With fewer and fewer students reading literary works, calling them “dull and boring”, a scholar of literature blamed the teachers for not making reading interesting.
Nasti M. Reksodipuro, a retired lecturer of the School of Literature at the University of Indonesia, pointed out that teachers should give a brief introduction about a certain book.
“Teachers only assign the students to read a book without giving an indication as to what makes the book interesting to read,” she told The Jakarta Post in a recent interview.
The Jakarta Post has the full story.
Not great just because they’re classics
Well, even that’s not enough, really. Kids need to be taught to love reading by being read to from birth. If they don’t learn to enjoy reading as a natural process it is certainly unreasonable to expect them enjoy reading when it is thrust upon them in middle and high school. Aside from that, cultural tastes have changed, and I know that I do not have any tolerance for the outdated styles of the century before last. There are plenty of mainstream classics that just do not hold my attention. The style of writing is too loose and rambling. Dreiser’s Sister Carrie is one example that comes to mind.
Hmm
I like the ideas mentioned in the article. Being someone specializing in cataloging, I do not always get to take coursework about working with children. I like the ideas mentioned in the article.
Re:Not great just because they’re classics
Sure, you have to like to read before you’ll like to read ANYTHING, but I think you do need to give context for most literature.
And schools could do it so easily. For example, teach literature timed to the period being covered in history.
There are some interesting “history of ideas” programs that work across the curriculum to make the whole curriculum more integrated, interesting and relevant.