I realize

how bitter is the irony that I can't find words to express how difficult it was to teach the very basic tenet of the importance of language to my ninth and tenth graders. For the two brief years I taught, my challenges (and joys!) were various and sundry. Chief among the challenges was getting my kids to understand why they had to learn to speak and write English correctly. This question baffled me. As a student, I'd never asked about the relevance of correct usage of the English language because - as an avid reader from a young age - I'd never wondered. If given the opportunity, I could spend hours in a library - going straight to familiar and beloved authors, discovering new ones, browsing cookbooks, rereading childhood favorites - I love language. I will not say that "Reading Rainbow" ignited this fire within me, but I cannot deny that it fanned the flame. As often as I was able, I'd invite Levar Burton's soothing voice and the "butterfly in the sky" behind him into my living room.

The very curiosity about reading that "Reading Rainbow" fostered was what I failed to effectively communicate to my students. The kids who were active readers never questioned why it mattered if a word was spelled correctly or a punctuation mark put in the right place. They had seen enough of how different authors used language to communicate their various messages to know the relevance of these things. My other hundred or so students - not so much. All of this is to say that I believe any language arts educator will tell you how implausible is the notion that phonics can be effectively taught apart from a respect and love for language. How, then, has this beloved show of 26 years been cut off at the knees because it doesn't phocus on fonics? (pun intended) There is no one without the other. If we lose programming - be it "Reading Rainbow" or not - for such a non-reason, how can we ever hope that the phonics rules being taught to kids - via other shows or their teachers - will stick?

I find the whole situation quite sigh-worthy.

And I am sad to think that my children's teachers will be teaching - or attempting to teach - the one without the other. I would love to see "RR" return from its recent demise, but I realize it may simply have run its course - phonics-related reasons or not. But I'd hate to see similar efforts fall by the wayside as a result of insufficient funds. If that happens, then in the end, our children fall by the wayside as well. This is not to say that I won't read to my own children and share my love of language with them. Gabriel is already quite capable of *reading* much of "Brown Bear" or "Good Night Moon" all by his lonesome. But how many more books could a show like "Reading Rainbow" have introduced to him, inspired him to want to read? And how many children simply don't have parents who are able or willing to take the time to read to them? For so many children, Levar Burton filled that role. For the rest of us, he merely helped us along. For all of us, the fun of visiting new, exciting places and meeting all sorts of unforgettable characters remains an absolutely priceless contribution to how we learned the importance of language.