Sofia DeAngelis

ESSAY: SOFIA DEANGELIS

NASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY

Every child is born into our world with the right and the need to read. We all can recall a favorite book of our childhood, not necessarily for the plot itself, but for the influence that it had on us. Maybe it was the emotions you felt while reading it, the way it captivated your mind afterward, or how it opened up a whole separate world for you to explore on your own. Whether it was as silly as Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar or as whimsical as JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series, reading will always be an essential pillar in one’s adolescent life. The sad reality, though, is that in an era where any book fathomable is seemingly a click away, reading has increasingly become a part of the past. More importantly, the necessary attributes acquired through the process of reading have remained and will continue to remain the same. The Nashville Public Library recognizes both of these pressing problems and works to combat the two.

One of Tennessee’s most urgent issues plaguing the state today is the literacy rate in our youth. Tennesseans for Student Success President and CEO, Adam Lister, demands for improvement in legislation since “Tennessee’s literacy rates are at crisis-level lows with only 34.9 percent of students reading on grade level” (‘Tennessee’s Literacy Rates at Crisis-level Lows, Student Org, Says’). Even before the pandemic, only one-third of Tennessee third graders across the state were proficient in their Language Arts class. Combining these two statistics is scary when taking account of the increased difficulty to succeed in overall education when a child is still behind in the third grade milestone (‘Literacy in Tennessee’). This mass falling-behind carries on through the entirety of their schooling careers and beyond. Upon reaching fourth grade in Tennessee, only one-third of students receive a proficient reading score. In 2015, more than half of Tennessee students from the third grade to eighth grade failed to pass the state’s proficiency bar. Previously, in 2013, that number was 2 percentage points lower, meaning that Tennessee is moving in the wrong direction (Aldrich). While lack of interest in the internet era is partly to blame for the degradation of literacy rates, it is not the full story. These frightening data points worsen when focusing on disadvantaged students.

According to various studies, disadvantaged students throughout the country on average tend to struggle more in their academic careers. According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, as many as 22% of children in the United States are struck by poverty (Hart). Households in financial hardship typically are unable to afford proper education for their children, let alone the basic needs. These kids already suffer with a scarcity of food, poor health, unsafe environments as daily challenges, Based on the reports of Reading is Fundamental, 80% of children living in economically disadvantaged communities lose reading skills over breaks as a result of not having access to certain academic resources like books (Hart). Add to these struggles larger class sizes, increased classroom behavior problems, and limited access to technology while at school and literacy becomes even more of a challenge. Once a student fails to envision success for his/her future, there is apparently no reason to continue academically. In 2012, 29,000 Tennessee students ended their educational path and dropped out of school, a majority

of whom were from minorities (Keesler). High school graduation rates for African American, Latino, and Native American students are 60% to 70% lower than their respective Caucasian peers (Keesler). The cycle of hereditary illiteracy continues when these children grow into adults, as 72% of children whose parents have low literacy skill will match their parents’ low reading level in school. These children will grow into our leaders, so it is important that they don’t lose the many skills that accompany reading.

Reading comprehension early in life is critical in order to achieve academically because language is the central column of overall human development. The simple act of reading aloud to a child has remarkable benefits. According to the National Education Association, children on average are more likely to recognize letters of the alphabet, count to higher numbers, write their own names, and facilitate being read to when they themselves are read to frequently. The ability to understand the sounds of a language, termed ‘phonological awareness’, is an important skill to account for in developing success. Research led by Silvén of 56 children evaluated from infancy into first grade found a direct connection between early decoding and the age of exposure books (Dickinson). This act of hearing the language aids in the interpretation of the meaning of words. The more that the child hears while being read to, the more efficiently and correctly the child can process the words on the pages. One cannot ignore the importance of personal reading, too. For example, a child exercises comprehension skills while reading a paragraph containing various vocab words yet unknown to the reader. This scenario directly relates to the Convergent Skills Model of Reading, which hypothesizes that there is a primary dependence on code-based capabilities. The claims made by CSMR were assessed by examining language and literacy abilities in an assortment of readers from second grade through seventh grade. As a result of this study, language proficiency in younger years was revealed as an anticipator for both reading and language comprehension later in life (Dickinson). Younger children who perform better than their peers at using deductive reasoning avoid redundant and explicit explanations later in their academic careers, therefore providing them with higher-level education. Meanwhile, a student unequipped with necessary tools will struggle to digest a sentence at the same time that their peer had already finished reading it aloud. Most importantly, children are eager to grasp language when the words peak their interests. Bloom compiled research to support that enthusiasm for learning spikes when the subject of the book is about well-loved objects or actions that the children enjoy (Dickinson). These findings on semantic learning and interests are nothing new for the Nashville Public Library. In the children’s section, the library provides a large collection of Playaways books, including Playaway Bookpacks. All one has to do is press start for an audio version of the book to read along with the child. The easy access to a speaking voice assists in language development. As for a way to appeal towards the younger audience, there are respective cubbies dedicated to books written about ‘Things that go,’ ‘Princesses,’ ‘Dinos and Dragons,’ and more! Readers who frequent the Nashville Public Library leave with increased reading and language skills to navigate their academic worlds. Books foster consciousness at a young age, founded in their immediate life and the broader sense of the world. Under this wide umbrella of the buzzword ‘consciousness’

