It was purely a coincidence, but the other day I met up with two people — both adults — and the chat got around to early reading. They both reminisced about something important that happened to them some forty, fifty years ago — when they were in elementary school. They were recalling when a specific teacher had read a specific book to their classes. In one case, it was Black Beauty (written by Anna Sewell). The other book was Where the Wild Fern Grows (written by Wilson Rawls). These folks remembered the books and the teachers — and the reading — and considered them memorable moments in quite young lives, a sense that something changed for them.
When I asked what had changed, they were rather vague, except they knew it had been a deeply felt experience.
I have heard of such experiences many times, an adult recalling both a specific book and a teacher from forty or fifty years ago. Never forgotten.
What had happened?
I am neither an expert in reading nor psychology, but I suspect what occurred was a sudden opening of the world, a shift from an inward-looking sense of young self to an awareness of a vastly bigger world. An exhilarating shock. Mind, it was not just the text being read, but a teacher giving life to that text. Because no doubt the teacher was capable of reading that text and bringing it to vibrancy better than the child could do at that time.
If you are reading this blog of mine, I think I can assume you are interested in books and reading. So, we all know the value of books, from simple (wonderful) entertainment to providing information, even to just a nice way to pass the time. And more. But I don’t think we pay enough attention to what such a book reading does for the young.
Books can provide an explosive awakening, shifting the perspective from a self-centered vision to being other-centered, making the world vastly bigger than it was before that reading. I suspect the shock of that thrilling discovery is what makes that teacher-book moment so remarkable. And it is remembered as such.
I further suspect that it is not fully grasped at the moment. Yes, both the folks I was speaking to, described that it was “exciting” to hear those books read. But there is some mystery to this. Why this particular book? Why that particular teacher? Why that particular day?
I don’t think such events can be planned, much less anticipated. But they happen. Life-altering moments — brought on by a book.
Have you had such a moment, such a teacher, such a book? I invite you to share it with us.
3 thoughts on “Early Reading”
I was in third grade. The book was JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit. We had an absolutely wonderful substitute teacher for several weeks while our very cut-and-dried regular teacher was out. She read to us every day. It was magical. After Mrs. L- returned, it was, alas, business as usual, so no more hobbits for us. I was most curious to find out what happened to Bilbo Baggins, but couldn’t remember the name of the book. Even though, that book lit a fire of interest that set me on a path to devour every bit of reading material in sight. When I was in junior high, and I told my beloved librarian the main character’s name, and of course, she pulled it from the shelf for me. The magic was still just as strong, and my joy was complete!
My elementary school in Brooklyn, New York did not have a library. Mrs. Feinberg, our librarian, would wheel a cart of books room to room. In 6th grade I remember her reading Lorna Doone. Don’t remember anything about the story. Just remember waiting for her to come in and read chapters. I guess I need to reread it to find out why it gripped me so. When I became a teacher, I realized as a child I was a literal reader. Didn’t infer much while reading so that’s probably why I didn’t really enjoy reading. (Except for Beverly Cleary books and Pippi Longstockings). But listening to stories … magical. I really looked forward to when she walked into the classroom. (Ah, my reminiscence of the 1960’s.)
My explosive book was A Wrinkle in Time because I had never read such a thing. My sixth grade teacher read it out loud and he was a marvelous reader. I liked the book and Mr. Rausch so much that I wanted my mother to marry him! I still remember him with great fondness all these years later. And I re-read that book every year.