News

« Headlines

Rosen: schools must use books

12.06.07

New children's laureate Michael Rosen has pledged to fight to bring back into classrooms a love of reading for pleasure. "I utterly resent and reject the notion that you can teach reading without books," he told journalists after his appointment, according to the Guardian.

Rosen said: "There is a huge push on to create an environment - in nurseries, and reception, and year ones and year twos - where books are secondary to the process of reading. This seems oxymoronic to me. We must, must have at the heart of learning to read the pleasure that is reading. Otherwise why bother? You could learn phonics, learn how to read and then put it behind you and watch telly - you're given no reason to read. There are many ways in which people learn how to read; the idea that there is one way is an outrageous fib."

The Guardian also carries a full interview with Rosen.

The Bookseller's interview is available here.

Guardian

children's Michael Rosen

See Also