Teaching kids the importance of reading is key
“A big kind of buzzword these days is ‘future ready librarian.’ What a lot of that means is, are we preparing young students for the technology that they’re going to encounter? Are we exposing them to coding, robotics and different things like that? We’re definitely exploring all of that, and it’s fun for them. But it doesn’t matter what you’re doing now or in the future, you still have to be able to read.
“It all comes back to the basics of reading. And I can teach you how to read. But reading with understanding and reading with passion, that comes from holding a book in your hands and just reading.
“We all probably remember the book or series of books that sparked our love of reading. For me, it was the Little House on the Prairie books and the Nancy Drew mystery books. And let me tell you, I still read them. About once every couple years, I’ll read through the whole series. It takes me back to when I was in late elementary school and junior high. I could never get enough of books.
“So what I try to make the kids understand is that while all the other activities we do are cool and wonderful, reading is at the core of everything. Finding good books and reading them, because we’re interested in them and because they make us excited to turn the page, that’s what is most important.”
— Amanda Rayburn
Amanda taught kindergarten, first grade and third grade for seven years at Travis Elementary, before returning to school to earn her master’s degree in library science and getting her certification. She is in her fifth year as librarian at Lamar Elementary.
(Photo by Olivia Garza/Liv’s Looking Glass)
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