RHYS BOWEN: Our society is losing many things: civility, culture, empathy but above all WORDS. The young generation communicates with texts. LOL WTF etc. During Covid my rather shy granddaughter was confined to her room and not doing well. I suggested she call some friends to chat. Nobody chats, Nana, she said.
I saw an interview on TV with a juvenile offender. When he spoke he sounded angry all the time and every third sentence was "Know what I mean? Know what I mean?" The problem was we didn't know what he meant because he lacked the words to express it.
My grandmother and great aunt had huge vocabularies. They spoke in complete sentences. They read extensively. Maybe the Victorian era was in some ways the high point of civilization. So many inventions, good literature, a relatively peaceful world. of course we won't mention colonial domination, awful slums, child labor... but I feel we have gone downhill from there. Two world wars, the rise of technology and, worst of all for us writers, the drop in reading. We are now writing for an elite few, most of them in the older generation. When they are gone will there be anyone else who wants to read as an escape?
My daughter teaches at a fabulous Montessori school, K-8. Their library is open during lunch hour and my daughter says it is always full of kids sprawled on couches and bean bags reading their favorite books. They also have a period every day called DEAR. Drop Everything And Read.
If only more schools were like that. But I feel we are all to blame. I notice my own vocabulary is limited these days. "Where did we put that thing? That whatsit? How are you? I'm good. Not I'm well, which is correct. I am trying to keep or recover some sort of vocabulary. I subscribe to something called Word Genius that sends me a new word every day. Some days I feel smug because I already know it. Other days it's like today:
No, I have never used that word in my life! I probably never will, but there are some words I think I know but I don't really. When John was saying that something was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard I commented that he should stop resorting to hyperbole. That felt good.
But I saw this list the other day. I think I know all of these words. Do you? And how do you think we can stop this horrible erosion of culture?
So who got a perfect score?
And do you have any suggestions about how we can improve our vocabularies and get kids to read? Harry Potter was amazing as it hooked a whole generation. Maybe we should stop writing for adults and write some more arresting children's lit.
I wish I did have an idea of how to get the kids to read, but, since phones and game apps seem to be here to stay, I am clueless . . . .
ReplyDeleteMaybe comic books?
DeleteI find they are amenable to reading on the kindle app.
DeleteOur public schools have reading time right after lunch.
Graphic novels for pre-teend and teens are very popular and do get kids to read who might not pick up a traditional book.
DeleteWhich reminds me that my mom didn't consider all our Archie and Superman comic books from the 1960's worth saving and threw them out in the trash. Agghh! They'd probably be a down payment on a new car today!!
One of my big worries, too, Rhys! Reader's Digest had a regular feature of interesting words, called Towards a More Colorful Language, if I remember correctly. They had other fun and educational features, as well.
ReplyDeleteI had at one time known absquatulate, but had forgotten that remarkable word. And four in the list are new to me. I'll have to share this with my stepsis here in England. She also loves words and language, in English, Latin, French and German.
Reminds me of friends who love words too. I always learn new words from them like "vapid", which was a new word to me at that time. It was said to describe this tv series that we were addicted to when we were recent college graduates.
DeleteBack when I worked for City of LA, we had forms we had to fill out for taking vacation, sick time, etc. If you were taking sick time, you had to check a box stating that you missed work due to an actual illness and not “moral turpitude.” I don’t know if many people knew what that phrase meant.
ReplyDeleteI lovingly seeing words, either in English or other languages, that perfectly describe something I would otherwise need a phrase for. It can tell you a lot about the culture, geography or weather. Like dreich for dull and gloomy weather in Scotland, or the Japanese word kuchisabishii for eating because your mouth is lonely.
Phrases can tell you a lot about culture. I learned from my travels.
DeleteWell, I had at least heard of 11 of the words in the list , not that I knew what they all meant.
ReplyDeleteThe Lemony Snicket books also have good vocabulary building words in them.
I read that even though the percentage of adults who read for pleasure is declining, the number of adults who read to their children is remaining steady. To me that means parents are not modeling that reading books is something adults do which might be contributing to the abandonment of reading as children get older. So the solution is not to substitute writing children’s books for writing for adults, but to promote reading for all. Some libraries do this by selecting a community reads book each year with companion YA and children’s books with the same or similar theme. I’ve also seen a rise in Summer Reading programs for all ages.
