| kionispeakspublicresume2020.pdf |
Children who read are children know, believe, and act as if they have limitless possibilities. They have an internal source of power and freedom that no one can ever take away from them. My mission is to share this love, this joy, this precious gift with as many young readers as possible.
Like many people, I went to schools that had the phrase "knowledge is power" plastered on the walls in nearly every classroom, hallway, stairwell, and cafeteria. By age 8, I understood that access to knowledge, especially for those of us who didn't have much money, was to be gained between the pages of a book. So I kept my nose in them thangs! I wanted to know everything, to go everywhere, and to meet all kinds of people. As a "library kid," books allowed me to do travel, learn and grow without spending a dime.
I was sad to learn that not everyone shared this joy with me. As I grew older, I began to see clearly the ways in which people suffer because reading is difficult for them, and/or not central to their lives. It hurt me to see that people suffer because of personal difficulties with reading. It angered me to see disadvantaged people develop flat out disregard for the books; I knew then that those people would miss opportunities because they hated reading. It was not lost on me that people who find reading difficult often dislike reading as adults. As a child, I vowed to do my part to prevent this fate for as many young people as possible. I set about learning all the ways a person can become a professional reading cheerleader.
I was sad to learn that not everyone shared this joy with me. As I grew older, I began to see clearly the ways in which people suffer because reading is difficult for them, and/or not central to their lives. It hurt me to see that people suffer because of personal difficulties with reading. It angered me to see disadvantaged people develop flat out disregard for the books; I knew then that those people would miss opportunities because they hated reading. It was not lost on me that people who find reading difficult often dislike reading as adults. As a child, I vowed to do my part to prevent this fate for as many young people as possible. I set about learning all the ways a person can become a professional reading cheerleader.
Reading is important because if you can read, you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything.
—Tomie dePaola
Giving your child the gift of reading is about way more than ensuring academic success or ensuring that he or she gets a good job and lives a better life. Reading is fun, empowering, and uplifting. When we read books, we develop empathy; we expand our minds and our possibilities. Reading puts everyone on equal footing because it is the simplest way to access knowledge. A love of reading can help children learn to problem solve. Readers know that if they don't know something, they can visit a library, open up a book or a browser, and begin to find out. With reading, your child can see the world and be prepared to interact with it. New people, new places, and new concepts will be familiar because they were encountered in a book first.
Reading ---> Knowledge = Power
Reading --> Power
In the face of society's seemingly insurmountable problems (global warming, overpopulation, water shortages), we will succeed because of people who read. People who read are people who think, dream, imagine, and (re)create the world in their own image. They have the power (knowledge) to do so.
Reading (and loving it) is the great equalizer. Let’s empower our children together.
Reading (and loving it) is the great equalizer. Let’s empower our children together.