Luke Robertson is a Children’s Bookseller, Librarian and Book Club Moderator, as well as the creator of the fabulous website Professor Bookman’s. Luke speaks with authority on many topics surrounding children’s literature, book clubs, and classics for youth. He makes his home in Los Angeles, California with his wife, Sarah. 
We are fortunate to have him as a regular contributor on TommyMom, and he apologized ahead of time for feeling sassy while addressing this particular topic. That’s okay. Truth be known, I’ve always liked him a bit on the sassy side! He loves receiving your comments and reads each and every one.~TommyMom
Anyone who has studied psychology or early childhood education is probably familiar with the name Jean Piaget. Piaget was a highly influential developmental psychologist who formed many insightful theories regarding the education of children. In particular, he believed that children follow a very natural course of development and that we should work with our children’s organic growth rather than force an educational agenda on them. He stressed actively involving children in their own education, helping children make discoveries for themselves, and creating a stimulating, experience-rich environment for learning. He saw the experience of childhood as something very essential, and very sacred, in the development of every person.
As he lectured throughout the 20th century, Jean Piaget witnessed a disturbing pattern that came with every lecture. After his presentation, someone would always ask him the exact same troubling question- “How can I speed up this natural development in a child?” At first, he was shocked. Who would ask a question like that? It negated his entire point, his entire body of work. Was this person sleeping throughout his presentation or what? Didn’t he just finish explaining how detrimental the idea of “speeding up” this process is? Seriously, who would ask such a question? In time, when the question inevitably arose, Piaget would chuckle, cast a furtive glance at his colleagues, and say, “Ah yes, The American Question…”
Piaget dubbed it “The American Question” not only because it was the Americans asking the question, but also because the question touches on an ominous side of our distinctly American ideology.
Every single day, I am slapped in the face by “The American Question.” Multiple times. By parents, grandparents, teachers, librarians, even by children. It seems as though everyone is obsessed with how long the books are, how challenging the reading is, how advanced their readers are, and I am beginning to notice that there is no middle ground anymore. There is no average. There is no “par for the course.”
For instance, as I was working at Children’s Book World yesterday, a woman came in with her children to pick out a few books for their summer reading. She told her kids to look around for some good books and then quickly took me aside into one of the aisles. In a hushed voice she told me, with a great deal of embarrassment, that her oldest child is actually “reading on grade level” and she wanted to know what we could do to fix that this summer. Even though I assured her that this was terrific and that there are many great books right in her eldest child’s reading range, she insisted that she wanted something “more challenging.”
Reading at what is considered grade level seems to mean “left behind” or “a little slow” these days. And if the kids can’t handle more advanced reading, we’re more than ready to buckle them to the bed and read it to them. I had another parent come into the bookstore the other day asking for an unabridged version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for her seven-year-old. I attempted to tell her that seven is a little young for the great American classic, as it’s filled with intense subject matter like racism, alcoholism, abuse, murder, not to mention all of the adult politics and social commentary. She replied, “Well, I’ll skip the things I don’t think she’ll understand. I just want her to hear the story.”
Every time I’m asked for a book recommendation it usually touches on “The American Question” at some point in the conversation. Of course, for me, the question takes on a few very distinct forms. Without any exaggeration, 90% of my conversations in the bookstore tend to go something like this-
“Can I get a few book recommendations? My child is eight-years-old and he/she…
a) reads at an 8th Grade Reading Level.”
b) just finished the Harry Potter series and LOVED it.”
c) is a genius.”
d) all of the above.
To which I would like to reply…
a) In my entire career as a children’s bookseller, school librarian, and children’s book club moderator, I have NEVER met an 8-year-old who reads on an 8th Grade level and I hope I never do.
b) Despite popular belief, the Harry Potter series is not a magical nor intuitive litmus test for reading ability. Next to the Bible and the Constitution, it’s one of the most abused texts in human history.
c) Every child is a genius. Bless you for observing this quality in your own child.
d) Have you tried Tolstoy or Dante yet? They really seem to resonate with the more advanced young readers of today…
In all seriousness, this obsession with reading levels, pushing more “challenging” books onto kids, or using books as trophies jeopardizes all of the great things we want our children to take from their reading experiences. Remember, we want children to read, enjoy, and understand their books. If we can ensure just these three criteria, then all of our great aspirations for our children as readers will undoubtedly follow. It does not matter how simple the books are, or how easy the reading is, if we can check off of the list that 1) our children are reading regularly, 2) our children are enjoying what they are reading, and 3) our children understand everything they are reading, then aside from suggesting a few more books that meet this criteria, our job is essentially done. As children grow as readers, and as people, they will gradually seek out books with a little more complexity and depth, challenging themselves and their abilities in the process.