Brenda, adults modeling reading behavior--yes! My mom was an avid reader and my dad only read his daily newspaper. All of my sibs and I still love reading the newspaper (especially the print version!). Not all of us are avid readers, but the majority are.
DeleteI propose that libraries should not be allowed to remove from the shelves books that were written earlier on, and I don't mean because they are so called 'banned'. Language is fluid, and sentence structure moves on. The presentation of only current books does not allow us to learn the beauty of language. People do not speak in the same way in Dorothy Sayers, as the protagonists do in Lucy's books. Neither is better than the other, but I feel that we should have the ability to learn language from both.
DeleteThat is a very good point Margo.
DeleteMargo, I understand your point. However, libraries only have so much shelf space and if books aren’t checked out, they are taking the place of something that will circulate. The trick is getting those older books seen (which usually involves putting them on display, but can include highlighting them in a chapter read aloud). — Pat S
DeleteYes, I have seen some books taken out of circulation because no one is checking them out. To my surprise, some of the books, which I donated to the New library (first year after the move to the new library), are still in circulation.
DeletePut down the phones! Talk to your children!
ReplyDeleteSome of my favorite memories of kids and grandchildren are of me reading to them. A book I love to give to new parents is Richard Scarry's BIG WORD BOOK. It has pages of vocabulary, the name for everyday items throughout the house and in other places kids might go with a cute story.
ReplyDeleteI still learn vocabulary from reading. I knew most of the words on the list but rarely use them in speech. Your word of the day is a new one to me. If I said, "He absquatulated after one drink at the bar," what do you think people would imagine he did?
I would imagine a bad physical reaction.
DeleteGreat answer, Lisa! And Judy, I loved the Richard Scarry books when my son was little! — Pat S
DeleteYes, I remember the Richard Scarry books as a child. Loved them!
DeleteRichard Scarry's books are so fantastic. The cute, humourous stories and drawings are so engaging.
DeleteOh, that reminds me. Old fashioned curses were frequently much more colorful and amusing. A Yiddish curse Irwin used to say, I think it was a favorite of his grandmother, "You should grow like an onion!" The first time he said it I said, "Huh?" "You know," he said, "with your head in the ground."
ReplyDelete"Hey, your mother wears combat boots." ( Now a compliment, no longer a curse.)
I love colorful old curses, Judy. And colorful phrases. My father had so many including ‘for donkey. ‘S years’. I never knew where that came from
DeleteGeorgie's grandad is one of my very favorite characters. I know that you modelled him after your own father. What a very lucky girl you were!!
DeleteI know 12 of the words...I have no idea how to get kids to read.
ReplyDeleteperhaps comic books?
DeleteYes, I knew most of those words, except for 2. But that doesn't mean I would ever use these words in a conversation. Learning multiple languages (Japanese, English, French, German) certainly helped to expand my knowledge of words and vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteAre spelling bees still part of school curriculum? Word games such as Scrabble forced the players to use obscure words.
I play Scrabble against the computer but it cheats with such obscure words I could never know. !
DeleteYes, learning multiple languages, including Sign Language, helped me expand my knowledge of words too.
DeleteRhys, I also lament the decline of vocabulary in the modern world. From your list of "advanced" words, 14 were already in my vocabulary. Malversation, Lepid and Hebetude were new to me.
ReplyDeleteAs to instilling a love of reading in children, I really, really hope that trend turns. As someone else mentioned already, when I was raising my son the time we spent reading together forms some of my very best memories -- and his, I believe. (In the interest of fairnes, along with time reading with his dad. My husband is a big non-fiction reader but not much on fiction, however he faithfully read aloud with our son almost every night through his childhood.)
In part I think the decay in reading among young people is a reflection of the decay in attention spans. Many young people (by which I mean under 40 or so) do not have the attention span to sit and read a novel for an hour or so at a time. I know my son, for example, rarely reads a book, but subscribes to a service where writers post a chapter at a time online for his reading pleasure in long, ongoing stories. As I understand it, one subscribes to particular stories for a very small monthly fee and the writers are compensated for their work by those reader subscriptions. I have no idea if this model is common.
