Readicide? Yes and no.

I agree that the "chop-chop curriculum" takes all the fun out of reading a book, but I also believe that some people will never be life long readers reguardless of how language arts are taught in school.  I don't agree with Mr. Gallegher's premise that we must produce life long readers, who read for enjoyment.  I don't think everyone must leave school loving to read anymore that I believe every student will love science or math. We all are taught about multiple intelligences, learning styles and interest inventories, yet Gallegher wants to make everyone read for enjoyment.  I beleive everyone needs to be able to read.  Everyone needs to be able to gather information from text and follow directions, but to say that every person should get lost in a book for fun is trying to put all our students into the same mold.  I am a reader.  Reading for fun in one of my favortie things to do.  When I start a book, I can't stop until I get  finished.  I forget to "come up for air",   I forget to do the laundry, cook dinner or vaccum.  My 18 year old daughter has inherited my love of reading.  I have read to her since birth and one of her favorite thing to do is spend an afternoon at Barnes and Noble.  She keeps list of books she wants to read next.  On the other hand my husband has never read a book for fun. He reads magazines about his interest because the articles are short.  He gets aggrevatied at my daugher and I when we get all caught in a book and can't put it down.  Just because he doesn't read novels for enjoyment doesn't mean he can't read.  I think it is important to remember peoples interest and intellegences in this whole "Readicide" debate.