A children's literature expert at San Diego State University says fewer kids are reading for fun. He says a one-million-dollar gift to the university will help researchers try to reverse that trend. KPBS Reporter Ana Tintocalis has more.
Jerry Griswold is director of SDSU's National Center for the Study of Children's Literature.
He says studies show less than one-third of 13 year olds read for pleasure -- and as kids get older the percentage drops.
Griswold says the one-million dollar donation will support the center's efforts to groom the next generation of educators, researchers and writers who want to help kids rekindle the magic of reading for fun.
He says schools today focus too much on learning to read.
Griswold: Techniques to underline and identify main ideas, it serves a very valuable purpose, but it robs reading of the whole fun of story.
And Griswold's research shows kids who learn to enjoy reading grow up to be socially-conscience citizens and better workers.
Ana Tintocalis, KPBS News.
