Malik Must Read.

This message is for Educators. Mothers. Fathers.

We have to encourage our children to read- especially our males! We have to put our sons in the car, on the bus, or walk with them to the library and check out a book. Then, we must sit him down, and make him read the book to us – aloud.

We can no longer accept his excuse that he does not like to read. We can no longer accept the excuse that he is not a good reader. Pick a book on his grade level, even if he has to start with a picture book and can only describe what he sees in the illustrations.

Next, our sons have to see us reading!

We have to lead by example. How dare we tell him to sit down and read, and then we take out our cell phone and get on Instagram. How dare we ask him to do anything we are not willing to do ourselves! How dare we tell him to FOLLOW our instructions when we are not LEADING by example.

Why must our sons read?

Our sons must start reading because the sons and daughters of China, can read very well and want to take our son’s place.

The sons and daughters of Singapore, can read very well and want to take our son’s place.

The sons and daughters of Finland, can read very well and want to take our son’s place.

The sons and daughters of Japan, Canada, South Korea, Ireland, Taiwan, Poland, Estonia, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Australia, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Vietnam, Germany, France, Norway, and the United Kingdom are all reading better than our sons, and in a global economy – they are lining up to take our son’s place!

We have to encourage our children to read, read, read, read, read, read, if we want them the be the leaders we know they are capable of becoming.

Maurice Guest Jr., is an education administrator in Little Rock, Arkansas.