Quotes for Writers (and people who like quotes) Philip Pullman on what back to basics really means
We often hear politicians talks about the basics, by which they mean the ability to spell correctly and write grammatically. But that’s not basic at all. You can correct that sort of thing at the last minute. What is truly basic is the attitude to language that you get from the way you’re brought up into it. If the people who look after you sing nursery rhymes and share little clapping games and finger plays, if they look at picture books with you and don’t rush through with one eye on the watch but take their time and talk with you about what’s going on in the pictures, then the attitude you’re likely to have towards language will be that you trust it and find it exciting and full of possibilities and fun, something to play with and speculate with and take risks with and delight in.
Philip Pullman in The Author Autumn 2013
photo credit: mgroves via photopin cc
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BRIDGET WHELAN writer 
I always thank my mam for giving me my love of English.
I read today that 80% of American families didn’t buy or read a book last year. I find this so sad. Linda.
Haven’t been able to find any similar stats for the UK Linda but I wouldn’t be surprised it if it was similar. There’s learning to read and learning to love to read…
I’m very glad my mother and my uncle encouraged me in reading and helped give me a love of reading. I tried to do the same with my daughter and it’s wonderful that now that she’s grown I can see she does. There were a few of her teen years it seemed she might not have the love of reading I always hoped for her.
I think there are times in your life when you get out of the habit of reading. I got my first degree at evening class in my 30s when my family were still young and one of the things I had to learn that first year was how to read again, how to get into the routine of it. And I never forgot the sheer delight of the summer holidays when I could read anything I wanted. Because – like your daughter – I had learned to enjoy reading as a child it wasn’t that hard to get back to it.