We are going back to the serialized works of Charles Dickens!
DeleteJames S.A. Corey (writers of The Expanse series) are posting their new work chapter-by-chapter to their Patreon subscribers to give a look behind the curtain as a novel evolves.
When I retired, I had to train myself to read long works again. My brain was so used to being constantly interrupted that at first I struggled to focus. Happily, it is a skill that came back to me.
If anyone remembers Doc Martin, there is a lovely scene where he is reading to his son, who is a baby and who is snuggled in his armpit, from the Lancet. Talk about learning vocabulary!
DeleteYou can blame TV. Stories are presented in 90 second segments before the scene changes or we go to commercials. Also small kids are put in front of TVs with flashing bright fast moving cartoons
Deleteyes, I remember Doc Martin reading to his baby son. He was reading from the Lancet.
DeleteI too lament the drop in the number of people who read. It's such a great pleasure for me. There were three of the word list that I didn't know. I would have spelled rigmarole as rigamarole. Apparently either is correct.
ReplyDeleteI love the word rigmarole, but when I saw it listed I always pronounce it "rigamarole" too.
DeleteRigamarole rolls off the tongue.
I think Latin and Greek should be taught in school, in fact, should be mandatory.
As far as "I am well/I am good", I have to admit I do know the correct response is "I am well" but I find it a bit too formal for everyday conversation for some reason. I always respond, "I am good" primarily because it is asked as a casual question and I prefer a casual response. (Unless one is at the doctor's office!)
I so agree about teaching Latin. I did 4 years of it and it helped me with every other language
DeleteMy favorite class in all four years of college was Greek and Latin Word Derivation! I learned so much from the incredible professor. This was in the mid-70s and he taught us things beyond vocabulary (e.g., how many turns in a hangman’s rope). He also defined “anachronism” by pointing to himself. He was an older man in a suit wearing a pocket watch. That class also helped me with my Spanish class. — Pat S
DeleteLatin was my favorite subject in high school. And like others have said, Latin helped me with learning other new languages.
DeleteI was familiar with most of the words on that list, but if I use them in conversation, most of the people I know wouldn’t have a clue what I was trying to say.
DebRo
Though I did not like my Latin class at school, I loved the Latin program on the computer, which was more accessible for me.
DeleteA lot to think about here, Rhys! Last year at my library's celebration, I was given a prize - I was their top borrower for that year! I was shocked that there weren't tons more people who read more than I did. But I think you are right that each generation is reading less. Less books, that is. I know that my mother read a lot more than I did, as did her mother before her, although it seemed that Grandma just read the same books over and over again. We'd go to the library and she was the only person taking out those old favorites of hers.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be good if more and better books were written for kids. Not that there is anything wrong with the new books out there, but we need more. When I hear about what sounds like a good picture book or YA novel I borrow just for my own pleasure. I recently read The Accidental Stowaway and wondered at the time if any kids would like it as much as I did.
As for your list of words, I knew most of them. Frequently when I am reading and come across an unknown word I immediately look it up on my cell phone. Often with Kindle the word can be highlighted and the definition given. I was so impressed when I first figured that out. Knowing what the word means as I am reading can sometimes make a big difference. Usually context clues help, but I want to be sure.
Have you noticed that so many children’s books are quite dark? Where are the fun ones?
DeleteTry anything by Ryan T. Higgins, Rhys.
DeleteI remember a college literature class about Hans Christian Andersen and our professor saying that many children's books are dark. I also read somewhere that Brothers Grimm stories were not for children at first and they became children's books.
DeleteWalt Disney Studios took the famous dark Grimm Brothers, Hans Christian Andersen, etc works and basically made them into world famous movies that had happier endings.
DeleteLanguage is a favourite thing to discuss here. Here are many thoughts in really random order.
ReplyDeleteBack when I wrote an editorial, I was very cognizant of not repeating the same word in a paragraph, but especially in the same sentence. The right click on the synonym button had a regular work-out. There I had to choose a word that not only reflected what I had to say, but was in the vocabulary of the readers. Language is usually only good if we speak so those around us can understand. I also think that substituting a word that may be unknown to the reader, should allow the reader to both learn the new word, while easily understanding its use in the passage. There is no sense in filling your prose with big words that only shows that you think you are superior in your use of words to anyone else – shades of Margaret Atwood’s writings.
