History of the written language
It is interesting to think someone decided to record what they thought was important. The first known form of a “language” came from cave paintings found to be as old as 3000BC
. Why? Well, I’m no historian, but I guess that a record can last a lot longer than simply committing everything to memory.
It’s also believed numbers developed before a written language. Numbers eventually developed into pictures. Isn’t that fascinating? Kids do the same thing, in their development. Before a child can write, they draw. I have often asked my young students what their drawing means, and they have entire stories that go along with the squiggles on their paper. Even at three or four, they want to share their stories.
The earliest forms of a more modern style writing, (symbols representing sounds not pictures) are Cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphics. Eventually, Phoenician Alphabet was invented which became the root of many more known written languages including Latin.
Let’s talk about the printing press for just a minute. I, personally believe this is THE MOST IMPORTANT INVENTION IN HISTORY. Okay, maybe there are a few other inventions that were also important, but this one is up there.
Before the printing press books were as good as gold, and the ability to read made you nearly a god. History.com says, one hand-copied book in the 14th-century cost as much as a house, and libraries cost a small fortune. The largest European library in 1300 was the university library of Paris, which had 300 total manuscripts. Wait, back up…300 books? I’m pretty sure I have more than that sitting on my current bookshelf.
The printing press was invented in the 1400s. Yes, it’s that old, but it took time for the invention to take off. This was due to a large number of illiterate people, and no effective form of distribution. However, both issues were alleviated with time.
This incredible invention made printing books, easier and cheaper to mass-produce. Knowledge was no longer an elite commodity. New ideas, religion, scientific discoveries, and even fairy tales, could be shared around the world.
The importance of reading and writing
Writing, and reading has a rich history and has historically been a symbol of success and wealth. Often, those who are poverty-stricken, minorities, and even women, have been barred from learning to read or write, for a variety of reasons.
Illiteracy, or the inability to read and write, has a massive impact on a person’s life. All parts of our lives involve reading and writing, and individuals who struggle in these areas, often struggle in life. Work, school, community involvement, and simple day-to-day tasks such as ordering food off a restaurant’s menu, all involve literacy.
If a child decides they do not like to read or write, they are making a very BIG decision, and they don’t even realize it. But we just talked about how AMAZING reading and writing is, and what a PRIVILEGE it is to be able to read and write. Why would any child decide they don’t like reading?
Unfortunately, we live in a world of instant gratification, and an overwhelming amount of technology. One survey said, “less than 20 percent of U.S. teens report reading a book, magazine or newspaper daily for pleasure, while more than 80 percent say they use social media every day.”
What a sad statistic, but I personally believe there is hope. Literacy is a beautiful thing that children can fall in love with.
This blog
This is why I started a blog. To promote a love of reading and writing to young kids. I want to review fun and lovable children’s books and offer related engaging activities that can be done right alongside them.
Even though kids should love to read, that isn’t always the case. I hope to offer parents or educators another resource to support a love of literacy, that will help enrich the rest of a child’s life. Reading and writing ARE some of the most important skills a child can learn, but it’s even better if they love it.