Grow Readers by Planting Book Gardens
By Mike McGuffee, Unite for Literacy CEO
My mother always had a garden. To be precise, she had lots of gardens. Our yard was dotted with plants that were given the prospect of a good life from my mother’s hands. Through the backyard of my childhood, I grew alongside Black Diamond Watermelons and Paper Shell Pecan Trees. I believe my mother was devoted to us all.
Looking back, I see the imprint of my mother’s passion to till soil, plant seeds and cultivate crops. Remarkably, today I have only a vague idea of how to grow the plants she knew by heart; nevertheless, through her gardening, she taught me valuable language that today shapes the landscape of my work.
When poet laureate Stanley Kunitz was asked for advice on how to write great poetry, he replied, “Grow a garden, it will help you with your metaphors.” I suspect he might have shared the same advice if he had been asked any question regarding teaching and learning.
I’ve dedicated my life to the field of education and I understand the powerful influence that metaphors have on our society. For example, if our underlying metaphor for teaching and learning is based on a factory model, we might view our children moving down an assembly line—vessels to be filled. One of the greatest challenges with this worldview is that it tends to overemphasize short-term outputs.
On the other hand, if we view young learners thriving beside us, as plants growing side-by-side in a garden, our actions and expectations change dramatically. We are much more likely to value longer-term outcomes, like growing lifelong readers. Just like plants, avid readers grow best from a foundation rich in materials that are particularly suited to their needs, which brings us to books.
I like the metaphor of book gardens. Today, as the CEO of Unite for Literacy, my mission is to create book gardens where there currently are deserts and to nurture a spirit of lifelong reading throughout the community. I picture “windowsill gardens” in and around our community businesses—small plots of relevant books that are freely shared with our youngest citizens.
We are currently working with businesses to establish these tiny gardens of picture books. You can find them on bank counters, restaurant tables and yes, even windowsills in businesses across the Front Range. Unite for Literacy is primarily known for our online library, but we couldn’t resist producing and sharing printed books that go hand in hand with our digital collection.
Seeds, and books, are packed with potential; planting them carries an inherent message of hope. Our hope is that one day all families will cultivate book gardens within their homes and their children will grow to become lifelong readers. If you value literacy as fundamental to a thriving community, I want to encourage you to garden with us. There is nothing more powerful than a caring adult sharing a favorite book with a young reader.