Interestingly, we have become overcome with baloney holidays (Grandparents Day, Secretary’s Day, Clergy Appreciation Day, Bosses Day…that should be MORE than enough).  obviously, these are critical to the financial success of Hallmark and American Greetings- and not many other folks.

But, this month is known as NRAM- National Reading Awareness Month.  To ensure that  our children have easy access to books (that means at home and at school- which are appropriate to their ability and comprehension), have the opportunity to own their own books, learn that reading can be fun, and have adults who can and will read and share these books with them.

To read means we sustain attention and patience. It is not looking at Facebook statuses or Instagram or Twitter, which may gratify, but require very little brain power. We need to develop the skills of perception and judgment; reading and mathematics are the tools that hone these needed attributes for satisfying careers and an educated electorate.

It is something that I have engendered in my children, grandchildren…even among my neighbors’ kids.  Whether that meant reading stories that would engage their minds, bring twinkle to their eyes, or challenge their views of the world, they learned that books make their lives fuller.

And my kids knew that Chanuka meant that at least three new books would be in their possession.  Visiting the library to obtain their own library cards as soon as they could write their full name was another big event.  (It also meant they got a wallet or pocket-book with which they could carry their new ‘ID’.)

But, we forget often enough that not all the kids can be so lucky.  Living in the affluent city/suburb of Alexandria, Virginia  (with a median income of more than $80K), it is shocking to know that 60% of the kids that attend our public school get free or reduced-priced lunches.  So, you can bet that their ability to have book-enriched lives are pretty slim.

Some time ago, some folks arranged that every young Jewish child in America could obtain a free book 10+ times a year.  This program (PJ Library) addresses the fact that many Jewish children lack information about their religion and culture.  So, age (and religion) appropriate books are delivered by post to households identified by parents, grandparents, neighbors, and/or synagogues.

Here in Northern Virginia, we also have The Reading Connection that provides books (for free) to at-risk kids in the metropolitan DC region. They also deliver a Read-Aloud program; stories and books are read to kids at the Carpenter’s Shelter, Alive!House, and the local housing authority.

But, given the fact that we are being overrun with technology, we need to ensure that our kids see us reading books (and not just for work). We need to have a morning or evening ritual where we read together (out loud to them, or each of us with our own separate books) to inculcate the practice.

But, it’s not just that kids need to read.  Adults need to keep reading (or, in some cases, start).   A new study published by Drs. Diana Tamir (Princeton, lead author), Andrew Becker (McGill),  David Dodell-Feder,  and Jason Mitchell  (both of the last two are from Harvard) was just published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.   The research involved 10 men and 16 women (at Harvard),  including functional MRI (fMRI) techniques.  This preliminary (only 26 folks) study found that reading fiction may improve one’s social perception skills.  It seems that the default network portion of our brains is affected; depending upon attention to other’s mental states, we effect neural changes that provide these enhanced social skills.

So it’s clear that if we don’t read, we not only lose out on the pleasures of learning new things and may miss valuable clues about our fellow humans, but also become uneducated voters. Falling for any premise (or promise) that comes along.

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