The Telegraph has a great article about what schools need to do to inspire a love of reading in children. 

"This is my reading group," one of the teachers proudly explained to Rosen. After two prodigiously active years promoting a love of books, in schools and out, Rosen’s antennae are well tuned to a telling trend. "Wonderful," he thought. "But what are the others doing?"

"Between the ages of four and nine," he says, "reading books is regarded as optional. Some schools take it seriously, but others say there is no time and fall back on worksheets which are torn-up extracts of books. It is really dangerous. Children don’t even read the whole chapter. The idea of engaging with what happens, with the thoughts and feelings of a story, has disappeared.

"It is not built into most schools’ ethos. If we want children to have access to complex ideas then the most fruitful way is the reading of whole books."

I agree with this.  But don’t we also need to tell parents that it is their job to raise readers?  And how about librarians?  Isn’t it our job too to try to entice, entertain and encourage young readers?  I don’t think it’s a simple answer of if only teachers would do more.  I think it is a complicated formula of parents, teachers, librarians and great books that make the difference.

How about you?  What’s your reaction?