The Reader's Bill of Rights
The Reader's Bill of Rights are the creation of author, Daniel Pennac. He has included them in his book Better Than Life. It is a book that asks a very important question - What happens in the life of a child that makes him enter school longing to learn how to read, and then leaves him loathing the act of reading by the time he leaves grade school? Pennac explores common practices used by parents and teachers to get kids to read that inevitably ends up smothering any initial desire the child originally had for reading. His "Reader's Bill of Rights" is radical. Many parents, and especially teachers, will balk at the very idea of allowing a child to "not finish a book." Many of the rights go against the grain of every teacher education program in existence at this time. However, it is a radical, fresh change that is needed in education today. And there is no better place to start than with the reading process, for it leads to success in all other curriculum areas. If the mission of education is to make life-time learners out of our students, then we as educators must find a way to create students who love to read. That is the sole goal of The Reader's Bill of Rights.
Daniel Pennac's
The Reader's Bill of Rights
1. The right not to read.
2. The right to skip pages.
3. The right to not finish.
4. The right to reread.
5. The right to read anything.
6.The right to escapism.
7.The right to read anywhere.
8. The right to browse.
9. The right to read out loud.
10. The right to not defend your tastes.
Questions or comments? Email Cricket Groff.