Reading as a whole is a journey. Those classics we’re just dying for them to read, enjoy, and understand are on that journey, believe me. They will get there when they’re ready. We just need to exercise a little patience. I always ask parents like the ones I mentioned above if they think their child will get more out of classics like Huckleberry Finn when he/she is a nine-year-old or a fourteen-year-old? I ask them, “What’s the rush?” Your kids are going to get there soon. In the meantime, there’s an entire world of literature they’re ready for now. If you really want to challenge them, talk about the books their reading as they finish them. Help them see the themes and find the meaning within each story. Help them articulate why they like the story, who their favorite characters are and what they learned from the story. Teach them to appreciate every book, regardless of how many pages it has and how many big words it includes. That’s what being a true reader is all about, after all.
Luke, allow me to help clarify the phenomenon. Because our education was initially used to prepare the common public for the jobs of the industrial revolution, ( which is why high schoolers start at such an insane time of the morning, when very few can actually think) it should not surprise anyone that, just like the bosses in an industrial setting, parents want their kids to exceed last year’s bottom line, be ahead of the competition, and above all, make them look good! ;0) Just as it was back then, when young children were thrown into the full on workforce of an adult, today we do the same in athletics, academics, and even social situations. The problem is that kids’ brains have not developed enough to handle these demands. Parents need to enact “child labor laws” on their own kids, and allow them just to be kids! When 3rd graders have more homework than high schoolers did 20 years ago, there is a problem. When kids are being “nationally ranked” in athletics from the 4th and 5th grade…….there is a problem. I’m sorry that it has even crept into the carefree world of reading. Keep fighting the good fight……. you and Piaget are absolutely dead on my friend.
Best,
Tim
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Allow me to clarify that I am TOTALLY IN FAVOR of Capitalism…….I just think that educating in antiquated ways does not match the newer workplace that Capitalism has created.
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Yes, yes, and yes! I’ve been watching my children develop as readers. It is happening very slowly, but it is happening, and I am discovering in reality the very things you’ve mentioned: they are reading regularly, enjoying what they read, and understanding it. This week my 9 year old ran out of Boxcar Children mysteries (we need a trip to the library ASAP) so, just to see what would happen, I handed her my beloved copy of A Wrinkle in Time. I told her there was no commitment–she could stop any time–I just wanted to see if she liked it. Within minutes she looked up at me and said, “I can see why this is one of your favorite books, Mom.” I was delighted. But after another 20 minutes, she was out of her depth vocabulary-wise. We sat together and read some passages and chatted about the words that were hard, but I can see how much she just wants to really “own” her own reading experience. I think we will put away the harder book for another season and allow her the sense of accomplishment and joy that she gets from reading The Boxcar Children.
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I felt a real connection with this post. As a teacher and then stay at home mom, I tried very hard to balance the educational experiences of my sons. We visited museums, went to the library, etc but I tried not to force them to learn to read, do math, etc. before they entered school. We let them explore what interested them, but tried not to push them. By the time they entered kindergarten, however, they were reading, and doing basic math.
When our oldest entered first grade he was testing way above grade level. His teacher had over 20 years experience and said he had never taught a child who read at such a high level, or had such a large vocabulary at such a young age. This proved to be a true challenge for his teacher and our family. We had the hardest time finding books that kept him challenged and interested, without dealing with subject matters that we felt were inappropriate for a 7 year old. He spent most of first and second grade reading non-fiction because it was challenging enough to keep him interested, but still ‘safe.’ As he grew up and matured, he did finally start reading more fiction, but even then, it was after my husband or I had read the books to check for suitability.
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