Encouraging Young Children To Read

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31016, 23 March 1966, Page 2

Encouraging Young Children To Read

The success of elementary education depends on the elementary school library-, says Mrs S. F. Morse, whose husband, Professor Morse, is a visiting Fulbright professor of American literature at the University of Canterbury. Mrs Morse says encouraging children to read is her cause and one shared by many American women.

With the passing of a new education act in Congress every elementary school will have a library and a qualified full - time librarian.

“With the possibility of publishers receiving Federal money to help stock the libraries responsible libaranans, teachers and parents must ensure that standards are kept up,” Mrs Morse said.

“I want to see children ready, for this has a lot to do with the kind of people they are going to be.” Writing reviews for the “Hom Book Magazine,” a publication specialising in children’s literature, and lecturing at schools and libraries is Mrs Morse’s way of furthering her cause.

She is also a member of a committee which compiles a bound volume listing the best children’s and junior adult books published each year. The list is published in the United States for the National Association of Independent Schools.

The Morses live with their 11-year-old son Samuel in Boston where Professor Morse

lectures at one of the city’s largest urban universities, North-eastern. "The children’s books field in Boston is just as lively and exciting as can be,” Mrs Morse said.

“The "Hom Book Magazine’ began 40 years ago with the publication by a Boston book shop of a pamphlet recommending good children’s books,” Mrs Morse said. “Now 2500 children’s books are published each year in the United States and it’s essential that the best books are brought to the attention of parents and librarians.”

The magazine also contains articles on children’s litera-. ture from all over the world, and its editor. Miss Ruth Hill Viguers, is interested in receiving articles from New Zealand.

“We would very much like something from this country on children’s books whether the writer writes fiction or non-fiction,” she said. Guiding Children

A child’s taste in reading could be developed with guidance from parents and librarians and adult enthusiasm often stimulated children’s interest.

“Right now my son’s reading every Biggies book he can lay his hands on. Children will always read a mystery or

adventure, book, and I think it’s possible to have good writing which is also entertaining,” she said. Between eight and 12 years a child would read anything and everything, learning all the while to discriminate. “An intelligent reader is one who is not easily persuaded,” Mrs Morse said. While Mrs Morse considers the school library invaluable, she has found teachers often kill the desire to read. “They stand for authority and say, ‘You must read this because it is good for you’,” she said. Climatic Advantage Climatic conditions in most of the United States are on the side of reading enthusiasts. “With so much of our country having a long, cold winter children have to be inside and amuse themselves. Here, I think, your youngsters spend most of the year outdoors.”

Summer is outdoors time for the Morse family. During the long vacation they go to their home state of Maine where the sailing is “superb”, mountains and parks are in abundance, and everyone is

This year in New Zealand they are looking forward to walking the Milford track during Easter.