I was curious because reading has always been such a powerful force and influence in my life - but I couldn’t recall how I learned.
In recent decades people have talked a lot about ‘empowerment’ but I don’t think there is anything more empowering for a young child than the ability to read and a love of reading. It also struck me, during the years I worked with college-age people, how lacking in literacy many were compared with my generation. They could read of course, and comprehend; but their ability to express themselves verbally seemed relatively retarded in comparison.
...their ability to express themselves verbally seemed relatively retarded in comparison.
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Language, especially speech, is dynamic.
I noticed in the late 60’s that we were all beginning to use single words to communicate a variety of nuances. “Groovy”(back then), “Cool” for the Gen X cohort, now “Awesome” from the next group down the generational ladder. Intonation completely changes the meaning of that single word. There’s more overt body language that amplifies words than when I was young.
I think they communicate effectively and express themselves adequately with their peers. We, on the other hand, aren’t always as attuned to the non-verbal aspects.