First of all, don't get me wrong. I'm not going to come out with a revolutionary new way to teach Johnny to read. Phonics, word recognition and holistic reading can't be beat. But there is one aspect that never has been touched, and that is, the book itself.

Adults who love to read know that it isn't just the words in the book that bring pleasure. There is a physical dynamic involved. Newsprint pages have a clean crisp smell. The pages have a feel, some rough, some as smooth as a baby's--anyway, you know the cliche. When you open a book and read, you're instantly transported to where you left off. Your imagination provides all the necessary steps, and, blast it all, it's great fun.

Teachers who teach reading don't deal with the book as directly. They want to teach content and a skill and there's no time for nonsense about how a book looks, feels or smells. Publishers are just as much to blame for this as teachers. Yet, if a child is exposed to these other aspects from the very beginning, how different reading would be for everyone.

Imagine this in the classroom: Each child is given a book. The rest is his/her spiel.

Smell the print. Thankfully it doesn't smell like poopy underwear, does it? Sorta like fresh paint, maybe. Lift the book. Is it heavy? What would you say weighs about the same? Maybe about the same as a kitten. Run your fingers over the paper. What does it feel like? I have other books so you can tell the difference in the papers. See the shape of the letters? Do any of them remind you of something you know?

Okay. Now open the book. The first page is blank except for the words: "Think of what an elephant looks like."

Now turn the page.

Is that what you thought an elephant looks like? (Turning pages with familiar animals and objects, you come to one that reads: What do you think a Galoomph looks like?

What's a Galoomph? Aloysius asks with a big grin.

You'll just have to figure it out for yourself. What does the word make you think of when you hear it? Now turn the page.


Not to belabor the point, but each of these things is tied into either sensory data or imagination. The joy of Doctor Seuss was the delightful characters he came up with. Kids have always loved them. Adults have too.

This is only one lesson from a curriculum that must be carefully planned to provide variety. The publishing industry will have to do its part by providing new materials to reinforce the real pleasures of reading that a person can't find anywhere else. I'm firmly convinced that the love of books can be taught as well as acquired.

Enjoy.