Test Score or Student?

In the book “Readicide” By Kelly Gallagher, I took away a lot of information on what reading looks like in our schools today and what it actually should look like. This really puts you into perspective especially when Gallagher gives so many facts, statistics, studies and professional opinions about the issues of reading for today’s students. I am on board with this issue that because I feel that I have been affected by the “readicide” in American schools. I think that from all of the testing and the pressure of always being required to read a certain book turned me off for my love of reading. I used to love reading growing up but I always struggled to finish books because of my schoolwork. I was always forced away from the book I enjoyed because I had to read what the school mandated. So usually, I gave up on the book I was interested in and settled for what my teacher “wanted” me to read. This is happening so much in schools today especially when it comes to what the government wants to see out of test scores. I like how Gallagher brought up how teaching to the test is not necessarily a bad thing but the way that we force the standards down our students throats and expect them to comprehend everything the first time they learn something is insane. By giving students to freedom to once again find their love for reading or to at least understand that reading, actually reading, is a huge part of their lives. We force students to be the puppets to spit out test scores but we sometimes loose sight that they are real people that we need to prepare not for tests but for life. How will they ever be “expert citizens” when we are only preparing them to be machines?