria for books they enjoy reading.
Children have the right
to read books on topics of interest to them.
While it is important to expose children to a wide variety of
books, young readers need to be allowed to identify their own reading
interests. Not everyone likes to read
the same books, and children need to be able to select books of the genre and
topic of interest to them.
Children have the right
to read both challenging and easier books. Children
do not always have to read at their reading level. Everyone likes to “relax” and not always be
challenged when reading; children, too, need to experience relaxing reading.
Children have the right to
read for fun. Children
should have the opportunity to read a book for the pure pleasure of reading,
and not always be expected to take a test, write a book report, participate in
a discussion, or follow-up on the book in any other way.
Children have the right
to have stories read to them. Everyone
loves to hear a good story. Children of
all ages need an opportunity to relax, hear the language of a well-written
book, and be entertained by listening to a story.
Children have the right
to dislike some books. There are a few, if any, books that
everyone likes. Similarly, there is no
rule that says everyone needs to finish a book once it’s started. Give children an opportunity to stop reading
a book they are not enjoying.
Children have a right to
read all kinds of books. There is no one kind of
book that is better than others. Give
children an opportunity to read light and silly stories along with serious,
thought-provoking books to broaden the appeal of reading.
Children have a right to
read more than one book at a time. It is not necessary to
finish one book before beginning another.
Many people are interested in different kinds of books at different
times, and children need to have an opportunity to select reading material that
is appropriate for their particular reading need.
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