<p>As a teacher and parent of two boys (one in college, one just starting high school), I can say that most kids do not read for fun. I’m a high school media specialist. I have tired all sorts of ways to get kids to read – contests, posters, promotional things. What killed the joy of reading for a lot of kids was a program that they had to be in as sixth and seven graders. They had to read a certain number of books for an A. Try nine, 250-page books per nine weeks. At that point, they just open the book, see the length and either check it out or not.</p>
<p>Many students are not prepared for the rigors of college work. Some of my honor society members were just discussing this. One of the biggest problems is organization. One of my students pointed out that kids often do their homework, but cannot remember where they put it. So the kids suggested that maybe they should teach younger kids organizational skills, so that if they learn now, they will be better prepared to take on more rigorous things.</p>