Importance of Reading and Books
Reading is an imperative skill that each individual should possess in life. Parents should strive to develop the reading skills of their children at an early age. Reading ability does not only assist in school, but also furnishes one with a full program of understanding texts in all fields of life. The Lonely Good Company of Books and The Maker’s Eye: Revising your own Manuscripts are books that explicate the importance of reading and also provides the reader with valuable guidelines about reading procedures. Richard Rodriguez wrote the book The Lonely Good Company of Books in 2005, with the main aim of taking the reader through his personal journey of reading. The Maker’s Eye: Revising your own Manuscripts is an insightful book about the significance of drafting and revising ones texts that Donald Murray wrote in 1973. The book contains the challenges he faced and the discoveries that helped him become a better reader later in life. This paper therefore seeks to compare and contrast the ideas presented by these two authors about reading.
Attitude Towards Books
According to Donald Murray, attitude is a critical factor in any reading that differentiates between experts and amateurs. Donald posits that when writers write their first drafts, they feel like the work has just begun (57). They use the first draft to really start writing and gauge what other chances and opportunities they will use to pass their message to the audience. A positive attitude drives the writers to want to read their drafts over and over to ensure that it has no mistakes and find chances of improvement. This idea is parallel to that of Richard Rodriguez. He states that children in schools do not have the right attitude towards books. Most schools tell children to make books their friends while at the same time asks them never to write in the books. This statement ensures that kids do not embrace any books and they fail to develop a positive attitude towards books from the fear of spoiling them. A person feels entitled to a book when they have the ability to write in it (Adler). Alder insists that when children are taught to care and respect the book image they do not develop any interest in the books as they cannot view it as a friend but an authority that needs respect. This aspect limits individuals to develop critical thinking, especially when it is a difficult book.
Role of Teachers in Reading Education
Evidently both Rodriguez and Donald believe that the teachers fail to complete guide students in the reading. Most teachers just focus on their duties which is to teach, they fail to go the extra mile to assess if a student has completely understood a reading. Donald states that when students go over their first draft in most cases, they feel it is enough. Sadly the teachers do not probe further as they are also content with the first draft a student provides. In the book The Lonely Good Company of Books, Rodriguez clearly expresses the challenges he faced with his teachers. First, he had a nun whose responsibility was to help him read. However, when Rodriguez expressed his inability to read alone to the nun, he states that she was mostly watching him rather than listening to his grievances. This shows that teachers are no longer friendly and not interested in helping students to overcome reading challenges. Teachers no longer take an active approach in helping students find effective ways to read. This aspect limits the critical thinking of a student about a particular text (56). In addition, he says that most school systems people are taught to accept what they read as the finished product (57). Similarly, Rodriguez shares in the thought that schools are not actively involved in reading education. He stressed that his reading problem arose from the education system. The system is not sufficient in its evaluation system to assess the progress students are making in reading. Rodriguez asserts that if he had found a comprehensive assessment system, then he would have understood all his reading in high school.
Books as Friends
Rodriquez and Donald both believe that a book is a friend and both the writer and the reader finds company in it. Rodriguez has stated that it took a one to one sitting with his teacher to actually start understand his reading books. This session made him realize how a book can be a friend. He developed a positive interest and began responding to the information on a more personal level. This idea resonates with that of Murray, who believes that writers should struggle to identify with the readers. Anticipating the needs and interests of the readers is a key factor that aids in stimulating a reader's mind and develop interest in the book.
The Importance of Criticism
On the other hand, the ideas of Rodriguez and Donald quite differ at some point. Criticism, whether negative or positive is essential if one seeks to improve. Donald stresses the magnitude criticism and how people should learn from others opinions. An individual will only develop when they have the habit of listening to critics and question the criticism this helps them find flaws, opportunities to make their writing better as they revise their drafts (57). Writers only achieve the best reading when they keep on re-reading their drafts and seek the criticism of other people around them. This helps them gain enrichment other than praises alone. Donald’s idea is in contrast to that of Rodriguez, who believes that an individual should not tell others what they are reading. According to Rodriguez, readers who seek wisdom should not tell others about what they are reading unless they are just seeking praise. When an individual fails to tell others about what they are reading they fail to get important insights from people. Telling people about one’s current reading helps provides different perspectives that provide a platform for critical thinking and deeper comprehension. Rodriguez's thoughts are limiting since a reader will only understand a text from their own perspective. Multiple points of view in reading are quite significant as they stimulate critical thinking in a reader and help with comprehension. Kositsky affirms that writers should not be defensive about the criticism they receive. Reading and writing is a form of communication, and both the reader and the writers struggle to understand each other. A writer should listen to all comments about their drafts to ensure that they are able to communicate with the writer effectively. A reader should also listen to all comments to ensure that they understand what the writer is communicating through the piece of writing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the authors outline the fact that the education system and the teachers in schools are not adequate in teaching students the important skill of reading and writing. Most students fail to understand texts because they lack guidance and support from their teachers. This leads to the development of a negative attitude that leads to students developing fear of books. These books are quite significant in guiding students on the delicate skill of reading and writing.
Works Cited
Adler, Mortimer J., and Charles Van Doren. How to read a book: The classic guide to intelligent reading. Simon and Schuster, 2014.
Kositsky, Nina. "Reading as a Device Business: Implications for an eBook Age." International Journal of the Book 9.3 (2012).
Murray, Donald M. "The maker’s eye: Revising your own manuscripts." The Writer 86.10 (1973): 14-16.
Rodriguez, Richard. "The Lonely, Good Company of Books." Introduction to College Writing. Boston: McGraw Hill Companies, Inc (2005): 191-195.