is development of the personal self and development of a worldview. Through simple stories on a shelf, a child can discover both. Exposure to multicultural literature opens the doors to deeper conversations as “a child can see their own characteristics, idiosyncrasies, interactions, and feelings reflected or affirmed in a character” (SimsBishop). There is nothing more comforting, especially for kids, than seeing yourself in another form accomplishing great feats you never thought was possible or battling and overcoming a similar hardship. Adolescence is no easy road towards finding your true self identity- and, that is why there are books to help! Once children are able to understand their own character, they then can better empathize with the others around them. A worldview blends beliefs, assumptions, attitudes, values, and ideas to sculpt a comprehensive portrait of the past, present, and future of reality (Schlitz, Marilyn & Vieten, Cassandra & Miller, Elizabeth). Even if the culture is not one which they adopted or were born into, literature from other experiences illuminates geography, ethnic tradition, and builds respect for different origins. In this polarizing era of the earth, it is critical to expand our perspective beyond our given privilege. As the mother of multicultural literature, Rudine Sims Bishop, explains, “literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us and in that reflection, we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience.” The Nashville Public Library provides numerous opportunities for enriching the conscious mind through works of literature. Their extensive collection houses knowledge from any subject imaginable to match hobbies, situations, and backgrounds. Future anthropologists dig deep into archaeological finds and the biographies of Susan B. Anthony motivates our next female CEOs. Additionally, the library dedicates an entire section to books of all languages written on all topics, including heritage and tradition. Some of these books even incorporate two languages to advance learning bilingual abilities. Each person on this earth has a common and unique story that they can explore in one of the Nashville Public Library.

Now more than ever, the next leading generations will need to master creativity through many facets, like reading. The art of literature is subjective due to the factor of imagination. Even though the words on the page stay the same no matter what, the interpretations range wildly. This spectrum happens because it would be a mistake to pin reading as only repeating the consecutive letters shown in your head. Instead, the core of reading is about absorbing the story presented and designing a larger picture in our minds. The mind is a muscle just like any other, so exercising it frequently will strengthen the results. Impressively, the same traits that boost reading and writing abilities equally work towards improving creativity. These traits include freedom, an emphasis on self-discovery, attention to the individual, and the ability to communicate ideas (Wang). Amber Yayin Wang of the National Taichung University of Education sought to concretely support the link between personal reading practices and creative performance. Through her study, students participated by filling out a questionnaire based on their academic background and completing a shortened version of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking. In the test, students went through one verbal and two figural examinations that required identifying problems, making guesses, and creative ways to communicate concepts. According to the collected results, there is a

direct correlation between imagination and attitude towards reading (see table insert). Those who marked a positive attitude towards books scored highly. Conversely, those who were not readers-at-heart received a negative score. The entirety of the Nashville Public Library is dedicated to promoting reading alongside creativity through their expansive rows of literature, from picture books to series. One incredible feature that the Main Nashville Public Library showcases is the Wishing Chair Productions every Saturday at 10:30 am. The Wishing Chair Productions is the library’s resident puppet troupe, creating world-class shows to delight visitors of all ages. Their form of storytelling engages audience members to see their favorite stories, like Cinderella and ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ spur into life. This animated form of storytelling stimulates the right brain, which is responsible for imagination. A visual exposure to new worlds, characters, and perspectives improves their capabilities to form their own. Visitors of the Main Nashville Public Library aren’t exclusively inspired to be creative by the stories they read, but additionally by the tales they see.

Illiteracy is an ongoing epidemic that pains the entire world. In our privileged society, it is our responsibility to uplift these helpless children who are powerless to their situation. The Nashville Public Library is making a big difference in the local community to maintain the academic success, consciousness, and creativity that comes with reading. While the act may seem small, volunteering at the library is a tremendous avenue to initiate positive change. With proper aid the children of Tennessee can reach their full potential, and beyond. These institutions require local hands to reach their goal of widespread progress. Even if volunteering is not an option for you, encourage yourself to pick up a book. As everyone’s favorite Dr. Seuss said, “the more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

Work cited

Aldrich, Marta W. “Why Can’t Tennessee Students Read? State Officials Have a Hunch, and a Plan.” Chalkbeat Tennessee, Chalkbeat Tennessee, 17 Feb. 2016, https://tn.chalkbeat. org/2016/2/17/21103272/why-can-t-tennessee-students-read-state-officials-have-a-hunchand-a-plan. David K. Dickinson, Julie A. Griffith, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, “How Reading

Books Fosters Language Development around the World”, Child Development Research, vol. 2012, Article ID 602807, 15 pages, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/602807 Hart, Lucy. “Poverty & Illiteracy in Schools.” Education, 29 Sept. 2016, https://education.seattlepi.com/ poverty-illiteracy-schools-2334.html. Keesler, Amy R., “Adult Literacy in Tennessee: An Analysis by Gender, Age, and Race” (2014).

Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2327. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2327 Literacy in Tennessee - Tennessee State Government - Tn.gov. https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/ education/2020-21-leg-session/Overall%20Tennessee%20Literacy%20Success%20Act.pdf. Schlitz, Marilyn & Vieten, Cassandra & Miller, Elizabeth. (2010). Worldview Transformation and the

Development of Social Consciousness. . 17. 18-36. submitted, Article. “Tennessee’s Literacy Rates at Crisis-Level Lows, Student Org. Says.” The Tennessee

Tribune, 30 Dec. 2020, https://tntribune.com/tennessees-literacy-rates-at-crisis-level-lowsstudent-org-says/. Wang, Amber. (2012). Exploring the relationship of creative thinking to reading and writing. Thinking

Skills and Creativity. 7. 10.1016/j.tsc.2011.09.001.

REFLECTION: SOFIA DEANGELIS

NASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY

As a child, I certainly struggled with all modes of communication. Speaking presented itself as a challenge when I struggled to pronounce basic sounds, like ‘L’s and ‘R’s. Reading never came easily as my family has a history of dyslexia, so I would typically fall behind, being stuck on part of a sentence while my peers continued onto more complex books. Writing was just as difficult. Between not being able to phonologically sound out the word and the letters on the page switching in my head, my spelling skills scrambled my homework into anagrams for my teacher. Additional tutors provided the extra time and patience that I needed to be taught more in-depth. Thanks to the endless support from friends, family, and school, I was able to combat these problems early on before they grew into an inescapable burden.

Unfortunately, many kids do not have access to the same resources that saved my seemingly doomed educational path. Too frequently, outsiders evaluate test scores for exclusively the final letter grade. The problem isn’t that these children are underdeveloped. These children can’t communicate their ideas. I know this because I was one of those kids. This is one of the reason’s I felt inclined for outreach involving reading.

When I moved to Nashville for my freshman year of high school, I wanted to immerse myself in the new community. After doing my research, I decided upon volunteering at the Main Nashville Library in the children’s section, located in downtown Nashville. I was certainly nervous at the beginning. I was a fourteen-year-old girl from a retirement hometown in Florida, now throwing myself into the diverse society of downtown Nashville. Let alone, the massive size of the library was intimidating. How could I make any significant impact?

The Nashville Public Library is an incredible institution that strives to empower the community, ignite children’s imaginations, and foster lifelong learning throughout Nashville. It is important to note that the library can’t thrive without numerous helpers. I witnessed first-hand just how much it takes to run the library. That is why the library’s volunteer foundation is so essential.

Before I knew it, I was spending most of my Saturday mornings surrounded by the

Boxcar Children series, lego blocks, and heavy rolling carts. The integration was faster than I anticipated because of all the lovely staff who were more than willing to help along the way. I evolved in my position, moving from basic alphabetizing to shelving all genres (even the graphic novels), pulling materials from the shelves to be delivered to other branches, and giving patrons suggestions on what their child would like to read.

By the end of my Service Scholar project, I had been volunteering at both the main library and the Bellevue library over the course of four fulfilling years. I would look forward to seeing my coworkers, mentoring new volunteers, and putting smiles on children’s faces when I was able to help them find their favorite book. Although my Nashville days are coming to a close as I embark on my college journey, I hope to continue encouraging others on the significance of reading.