I am currently ‘enjoying’, and I use that word very much in parenthesis, a book by Lynn Truss. The setting is 1950’s England, and the language reflects proper English dialogue, both posh and cockney. As a matter of fact, the use of language is used by the acute detective to delineate the speaker – does he use a napkin or a serviette?
Jack and I often remark if a really good word goes by – “good word”. That means to both of us that the word we just heard was not one that either of us usually knew, but was stupendous when used in the context. We probably will then forget it, but that is all right too. One word that I think of off the top of my head, is Louise Penny using ‘chiaroscuro’. (It has just taken the two of us 15 mins to google until we found the word – we knew what we wanted to say, but could not remember it. Oh, the joy of language!)
As for the Reader’s Digest word – yes, Karen in Ohio who today is in England, it was a favourite bathroom read and test. It usually got me with at least one word!
I will conclude with baby-talk. Arggghh! Talk to your kids, grandkids in real words. Challenge their vocabulary at the beginning. Read to them more diverse books that just ‘Good Night Moon’. Read Dr Suess, Robert Munsch. Make them think, and make them read even if it is only you reading to them at night – well past age 5.
I agree about Dr. Seuss, Robert Munsch - but I (and my grandkids) loved reading Goodnight Moon. We loved "watching" the mouse as he moved to different locations in the room as you turn the page. The moon also moves across the sky as the pages turn. There is more than meets the eye in Goodnight Moon. Another great children's author which touches on heartwarming and serious issues in a way appropriate for children is Patricia Palaccio. She talks about kids with learning disabilities who go on to become rocket scientists, a writer (she), etc. She has a wonderful book titled, "Chicken Sunday" that is so heartwarming and rich that I couldn't read it to my 1st grade student without crying.
DeleteWe writers have copy editors who show us when repeated a word or written a clumsy sentence. I read a lot of my work morbid to hear how it flows
DeleteAnd then there’s auto correct to substitute a word with something that is unlike what you intended. “Morbid” for “aloud”! — Pat S
DeleteI knew all those words. Do I regularly use them? No. I think the way we speak in casual conversation is not always indicative of the words we use. It's too casual. I use "I'm good" all the time when someone asks how I am. Do I know it's supposed to be "I'm well?" Of course, But it's the old Churchill saying, "Ending a sentence with a preposition is something with which I shall not put." Sounds weird.
ReplyDeleteMy kids text, but they call, too. Texts are for quick questions or sometimes group conversations. Calls are for real talks. My daughter told me recently she sometimes wished she didn't have a smart phone and she didn't like having to share her location all the time. I said, "Then turn it off." She told me people think it's rude if you don't share your location all the time. "Nobody has a right to know where you are 24/7. You're an adult. Turn it off."
The problem isn't the technology. It's us.
My daughters track their kids all the time. I suppose I can understand that.
DeleteI love reading newspapers. We get our local paper delivered every morning. I asked my neighbor if she would like me to save the paper for her and she said she prefers to catch the news on TV or internet. Fair enough, but when she didn't know about a massive new city program that is taking away our trashcans and replacing them with new ones and charging residents (on their tax bills) triple what we are paying for city trash pick up now -- well she had no idea! Well, she would have had she read the local paper!
ReplyDeleteI think so much confusion today is people don't read enough from factual news sources and so much false info is spewed that people don't have a clue what is accurate.
Unfortunately news channels are not obligated to tell the truth or not slant news. It has made people unable to discern fact from fiction
DeleteThe irony is my high school journalism teacher told us it was our responsibility to be OBJECTIVE as reporters. Now we are seeing a lot of bias in reporting the news.
DeleteThere's a difference, of course, between "news" channels and commentary channels. The shows on cable, although they are called "news," are mostly commentary. And the key is for savvy listeners to know the difference.
DeleteHank, I think they teach schoolchildren how to spot fake news in some parts of the world.
