Thursday, September 10, 2009

Literacy and the Gospel (part 3)


I am on to day three in my look at literacy and the gospel. I do not know how much longer I will continue to look at this issue. But my heart has been pricked. Today I want to ask whose responsibility it is to teach the children to read.

Whose responsibility is it to teach kids and adults to read? Many have said it is the schools systems and the government's responsibility. My question is why is it their responsibility?

Shouldn't it be the parents responsibility? I believe it is their responsibility. But what then about parents who are functionally illiterate themselves. Should they just allow themselves to remain illiterate and not be able to teach their children? Well, I have no easy answer. I am still thinking about all this and struggling through it all myself.

I know I am speaking as one who was blessed to have parents and grandparent who taught me to read from an early age. I did have decent schools that aided my parents in helping me learn. I do not have children of my own, so who I am to say that it is a parents responsibility to teach their child? I know life is busy and parents have to work to support their families, leaving what seems like little time to sit to read. It's nice to just sit and relax in the evenings and not have to work on kids homework or read to them.

It has been my prayer that the Lord would reveal to me ways I can help this problem facing our county. I have no answer yet, and I know one person cannot begin a ministry for everything that they see as important. I know what I would like to do if I have children one day, but what about until then. How can I use what the Lord has gifted me with to make His name be known and His word read in Hancock county.

1 comment:

Paula said...

Being a teacher and a parent, Jamie, I can say that it is BOTH the teachers' + the parents' responsibility to teach our children how to read. As educators, it is up to us to teach based on individual strengths/needs + put up "red flags" when a child falls below the grade-level norm. As moms + dads, we are to reinforce the importance + fun of reading by modeling such behaviors of reading the newspaper, a magazine +/or a good book such as The Bible (smile).