Table Talk: The Importance of Reading

• May 04, 2012  |
• by The Family Dinner

On Fridays, The Huffington Post presents a compelling topic to spark discussion at your dinner table.

A 2010 study conducted by Scholastic and Harrison Group found that “nine out of ten children say they are more likely to finish books they choose themselves” — and one of the goals of Denver-based Burning Through Pages (a non-profit that helps kids join book clubs in their communities, and buys the books for them) is to get kids to read books they might not normally read in school. As BTP says: “It’s not what you read that’s important to us, it’s that you enjoy whatever it is that keeps you burning through the pages.”

Many parents today think their children are spending too much time texting or surfing the Internet, and not enough time reading. The same 2010 Scholastic/Harrison Group study confirmed some parents’ fears by reporting that “the time kids spend reading declines while the time kids spend going online … and using [cell phones] increases.” (It also reported that three-quarters of kids aged 9-17 agreed with the statement, “I know I should read more books for fun.”)

Visit The Huffington Post for more on the importance of reading and for discussion questions you can share with your kids at the dinner table.

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