Readicide by Educator Kelly Gallagher
Review of New Book on Reading Education in U.S. Schools
Apr 13, 2009
High school teacher Kelly Gallagher believes that schools are being forced to systematically kill the love of reading in our youth. He calls this process “readicide.” In his new book of the same title, Readicide [Stenhouse Publishers, 2009] he describes exactly what is happening to literacy in U.S. high schools and middle schools, then sets out to describe how to solve the problem.
Gallagher Lays Reading Problems at the Feet of No Child Left Behind
“In an earnest attempt to instill reading , teachers and administrators push practices that kill many students’ last chance to develop into life long readers,” Gallagher says in the introduction.
Gallagher holds back no punches in assigning blame for what he sees as the deteriorating condition of literacy efforts in American Schools. He blames the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policies and mandates that force teachers to teach to the test.
Gallagher has an important message to convey. However, those who are not of the same political persuasion as he might be so put off by the name-blaming in the first chapter that they will stop cold and read no further. Which would be a shame. Those readers might do well to cut straight to chapter two, where he lays out exactly what the problem is, and how to correct it.
What Can Be Done to Improve Reading Education in American Schools?
Gallagher cites research showing that today’s “readicide” curriculum harms college bound students and low income students alike. He decries the trend in today’s youth to avoid reading for pleasure. And he worries that the kind of reading being taught in American high schools today (in order to do well on NCLB mandated tests) is turning out students who lack real comprehension.
He says schools curriculums limit authentic reading experiences. What book students do read, the teachers overteach, which turn students off to reading. At the same time, teachers tend to underteach the more challenging books, not providing enough support so that students can experience success.
Yet, Gallagher remains optimistic. And the reason he is optimistic is that he believes there are very specific things that can be done to turn good test takers into even better readers. He lays these out in chapters two and three.
But the red meat of the book is in the chapter four, called “Finding the ‘Sweet Spot’ of Instruction.” This is where Gallagher gives teachers very specific, very concise information on how to achieve what he calls the 50/50 approach to supporting students in both their recreational and their academic reading.
Who Should Read Readicide?
At 150 pages, Readicide is a quick read. But this educator does more than just bash the system. He is prescriptive. He tells in detail what teachers can and should do to ensure that students are being taught properly how to read, how to read well, and how to nurture their love for reading.
Who should read this book? Every parent with a child under the age of 18 (whether in public school, private school or home-schooled), every school administrator, every teacher, every politician who plans to vote on educational issues, and anyone who is interested in improving the education system in America should read this book.
Author Kelly Gallagher
Kelly Gallagher has been a high school English teacher for over twenty years. He has written extensively and appeared in teacher education videos on the topics of motivating adolescent students and teaching reading and writing on the high school level.
For reviews of other books about teaching reading try these:
Reading with Meaning: Teaching Comprehension
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