Editor’s Note: The following article was originally published by Tribune Chronicle on July 13, 2024. It is crossposted here with permission.
As the years pile up and experience grows, many folks find opportunities to share tips and guidance for those who are coming up behind them.
It’s the way of the world, of course, that adults take on roles as parents, teachers, coaches and more to young people who can jumpstart their own adventures in careers, hobbies and special interests. We take it for granted, but some kids lack mentors.
All of us have something to pass along. I’m fortunate to have had opportunities to coach young people interested in fishing, even competing in events that pit their skills against the fish and other anglers. I enjoy the hours in the boat with teen anglers eager to understand fish behavior, lure selection and presentation, knots and tackle, all that goes into the mix that makes for great days on the water.
There is more to life than fishing, of course, and I gained new appreciation recently for people who can and will pass along their passion for one of our most basic skills. Unfortunately, many young people are short-changed in their development of reading skills and advance through their youth without having had a love for reading instilled in them.
Pure and simple, reading is essential today—no less so, of course, than the era before computers, smartphones, social media and video games. But many young people fall short in their reading skills—sometimes because no adult is pushing them.
I think back to my own formative years. I was an avid reader. As a matter of fact, my love of reading very likely inspired my boyhood interest in fishing, along with encouragement from Dad, and eventually led to jumping into writing magazine articles, newspaper columns and a book.
For me, fishing and reading were wellsprings for a little extra income and a whole lot of satisfaction.
We may be seeing a reading gap, but fortunately, our community has many advocates for instilling the love of reading in our young people. Teachers, parents and the people associated with the Public Library of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley are reading advocates. School’s out, but the Public Library’s programs operate through the summer to keep kids reading.
“Our Summer Discover programs promote opportunities for children to discover across a lot of different areas, including reading,” said Debbie Liptak, development director for the Public Library of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley.
I met Debbie recently at the Poland Library’s local authors’ book signing sponsored by Friends of the Library. I was there to sign copies of my “The Common Angler” for library patrons, but quickly learned about the gaps some children face in their opportunity to benefit from reading.
“The library’s summer reading programs kick in to keep kids reading through the months before school resumes,” she said, noting thousands of Mahoning Valley young people benefit from the extra exposure to reading, including free books and other perks. “Day care groups operate year round so teachers bring their kids to the library in the summer.”
Liptak noted that in families where both parents are working, grandparents often step up. “We are seeing lots of grandparents filling the reading gaps, along with care-givers and preschools,” she said.
Instilling a love for reading is critical in children’s development toward success and satisfaction in life—and Liptak noted it doesn’t take a lot of time.
“We say all the time, 15 minutes a day is all it takes.”
She’s right. It worked for me and for you, too. So now we can share what we have learned with the youngsters in our lives.
How about starting today by reading this column—or whatever you wish—to children you know.
Image by Goffkein — Adobe Stock — Asset ID#: 272072948
