Knowledge Is Power “READ! READ! READ!” It was at the top of almost all of my English teachers syllabi throughout high school. I enjoyed reading but I didn’t ever have much time to do so. I don’t think I understood the true importance of reading until now. Growing up I’ve always heard “the more you read, the more you know.” I found that rather cliché but I have come to find that it is the truth. In the essay “The Freedom Education Brings,” by Timmika Ross and the article “Reading Remains The Key To Success,” by Alonzo Weston “the more you read the more you know,” is shown to be true. I remember when I first started reading, and the struggles I faced, which really has taught me to understand how important reading and literacy is. My experiences
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I remember the best part of reading was when I would finish a whole page in a book my mom and dad would sometimes let me stay up later, or I could have one piece of candy out of the candy jar. I believe that they younger a child is when they start reading the better off they will be when they enter school. In the article “Reading Remains the Key to Success” by Alonzo Weston, it is mentioned that it’s important for a child to grow up in a house full of books. Weston says “not many things bother me more than to walk in a home where children live and not see a book in sight.” (Page 1) I completely agree with that. It is not stressed enough when a child is young that reading is important. “If the first time they see a book is when they set foot inside a school door, they’re already behind.”(Page 1) I would agree with that as well. I started reading books around the age of four. Looking back, I remember almost every night before bed, my mom and dad would have me sit in the living room with them and read the “Dick and Jane” books. I am so thankful for the knowledge my parents bestowed on me before I ever entered school. I believe that it is the reason I entered school being emotionally stable and was able to adapt to a new environment in a more effortless …show more content…
As a society I think we take for granted the freedom that we have to learn. In the essay “The Freedom Education Brings” by Timmika Ross, it is mentioned that slave owners wouldn’t let slaves read because once they could read the slave owners would no longer be superior, but instead making the slave and their owners more equal. The more knowledge a slave had, the more threatened the slave owner would be. Ross says, “ Owners also feared that with knowledge slaves would figure out that they had rights.” (Page 64) This quote proves that knowledge is power. A slave being able to read would mean they knew that they didn’t have to be treated as property but as humans. Thus, meaning they had human rights. The essay also states that in that time “slaves who were caught reading or writing were punished with harsh whippings, beatings, amputations of hands or feet, and in extreme situations, death.” To me that is crazy because in today society we have to force young people to read and write. However, I would admit that in high school I always dreaded having to read a book for a class. That was close to the worst assignment we could be assigned. Even now I dread writing papers, but not because I cant, but for the simple fact that it takes work. We have the privilege to freely read and write at any time we want yet we take that for granted. I think that while we are in school stories like Fredrick Douglas’ need to be told
I remember the best part of reading was when I would finish a whole page in a book my mom and dad would sometimes let me stay up later, or I could have one piece of candy out of the candy jar. I believe that they younger a child is when they start reading the better off they will be when they enter school. In the article “Reading Remains the Key to Success” by Alonzo Weston, it is mentioned that it’s important for a child to grow up in a house full of books. Weston says “not many things bother me more than to walk in a home where children live and not see a book in sight.” (Page 1) I completely agree with that. It is not stressed enough when a child is young that reading is important. “If the first time they see a book is when they set foot inside a school door, they’re already behind.”(Page 1) I would agree with that as well. I started reading books around the age of four. Looking back, I remember almost every night before bed, my mom and dad would have me sit in the living room with them and read the “Dick and Jane” books. I am so thankful for the knowledge my parents bestowed on me before I ever entered school. I believe that it is the reason I entered school being emotionally stable and was able to adapt to a new environment in a more effortless …show more content…
As a society I think we take for granted the freedom that we have to learn. In the essay “The Freedom Education Brings” by Timmika Ross, it is mentioned that slave owners wouldn’t let slaves read because once they could read the slave owners would no longer be superior, but instead making the slave and their owners more equal. The more knowledge a slave had, the more threatened the slave owner would be. Ross says, “ Owners also feared that with knowledge slaves would figure out that they had rights.” (Page 64) This quote proves that knowledge is power. A slave being able to read would mean they knew that they didn’t have to be treated as property but as humans. Thus, meaning they had human rights. The essay also states that in that time “slaves who were caught reading or writing were punished with harsh whippings, beatings, amputations of hands or feet, and in extreme situations, death.” To me that is crazy because in today society we have to force young people to read and write. However, I would admit that in high school I always dreaded having to read a book for a class. That was close to the worst assignment we could be assigned. Even now I dread writing papers, but not because I cant, but for the simple fact that it takes work. We have the privilege to freely read and write at any time we want yet we take that for granted. I think that while we are in school stories like Fredrick Douglas’ need to be told