John Teunis

8/25/2014
UWRT1011
Writing Assignment Due 08/25/2014
The three readings titled Making Children Hate Reading by John Holt, That Isnt
What We Did In High School by Donald A. McAndrew, and I Wont Use Writing As
Punishment, I Wont by Roy Peter Clark, all address issues involving reading and writing in
the school systems. They all discuss different problems with the teaching of English, but yet they
all deliver the same message. The overall theme of the readings is that reading and writing
should not be a bad thing, and children should not stress over things such as grammar and
punctuation. Instead it should be looked at as a way to express ones ideas and opinions, and if
done correctly it can even be fun. All of the readings point fingers at the school systems and the
poor educators within it, and blame them for certain childrens hate of English.
The first reading, Making Children Hate Reading by John Holt, talks about how certain
teaching methods can make it more difficult to enhance ones education of English. Holt
explains the negative effects of making children look up words they dont understand while
reading and shunning them for not knowing a word while reading aloud. It causes children to
stress over reading instead of enjoy it. If someone is enjoying their school work, it will better
benefit their education. This point is backed up while Holt discusses how grammar and spelling
causes children to stress over their writing. Freed from worry about spelling, they were willing
to use the most difficult and interesting words that they knew. (pg 25). When students dont
have to stress over the nitty-gritty details of writing, they can feel more intrigued with their
writing and with their own ideas. This in return, is beneficial to their English education.
In the second reading, That Isnt What We Did In High School by Donald A.
McAndrew, he involves his students. McAndrew compares what they told him about their high

John Teunis
8/25/2014
UWRT1011
school English class and what they told him about their current English class taught by himself.
There are many differences ranging from everything to class atmosphere, to writing assignments.
He then continues by going into depth on different theories of English education, such as Social
Constructionism, Participationism, and Socio-psycholinguism. While all three theories seem
logical and in no way incorrect, Participationism is seen more commonly than the rest. This
group stresses that to know something, and to have knowledge, means to participate in its
making, and constructing through language, reading, writing, and talking to others who are also
participating in making knowledge.(pg 223) When everyone participates in a group discussion
for example, they learn from each others knowledge of the subject, and learn to accept different
ideas. One can sit in a class room for as long as they want, but they will not learn anything if
they do not participate and take the initiative for their own education.
The reading I Wont Use Writing As Punishment, I Wont by Roy Peter Clark,
discusses the negative effects of forcing children to write as punishment for a wrong doing. The
use of writing as punishment has been around for decades and is still around to this day. Clark
talks about how using writing as punishment can cause children to hate and even fear writing in
their future. A great analogy is brought up that was made by Aldous Huxley in Brave New
World, where babies listen to panic noises while in a room with books and flowers. The mad
scientist behind this experiment explains: They'll grow up with what the psychologists used to
call an 'instinctive' hatred of books and flowers ... They'll be safe from books and botany all their
lives. (pg 6) Similarly, if students are forced to write because of wrong doing, it will cause
them to fear it assuring that it will be nothing they can enjoy in their future.
There are many things that educators do wrong in teaching English, but it is also up to the
student to take the initiative in their education of reading and writing. When teachers nag

John Teunis
8/25/2014
UWRT1011
students about grammar, spelling, punctuation, or pronunciation, students forget to enjoy reading
and writing and instead they worry about the nitty-gritty details. When writing is forced upon
them as a form of punishment, they learn to fear it. At the same time, it is also up to the student
to participate in class room and to be engaged in their own education. The main point is this.
Reading and writing can and should be both beneficial for ones education and be an enjoyable
way to express ones ideas and thoughts to others.