Why Reading?
Why does an accomplished STEM guy care about literacy?
I started learning to program computers when I was about 10 years old, back when Tron and The Last Starfighter were in theatres and all the music used synth keyboards. “They” predicted movies, shows, and video games would replace books.
“They” spent a billion dollars making Tolkien’s books into blockbusters, but my 12-year-old is adamant that the books are way better, and we all know she’s right.
Reading is important because of emails, contracts, and receipts. We can’t deny that. The Sumerians invented writing about 5,000 years ago, and of the hundreds of thousands of their documents that survived, almost all are bureaucratic.
But who remembers a tax bill even a few years later?
Technology is a means, not an end. While code may help us build the future, it doesn’t inspire it. That’s the role of stories. I made Jubilant Reader to help kids not just learn to read but love to read!
Here’s a FREE printable for Peter Rabbit, from our Teachers Pay Teachers. The printable includes the complete book by Beatrix Potter, along with tons of fun activities! Jubilant Reader features read alouds from many classics such as these.