DeletePeek into a middle schooler's back pack and you will most likely find a graphic novel (basically a comic book) with pretty mundane story lines. So many of the literature I remember as a kid had intricate plots and serious (but age appropriate) themes. I loved reading Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn, Charlotte's Web, the Bronte sisters, Gone with the Wind, etc. And I wasn't even a good reader - I was slow and often had to re-read sections to remember where I left off. Even Dr. Seuss (although in the comic book style) touched on serious matters in many of his children's books. My very first book (at around age 6) was "The Cat in the Hat" by Seuss and was what hooked me on reading books. My generation was taught to read "Dick & Jane" books which actually taught us how to read but weren't very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI doubt the average youth today would have the patience and determination to wade through a Brontë book. My daughter got hooked on reading when she read Jane Eyre!
DeleteI have to come clean here. I did not start reading Bronte until I won a copy of JANE EYRE in a giveaway. It took me three years before I cracked open the book and started reading the book. It took me several tries before I got into reading the story. Even if I love words and I love to read, some books did not grab me until I was older. I love children's books and I remember wanting to read children's books when I was a student at Uni. Perhaps my brain needed a break from all of the heavy reading? There were many dull books that I had to read for my classes at Uni. I did not start reading Jane Austen until about 7 years ago. However, I read my dad's science fiction books when I was in the 4th grade. I remember reading books by Mark Twain in the 6th grade. I grew up with Shakespeare books in the home yet I was not interested in Shakespeare until I was living in Oxford, England and saw a performance of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure with British Sign Language interpreters.
DeleteRHYS: Words is one of my favourite topics. I recognize eight of the words on the list and the other words are new to me. I love this word "absquatulate" meaning "to leave abruptly_. That is quite a long word.
ReplyDeleteI've heard many wonderful things about Montessori schools.
As a child, I always loved learning new vocabulary words. It is ironic because there is a school of thought that Sign Language will cause lower language skills. My family and I communicated in "baby Sign Language", which I now know is Signed Exact English, which are signed words in the English order. When I learned American Sign Language (more like Shakespearean English or a foreign language) at the age of 8, my vocabulary increased tenfold! I learned many new words. When our 4th grade class had a visitor from France, I wanted to learn the French language. All I remember is learning the French word for five "Cinq", girls "filles" and boys "garcons".
I wonder if the erosion of language in the younger generations started after Mister Rogers died? I remember the PBS shows like Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
Yes, Mr Rogers did not talk down to kids, did he. I adored him
DeleteWe adored him too.
DeleteI know them all except hebetude and lepid, and I think I'm hazy on imprecation.
ReplyDeleteYour daughter's Montessori school sounds fabulous. We are a family of big readers and crossword puzzles, and my sons married women who are also. My granddaughter is growing up surrounded by books and by people who do not talk down to her.
I think there have probably always been people who have more extensive language skills than others.
Edith, I had the same words I didn't know (hebetude and lepid). I think of many words as "writing words." That is, I might write them, but I would never use them in conversation. I'm not sure I'd ever even WRITE hebetude or lepid. (Selden, muttering imprecations. LOL)
DeleteMy family too. Always exchanging books. But we’re a minority
DeleteMy family too. Always exchanging books. This is why I love this Icelandic Christmas tradition where everyone gives books as gifts on Christmas Eve.
DeleteI think there has always been a divide between those with large, literate vocabularies and those with more limited ones. The language among the educated upper classes in the mid 19th century was ornate. When I used to show my 8th graders the movie GLORY, about the Civil War, I used to quickly paraphrase many lines immediately after the actors spoke them, so the children would understand what was happening. I never had to paraphrase for the less literate characters.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy words but as a teacher I always counseled my husband, who gave speeches, to limit his vocabulary in them to words easily grasped by an 8th grader. It's my belief that if the purpose of words is communication, using words that people don't understand is counterproductive. I was sad when Bernie began railing against "oligarchs." This is not an 8th grade vocabulary word. "Billionaires" is. Similarly, the brilliant federal judge in Massachusetts, William G. Young, who recently ruled against Marco Rubio et al wrote:
"Can you imagine a masked Marine? It is a matter of honor—and honor still matters. To us, masks are associated with cowardly desperados and the despised Ku Klux Klan. In all our history we have never tolerated an armed masked secret police. Carrying on in this fashion, ICE brings indelible obloquy to this administration and everyone who works in it."
