Literature

The title of the book, Reading Doesnt Matter Anymore by David Booth is an intentionally provocative. Booth intended to categorically invite people onto the train of reading. He succinctly chose the title to outline the essence of the simple steps that parents and teacher can use to revolutionize the way they view reading and thus encourage childrens reading in all formats and genres. This paper therefore seeks to explain why the Booths book has the title Reading Doesnt Matter Anymore.

All the twelve chapters in this book begin with the title Reading Doesnt Matter Anymore and Booth continue to explain how we can ensure that reading does indeed continue to matter. A case in point is the subtitles Booth give chapter one and six respectively. Significantly, in chapter one, the title is ground breaking with the words, Reading Doesnt Matter Anymore Unless We Expand our Definition of Literacy. In addition Chapter six begins with the catchy title Reading Doesnt Matter Anymore Unless We Value the Reading Responses of Young People (Booth, 2001). The Twelve coherent chapters thus, cover topics that seek to redefine reading, by underscoring that technology is part of the new reading literacy. In addition, Booth gave his book this title as a way of exploring how words work and turning printed texts into active learning.

In this title, Booth succeeds in engaging the readers and his audience by arguing that everybody in the literacy society should effort to redefine reading and take it beyond the boundaries of literature if only we dream of convincing children that reading has value in their lives. Booth writes that the needs of school literacy must be authentic, purposeful, positive, pleasurable and supported. Accordingly, the title, Reading Doesnt Matter Anymore provides to us that the needs of literacy in the society should involve connections and choice, as well as enjoyments and empowerment. In light of this, the title of the book communicates the ultimate need for teachers, parents and educators to adopt a mentoring role that would assist the young literacy apprentice in the development. As booth argues, some children need someone to sit beside them and show them the secret (Booth, 2001). This secret is plausibly behind the objective of enjoying the successful experiences of literacy.

Booth primarily uses this book to strongly advocate for the concept of multi-literacies. Through his well constructed title, he insist that educational mentors and guides must embrace this concept and thereby more need to be carried out in schools as far as multi literacy is concerned. For instance, schools must have a variety of literary pursuits that transcend the traditional concept of reading and writing. In essence, Booth lists 101 literacy events that are concisely intended for children, teachers and parents. He postulates how the 101 list carries varied events necessary to excite the reader because of the many options around them. The title, Reading Doesnt Matter Anymore illuminates Booths broader understanding of both the concept of reading and writing.

The book passionately spreads the expanded view of teaching literacy skills to the students of the 21st century. The title concisely exhorts teachers and educators to devise innovative approaches and extensively use all available types of reading materials to reconstruct reading so that it embraces the needs and interests of the students in the present society. In the view of Booth, the customary concept of reading falls short of very important elements. As such, reading materials must include comic materials, graphics novels, technical manuals, internets and many more. In building literacy, the book helps one through possible approaches towards developing a reading habit. It is equally important to focus on literacy across the curriculum. Significantly, Booth journeys on underscoring the importance of developing these strategies in an entertaining and highly readable anecdotal style.

Furthermore, Booth uses his book to emphasis on the ardent need for young people to have numerous opportunities to own their texts. He chose a title that captures this and is indeed an interesting analogy to the whole concept of literary. For example, in the book, Booth uses an allegory of how people should learn how to swim. Accordingly, the primary rule is to immerse themselves in the water and when it is all around them, they should begin touching themselves at every turn. Essentially, this is exactly how learners literacy experience should be guided.

Every concept articulated in this book resonate the fundamental question of restructuring reading. As such, Booth writes in a straightforward manner that is often forthright to basically get to the underlying heart of the matter. He ideally leaves his reader with no doubt as to where he sits on the whole issue. Reading Doesnt matter Anymore is a matter for more and more people to join into the campaign of modifying reading cultures so that accuracy and coherence may be achieved in the literacy world.

To articulate the essence of the matter, Booth delves into using the anecdotes from his own personal experiences in teaching and learning in both the public schools and university. It is liberally coated with humor and portends the way of telling stories that are geared towards making one stop and think about the entire role of reading in literacy. For instance, his humorous anecdote about the time his father helped him to complete an art assignment is a classic. Booth at that time was in grade three and thus was struggling to catch up with class work after a host of absences due to illness. As a result, his well meaning father stepped into the breach to purposely help him complete the assignment and projects.

With regard to this, the book is a fundamental text for all schools that aim at developing reading proficiency. In addition, the society should equally spend a considerable amount of money on purchasing literacy text as a model for clothing the mind of not only young children but also the society at large. He in a way challenges the efforts invested in parents purchasing expensive designer clothes for their children.

In a nutshell, the title of this book is a well intended and does articulate the ground breaking aspects of reading that Booth outline. For example, the specific dealings with common reading problems and constructing better reading models as well as teaching strategies for reading is an innovative way of helping students to cope with individual challenges to reading and master reading and literacy competence. Teachers and parents stand to benefit a great deal because, they will discover many effective ways they can use to work with young readers in a one on one conference, collaborative groups and as a community of readers.
To recap, Booths book Reading Doesnt Matter Anymore is titled to integrate tools that that will help the entire educational community such as teachers, parents and educators in planning, modifying and adding their input into drilling young readers in acquiring competency in reading. In essence, the book outlines stages of reading and corresponding indicators, description of young readers with different abilities, mini lessons on reading techniques as well as paradigms and checklists that can help in assessing, monitoring and report reading progress. It is a highly recommended book that teachers should read.