Froggirl
Froggirl
Nov 6 · 3 min read

Reading shouldn’t be exclusive

This idea came to me while teaching piano. One of my students had a really difficult time reading music. Upon further discussion I discovered she also had trouble reading books. I asked her what tools she used to make reading easier. She told me she had to use another piece of paper to make sure she didn’t skip lines because the words would move on the page otherwise. Perhaps her piano teacher should not have been the first person to suggest she had dyslexia. In an ideal world where we aren’t scared of being different this poor child would have had help before her teen years.

One of my best friends had told me that she would buy books from the clearance section at the used book store so it was only obscure books she read. After talking to this student I came back to my friend and asked more questions. Turned out that she picked books based on what she found readable. She was in dyslexia denial!

As I was thinking about the needs of my friend and student I thought about my own experiences with reading. The joys I found in being swept away in Diana Wynn Jones’ magical worlds and spending time with the devil in C.S. Lewis’ imagination. Shouldn’t every child be able to enjoy Harry Potter if they want to?

Every child should have tools to succeed. Success should not be dictated to them as an end goal which is what we do when we don’t care if kids enjoy reading. Learning to read is a different level of challenge for each individual. We have the technology already in place to make this simpler.

My idea: have kindles or tables that can edit entire books to a spacing and font that will be readable for the individual. If a person can easily get through their text book because it is pleasing to their eyes and mind is that really so terrible?

Also, we need to effect our carbon foot print like yesterday. Yes, I agree with you, there is nothing like an old book. Yes, you aren’t wrong, there is something special about books. It’s not worth the cost my fellow nerds. Kindles and tablets are the way to make reading a non exclusive activity. I believe that is one of the most important things we can do for our children. This is how we can take away their limitations. I’m not calling for the extinction of books. I don’t expect I will burn to many books ever, if at all.

How much easier would it be to read the instructions on how to assemble your new exercise machine if you can change the font and spacing? This could fix a lot of frustration for even people who don’t have dyslexia or other types of “disorders.”

Expanding education should be a high priority. When we teach to the test instead of for the purpose of learning we set limits on everyone (save maybe a few). Teachers can’t do their jobs in a way that won’t hold children back from their full potential. A lot is left to over worked parents who have no alone time and they are all overwhelmed with debt and bills that make a nest egg impossible to achieve. Never mind time to read to/with their children.

Extra feature for extra points. Eye scanner to help you keep track of where you have read. The font could become underlined or change color so that if you get distracted or taken away you’ll know exactly where you left off with little effort or frustration at having to back track and waste valuable reading time! An optional feature as some people might find this more irritating than helpful.

Points of study before proceeding with this venture:

Does a book’s layout affect the average reader?

Does it affect a book’s likely-hood to be a best seller?

If any reader has things to add please comment and add to the think tank. This blog is more of a toe dip while I’m trying out different ways I can make the world around me better.

Froggirl

Written by

Froggirl

Facing your inner demons is the greatest adventure. Mom of 3 striving for self awareness for myself and those close to me.