I have a large vocabulary and though I grasped his meaning from context, I had to look up "obloquy." Young's meaning is actually the second definition. Wouldn't he have communicated more easily and clearly if he had used the 8th grade word "disgrace"? (Selden)
Not in my vocabulary either, Selden!
DeletePaula B here ~ good morning all. I love words, especially funny ones. I subscribe to a word of the day blog (blog?) that shared this word a few weeks ago. “Snollygoster”. Had me laughing most of that week. One of the perks to reading an ebook is that I can highlight a word and the meaning pops right up. No need to find the dictionary. Yah, I’m lazy -well, just a bit. The other advantage in a Kindle is that I can enlarge the print. A necessity now. I’m sad to hear people won’t read anymore because they prefer paper books. Well, yes, don’t we all but still, why stop reading. My favorite older brother, a teen at the time, read to me nearly every day thus giving me a love for reading that even less than perfect eyesight can’t derail.
ReplyDeleteI think all of us here were read to as children. My sIL read each of the Harry Potter books to his girls to make sure there was no concept that was too hard or scary for them.
DeleteThank you, Rhys. I have been trying to remember hyperbole for weeks now to describe someone's speech. So frustrating. Not even Google helped! As for the word list - 15 and 17 stumped me.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know malversation, lepid, and hebetude--in fact, I don't think I ever saw or heard them before in my life. I, too, would like to be doing more to encourage children to read. All I do at present is give books as gifts to newborns and birthday presents to children. For a couple of years, I volunteered at a local daycare once a week to read to children, but I'm sorry to say other things came up and I stopped. I used to read to the young children upstairs (in German, of course; I have no one here I can read to in English), but both got bored with listening at about the age of five and wanted to do more "exciting" things with me. I LOVED being read to as a child, and I'm sure that's why I listen to so many audiobooks. Can't imagine getting bored with being read to!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your observations about the importance of words and reading. There’s something powerful about a rich vocabulary. It shapes thought, communication, and even empathy. I love that your daughter’s school encourages reading every day; those small habits can create lifelong readers. One way to help kids build vocabulary might be through books that are both engaging and challenging, like the Harry Potter series or other well-crafted middle-grade and young adult novels. Reading aloud, family book discussions, and games that play with language can also make learning words fun rather than a chore. It feels essential to nurture curiosity and a love of stories early, so that even in a world of quick texts and abbreviations, children grow up with the tools to express themselves fully.
ReplyDeleteHow about the word "like". I am so sick of hearing this word after every sentence (or half sentence) when younger (less than 40 yrs?) people talk. I counted once when hearing a person talking and there were about 8 "likes" in a few sentences. It is so annoying. I am tempted to say "what" after each "like".
ReplyDeleteI just read a perfect mystery for today! It's called. GUILTY BY DEFINITION, by Susie Dent, and the main character is a lexicographer who is wokring on a think disguised OED in Oxford! You all will LOVE it!
ReplyDeleteI just looked it up. Sounds like fun! — Pat S
DeleteHank, I am going to look for the book at the library.
DeleteAs an elementary school librarian, I felt my primary job was to get kids excited about reading. I read aloud to classes from pre-k through 3rd grade every class visit. I didn’t read to the 4th and 5th graders because the teachers wanted them to choose their books and get back to class. In my last years before I retired, one fifth grade teacher and I agreed that I would come into her class on Fridays and read a chapter book to the kids. That was SO fun for all of us! In 2019 I read them “I Love You, Michael Collins” (by Lauren Baratz-Logsted) for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. I even brought in Tang for the kids to try!
ReplyDeleteReading aloud to your kids and modeling reading as adults in front of kids are both important parts to helping kids learn to value reading. Discussing what they’re hearing as you read to them is also good. As a family we read every Harry Potter book together. I read every word aloud (mainly because I was impatient with the way my husband read them!) of every book. Because none of us had ever read them, we had wonderful discussions about what was happening and guessing what would happen next.
