Why I Founded StoryComb Press
Hi there. I’m Stephanie, the founder of StoryComb Press. Who am I and where did I get the idea for this company anyway?
I’m a teacher.
First of all, I’ve always been an avid reader and writer. When other kids were riding their bikes, I was climbing trees with a backpack full of books so I could read without interruption. Down the road, I became a teacher. I organized literature circles where the students chose the books and ran their own mini book clubs. My students wrote me letters about their independent reading. These letters weren’t boring book reports. They were the kind of letters you write to a friend about the great book you just read.
While I was teaching, I went to a professional development seminar with Michael Clay Thompson. He was a former high school English teacher who wrote a classics-based language arts curriculum series. He had taught 10th grade remedial English. He decided his students deserved and could handle the classics. So he read aloud to them, giving them the option to take turns reading whenever they felt ready but without pressure to do so. For months, he read to them. They took in the story and the language, discussing it along the way. And slowly, one student after another picked up the story in their own voice, slowly becoming more confident. He built their vocabulary and their literary repertoire by making it social and without academic pressure. I took his curriculum back to my Title I classroom of English language learners. Thompson was right. My kids could handle it and we had wonderful discussions about the deeper (even problematic) issues in Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland.
At the same time, the system was killing reading. All year long, we celebrated literature and poetry. But then they got tested on their ability to read a snooze-worthy passage and write a formulaic five-paragraph essay. It was tough to watch. I knew, when I had kids, I wanted more for them. I turned to home education as a solution.
I’m a home educator.
Early in my homeschool journey, I discovered Julie Bogart and her podcast. We immediately implemented Poetry Teatime. This is an awesome tradition, and one I highly recommend. You sit down with books of poetry, snacks, and the beverages of your choice (tea or hot cocoa at our house), and read poetry while you snack. My kids loved Poetry Teatime, often reciting their favorite poems. At first, I had to read all the poems. Then we slowly added one reader after another, until we could all celebrate words together.
Today, all three of my reading-age kids love books. One goes for cozy fantasy or thrillers, another reads LitRPGS, while the third loves graphic novels. It’s great that they love books. But what about their educational experience? They’re all in public school now for a variety of reasons. My oldest came home in the fall, declaring furiously that her seventh-grade teacher was ruining poetry. It was all about having the correct interpretation for the test. Luckily, Poetry Teatime was enough to preserve her love of poetry. But it had me concerned.
I’m a researcher.
I started reading more about the current state of literacy in U.S. schools. The more I read, the more upset I became. Our kids just aren’t reading. By eighth grade, only about 30% of kids are capable of reading independently at grade level. Only 14% of those kids read for fun (of course it’s not fun to read when it’s challenging!). College professors have started complaining that kids don’t even know how to read books anymore. It’s tough with the distractions of social media, but it’s also an issue in educational environments. Schools are assigning excerpts or passages instead of whole books. And they’re doing it because kids just won’t read.
At the same time, Gen Z and Millennials are reading more than ever, in print, in audio, or in ebook forms. Physical book sales are actually on the rise! So why do adults love books? I think it’s partly about experience. Shows like Reading Rainbow and Wishbone gave a positive association with books, including classics, to many Millennials.
I’m a problem-solver.
Here’s what I propose. We make books cool again. We find engaging and well-written contemporary books that expose our teens to new worlds. We combine this with beautifully written but more challenging classics to build their muscles. We create literary communities and beloved rituals. I have so many dreams that go far beyond a monthly subscription box. A literary magazine authored and illustrated by teens. Online book clubs and literary communities. But all that starts here. Today. With you.
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ryancraig/2024/11/15/kids-cant-read-books/
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