Reading Makes Us Better Citizens

A republic needs literacy

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In a video I stumbled on recently, a man in a hoodie reads to the camera, somewhat haltingly telling the story of Aslan and the Pevensie children. He’s been working his way, one chapter a day, through The Chronicles of Narnia. The text over the video reads, “37 years old, fifth-grade reading level, no one taught me but I’m not giving up.”

Oliver James had behavioral and learning-disability problems in school. He said adults just tried to keep him under control, sometimes literally restrained, and never worried whether he learned. In his early 30s, unable to hold a job, he could barely read a restaurant menu. He started thinking about his future.

Mary Katharine Ham

About the Author

Mary Katharine Ham

Mary Katharine Ham is an author, speaker, and Fox News contributor who hosts the podcasts Getting Hammered and Normally.

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