Last weekend, I received two amazing gifts–a mug that says “Professional Bookworm” and this:
As we get ready for the new school year, I am once again reminded of all our educational professionals do in teaching our youth to reach their potential.
Reading is hard, but necessary. We live in a world of words. Without them, we get lost.
In fact, a training we just completed at the library gave me a terrifying insight into the world of words. By the age of three, a child coming from inter-generational poverty will hear 30 million less words than a three-year-old child coming from the middle class.
30,000,000
That’s equivalent to not hearing 333.3 full-length novels read out loud. That’s not hearing 111 books worth of words each year. That’s a lot of missing words.
Teachers have my utmost respect, whether they are professional educators or parents and acquaintances taking the time to talk to and read with the youth in their lives.
Words are hard. It’s not weird. It’s a fact.
As you go about your day, please support reading, support strong communication, and support education. It’s the only way any of us can reach our potential.
Thank you, teachers!
happy reading~ jody
