Reflections on Reading: A Book in My Backpack
We’re back in Poland, specifically in Krakow. This is the second installment of my diary, written during my stay in Krakow, visiting the Da Vinci and Mazzarello schools, thanks to the Erasmus program.
Upon my return to Italy, after some reflection and observation of our classes, an important topic emerged, one that would be taken for granted in the naturalness of school: reading. We’re not talking about reading textbooks, but rather the constant and continuous reading of children’s books, especially novels. My reflection begins with the school environment. I wander around, enter the classrooms, and explore the spaces: everywhere there are shelves filled with neatly arranged books. There are shelves in the corridor, in the classroom. Behind a door marked with a sign that evidently means “library” in Polish, I find myself in an immense space divided by bookcases, low shelves, tables, and rugs. I’ve arrived at the library.
Readers might think that, given that it’s a school, the presence of books is normal, just as scissors are found in a barber shop and pots and pans in the kitchen. What amazes me about the Da Vinci School is that these shelves are actually used; the books are selected, read, and put away. When I think of Italian school libraries, I’m saddened that the wealth of books accumulated over time isn’t being used by the students. Sometimes there’s no librarian, or students simply aren’t accustomed to borrowing a book every week, reading it, and returning it. I imagine our libraries dusty and dark, forgotten at the bottom of the equipment list, supplanted by rooms housing tablets and new technologies.
The schools we visited provided us with a true glimpse into the approach to books and reading typical of Polish schools. Each child has a book in their schoolbag that they choose freely, a work that captures their attention and leads them to explore distant worlds, immerse themselves in science fiction stories involving spaceships and extraterrestrials, or even in compelling mysteries that pique their curiosity.
Reading is seen not as an obligation, but as a natural activity, a continuation of the day, like a game of soccer or adventures in the world of Pokémon. I observed a well-organized library, with 8- and 9-year-olds stretched out on the floor, each with their own book, absorbed in reading as if they were watching an engaging film.
A question comes naturally to me: how many children in an Italian school freely go to the library and choose a book for their leisure time? I leave you with this reflection: should we be doing more to introduce our children to the world of reading? Despite the fact that leading sociologists blog every day that reading offers numerous benefits, such as peace and concentration, why do the majority of our students not even read a single complete novel in an entire school year?
Recently, I had an interesting conversation with my bookshop friends at Libreria della Torre in Chieri about the importance of introducing young children to reading from an early age. Elena and Giorgia are observing a sudden decline in adult reading as well. The average age of the core readership is 55. What will happen to the immense cultural heritage printed on paper when the baby boomers are no longer around? This is a question that has long been circulating among book lovers.
With the bookshops, we are planning a series of reading workshops for children. These workshops, working on interpretation and voice modulation techniques, help children understand the text and, at the same time, identify with the story.
The goal is to ignite that spark in them that will lead them to always carry a book in their backpack, ready for any occasion. Imagine a child who, while waiting in line for the school bus, instead of looking at his mother’s smartphone, picks up his book and starts reading. This is what we want to convey: a love of reading that can accompany them at every moment of their lives.
