All Leaders Must Be Readers

Reading, more than any other educational practice, impacts our ability to learn, understand, think, apply, and lead.

 by: Kay Lee, Director of Student Support

Harry S. Truman, stated, “Not all READERS become LEADERS, but all LEADERS must be READERS.” This quote caught the attention of my sixth grade history teacher teammate and me a few years ago. As we equip Perimeter School students, our future leaders of ministries, businesses, health care, technology, educational communities, and most importantly families, it is imperative that we keep the act of reading a priority in our great school. Reading, more than any other educational practice, impacts our ability to learn, understand, think, apply, and lead. Our goal as covenant parents and educators should be to model and equip our students and families to read the Word of God so that we all might embrace the truths that He reveals. 

One of my graduate school projects in 2021 was to survey leaders about the amount of time that they read during a typical day. The top two readers in terms of hours per day were both pastors – one at Perimeter Church. When leaders read, they display humility or teachability, acknowledging that though they are called to leadership responsibilities, they will always be teachable. They glean information that will fill their own knowledge gaps and impact their perspective and understanding so that they might share this insight with others.     

it all starts at home

How can we equip our students as readers and future leaders? It all starts at home.  

• Remember that your role as parents is to encourage curiosity, exploration, and excitement! Start with the Bible. Read along with the Bible content of your child’s classroom. Add topics that interest your child while supporting the reading mechanics that are being taught in the early grades of our school. Make reading a habit in your household. 

• Stay faithful to reading aloud. Being “read aloud to” brings comfort and builds a bond. There is much to be said for a child hearing words articulated correctly and with expression in their language and vocabulary development. When you stop to read to your child, you are showing them that they are a priority. Read-aloud time provides the perfect opportunity to read the Bible (and classics) no matter your child’s age or ability. And dads, it is important that your child hears your male voice reading aloud. 

• Talk, talk, talk with your child about what he/she is reading. Ask questions about the characters and the decisions that they make. “Activate knowledge” before beginning to read a book by relating the topic, themes, or tensions to something in your child’s life. Give your child a reason to read. Narration is a great example of responses to these questions, and it reflects understanding and comprehension.   

• Encourage your child’s strengths as a reader and future leader. We know as covenant parents and educators that all our children do not emerge the same in their reading abilities. Find strength in your young reader and build on this. Many times, we find that our students with dyslexia have strong oral comprehension or problem-solving skills. If you see that your child is struggling with decoding, language development, fluency, or comprehension, reach out to your child’s teacher. We are committed to coming alongside your family to build strong academic foundations in reading throughout all grades. 
  

Let’s keep Truman’s adage in mind as we equip our students for future leadership and kingdom impact.

thank you, Perimeter School, for being a school that prioritizes READING.