“The pen sometimes builds a more enduring monument than can the hammer or chisel.” Wise words from James Lendall Basford, a watchmaker and jeweler in Massachusetts who published two books of his own aphorisms — Sparks from the Philosopher's Stone in 1882 and Seven Seventy Seven Sensations in 1897.
I think a lot about words; how they string together to form sentences and paragraphs and how those paragraphs, in a sequence, tell the who, what, when, where and why of a thing, imparting information to the reader. A recipe explains how to bake or cook something — chicken pot pie, for example. Who doesn’t like chicken pot pie?
A set of instructions inside a big box, parts, all packaged in ziplock plastic bags, to what, once put together, will be a bicycle — a 6th birthday present. One must be able to read to assemble the parts so it may be enjoyed by the recipient. But what if Dad or Mom can’t read the instructions well enough to accomplish the task before them. That has to be so frustrating. Yet it’s a scenario that plays out day after day, in many households across this province and across Canda.
Parents or caregivers who cannot read at all or who can barely read suffer with a deficiency that impacts every aspect of life; every interaction, every choice, everything. What’s heartbreaking is that there are innocent victims along for that journey. Infants, toddlers, pre-kindergarteners, preschoolers. They are victimzed because they aren’t getting what they absolutely must have in order to succeed, going forward. They must be formal school ready. Reading and knowing letters and words is critical, and if parents aren’t providing that instruction, their youngsters are at significant disadvantage in the classroom. Reading readiness begins or should begin in the home. Children who are read to on a daily basis are more likely to become readers; life long readers. With reading comes knowledge, and it’s true — knowledge is power.
Literacy lags in school are a significant problem in our province and across the country, but here in the picture province the situation is magnified due to our limited opportunities. Child and family poverty in this province outpaces that in others and that reality is a real kick in the stomach to parents trying to ‘get by’, providing themselves and their children with a no frills existence. They’re not really living if measured against how ‘the others’ live. A hand to mouth existence impacts the very core of self-esteem. No wonder literacy rates are down. Depression amongst parents is depressing advances in skills acquisition. When a child cannot advance, often through no fault of his own, he gets depressed. A vicious cycle.
There’s been lots of press about the problem with lots of programs being put forward with a view to resolving it. Nothing seems to be working. All manner of criticism in the form of comments to news stories about literacy and literacy rates. Blame the teacher. Blame the system. Blame the government. Blame, blame, blame!
I was an early reader by virtue of the ‘alone time’ imposed by formative years of growing up with CP. Over my ‘youngster years’, I was gifted with many books, from The Bobsey Twins to the “Anne” books by L.M. Montgomery, the latter having survived a purge by my Mom many decades ago.
Matching struggling readers with the proficient lends itself to nurturing a love of words and books in a stress free environment while at the same time forging potentially life-long friendships. As a 3rd grader, I was partnered with the banker’s daughter, Libby, who lived with Down Syndrome. She learned how to articulate clearly because I did. I was always very precise with speech; I didn’t fall into slang or the ‘you know’ saturated conversation. I was never a ‘slanger’. Libby mimicked me as best she could; I will always remember her sparkling eyes which let me know she was enjoying herself. There was so much going on ‘in there’ that our community would never know about but Libby did. Years after those 3 grade reading sessions I saw Libby again at the Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation. In my day, it was the Forest Hill Rehabilitation Center. She was at the reception area, in a wheelchair. I recognized her immediately and spoke her name; she looked up at me, without a word, but she knew me. As it happened she had a stroke. She was wearing a jogging suit, a totally foreign mode of dress for the girl who wore fancy dresses and skirts to school. She’d been quite agitated and I mentioned the bygone schooldays dresses. Perhaps that would make her feel more comfortable, I suggested.
Today, words and writing are a significant part of my daily life; learn something or several somethings each and every day.
Are you a retiree with an hour or two each day that’s not taken up with your daily chores or hobbies? Do you often say to yourself ‘I’m bored!’, or “I wish I had something to do today.”, “I wish I had someone to go with me to the mall.” On and on. Do you like to read? Do you read newspapers? Do you read magazines? You could become a reading buddy to uplift lives. Imagine!
Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell