What is an allusion? In writing, it’s when an author makes an indirect reference to some, person, place, thing, bit of literature, or other idea that originates from outside his or her text. It hints at something readers are expected to know. So the author doesn’t explicitly tell what it is. Allusion can effectively reinforce the message or theme of a work without explaining it.
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Writers write. And the whole process seems pointless unless readers read what they write. And how can writers write unless they’re readers, too? So no one should be surprised that writers write about reading and readers. Here’s some of what they’ve had to say:
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The coronavirus pandemic has cast parents unwillingly into the role of teacher. Except for parents who were homeschooling anyway, it can be an uncomfortable experience. Parents haven’t studied the curriculum or the techniques of teaching. When it comes to teaching your child to read, however, not knowing current reading theory is an advantage. I am not a teacher, but I was married to an elementary school teacher for more than 20 years. I saw firsthand how state standards interfere with teaching reading or anything else. What’s more, my own teachers drilled spelling, vocabulary, and grammar in ways our teacher training institutions no longer encourage. And I am learning that scientific research has verified that current methods of teaching children to read don’t work. Unfortunately, schools of education haven’t kept up.
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Think of archaisms (or archaic words) in English as forgotten friends. Language has its fashions. Generations of people use a word, and then for some reason, everyone stops. You can find some of them in a dictionary. They will likely be labeled “archaic” or “obsolete.” You’d have to look in an unabridged dictionary, or even the OED to find others. We’ll run across archaisms sometimes when we read older works. That’s why it’s important to know what they mean. And it would be nice if we could start using some of them again. In any case, enjoy.
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Early childhood literacy matters. Academic success depends on reading, yet nearly one and five school children have trouble reading. The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge was founded to jumpstart early childhood literacy. It encourages reading to children. According to the University of Virginia’s Kindergarten Readiness Program, as many as 34% of children are unprepared to start kindergarten. They lack at least one of four critical learning domains: literacy, mathematics, self-regulation, and social skills. Formal education in this country doesn’t begin until children start kindergarten when they’re 5. That is too late to start learning. Parents and other caregivers take care of children in the critical first five years of life. Few have any teacher training, but all of them influence a child’s development for better or worse. Children learn to speak by hearing others speak to them. The more words they hear, the easier it will be to learn a large working vocabulary. In the same way, the more someone reads to them, the easier it will be for them to learn to read. When parents speak to their babies a lot and read to them, it promotes not only learning once they get to school. It also helps with … Continue reading →