| Barbara Bush
Literacy advocate and
former First Lady
Announcer: Boeing presents another in a series of essays from
contemporary opinion leaders. Today, literacy advocate and
former First Lady, Barbara Bush.
Mrs. Bush: In our family, I am known as Mom,
Ganny, or sometimes -- “the
enforcer.” I’ve earned this rather ominous nickname
because of what my children and grandchildren believe are strict
rules. Rules that range from the obvious, “Don’t
leave your clothes on the floor” to the introspective, “Never
take yourself too seriously.”
But one of our family’s most sacred and important rules
has always been the simple, four-letter imperative “READ.” It’s
reading that helps us grow, in mind and heart. Children who
read start school better prepared to learn. Parents who are
able to read and write get better jobs, improve their lives,
and help their communities. And families who read together
form stronger bonds and are better able to communicate. It’s
truly remarkable how many people I meet tell me that one of
their favorite childhood memories is sitting on a parents’ lap
having their favorite books read to them.
These are all the reasons why, in 1989, we founded the Barbara
Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. It’s a foundation
for literacy and families. I truly believe that if more people
could read, write, and comprehend, we could be better able
to solve so many of the other problems our society faces.
Our foundation provides a list of tips to parents on how to
encourage their children to read. At the very top of that list,
we recommend making reading part of a child’s daily routine.
A routine today becomes a tradition tomorrow. And a tradition
of reading, passed from generation to generation, becomes the
common ground on which our children are raised.
Announcer: Boeing. Forever New Frontiers.
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