One last soapbox moment: graphic novels (aka comic books to some people) count as books. As my son’s second grade teacher said, reading is reading. Don’t worry if it seems silly or not important enough, studies have shown that graphic novels are a good way to introduce reading to children. And yes, Rhys, DEAR time is observed in all of the elementary schools (24) in our public school district. — Pat S
Pat S, I was raised on the reading is reading philosophy. If there were words on it I read them…obsessively. Showing my age, probably, but graphic novels = comic books doesn’t make sense to me … Archie and Little Lulu look nothing like the hardback or even paperback graphic novels produced today. Probably splitting hairs…have had workers repairing floors and reinforcing building all day which definitely has split my brain. Cheers, Elisabeth
DeleteI knew most of them, but I've now added a couple to my vocabulary. I find that because I read a lot, I tend to use words I've encountered there in everyday discussions. Many times it is as simply as a reply to how are you? If I'm in a fine mood, I will answer with "excellent", "splendid" or "spiffy", just to mess up the routine and see if they're paying attention. Especially since I rarely look spiffy of late. If nothing else it elicits a chuckle or a smile and maybe sticks with them to shake up the routine.
ReplyDeleteI love reading period pieces and books set in another country as it adds to my vocabulary as well as learning about the happenings at that time. I love Andrea Penrose's Wexford and Sloan Historical Mystery series for that reason. She does extensive research and makes the early 1800s in England come to life and educates me at the same time. Her current book Murder at Somerset House incorporates the London Stock Exchange as well as the origins of Morse Code and the telegraph. Fascinating reading - well, not the stock exchange. That goes over my head!
Reading for pure pleasure is truly becoming a lost art. I wonder if we can help them view reading as an escape to another time and place. A moment when they can just imagine the characters and worldbuilding in their minds and let the weight of this world drop away without any expectations other than what their minds create. If so, maybe we could recapture them. I hope that will be the case. -- Victoria
First of all, in getting kids to read, you have to show your interest in reading and your excitement about it. Also, I think it's important to show an interest in the books the children and young adults are reading. Don't just dismiss graphic novels because you think traditional novels are better for kids to read. Read one of the graphic novels they're reading yourself. Then, you can be sneaky and introduce them to a traditional novel that deals with the same subject or has some connection. Reading out-loud with young people is important, too, and although most people would consider around third grade a stopping point for that, I see no set boundaries. Of course, there is usually a time when someone wants to start reading on his/her own. When my son Kevin was in the fourth grade, the first Harry Potter book came out, and I was looking for some reading that would keep him interested. At the school's book fair, there were two copies of the first Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Nobody was yet even talking about these books at that time, but I saw in it a great story to appeal to my son. I bought a copy and the other copy was returned with the other unsold books to Scholastic. Kevin and I sat on the living room couch taking turns reading it to each other. The rest of the series, I always bought two copies, and much of the time we sat on the couch reading at the same time silently. We also went to all the Harry Potter movies together (along with some of his friends sometimes). I will forever treasure that reading experience with him. He stayed an avid reader, which comes back to vocabulary, as I'm sure his reading is what produced his impressive vocabulary. Just the other day, a friend of his sent me Kevin's last "chat" the night he was killed, and I couldn't help but notice my wonderful boy's continued fine vocabulary. My daughter read but was not as much of a reader as my son until she became an adult. She is now a part of the reading world and even belongs to a reading club at her library. She was always a great example for her kids in reading, regular trips to the public library and buying books. I was a part of the "my grandchildren will be readers" movement, too, as at least twice a year I took Isabella to the Barnes and Noble near them and told her to go wild and load up with books. This year she's a sophomore in high school and they're currently reading Fahrenheit 451, which Ashley says all the students seem to be enjoying. I need to get a chance to talk to Isabella about it. I have to thank my school teacher mother for my love of books, as reading was something that was valued by her. She looked at my time sitting around reading as time well spent, so was a value still being passed on in my own immediate family. With Kevin, being well-read (his favorite subjects at the end leaned toward the non-fiction works about different religions and philosophy and the history of law). He was also writing a book based on the story of Gilgamesh.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I knew most of the vocabulary words, Rhys, I know I need to refresh my knowing and using correlation. I used to love to read and work some with vocabulary building books. I might find fun in that again.
Fabulous post, Rhys, and I agree! As for the list, I missed three and in my defense, lepid sounds like a condition not a synonym for charming. LOL (oh, no, the acronyms have me, too)!
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