Aibu to think "Reading is everyone's responsibility" is not an attractive slogan for a children's literacy campaign?

[clearsite]

To me it seems patronising and preachy, and the opposite of anything that might inspire a child (or their parents) to read a book.

I don't know where the slogan has come from but our school and others seem to be using it.

Sounds like an anti-littering campaign from Reading Borough Council.

"Responsibility" makes it sound like a chore rather than something we should be encouraging through enjoyment.

Isn't it just encouraging people to read to their kids at home?

Yes, way to put people off. It's a terrible slogan.

I haven't heard it, but I agree it isn't great.

Also I just googled it and the only exact match was this thread, so I think we are critiquing a literacy campaign which does not exist!

It's a bit ominous if you live in Reading.

I read it as Reading the city. I thought, why is Reading everyone's responsibility - is it all the fires and construction accidents? Does the football club need support? Is Reading Borough Council going broke? So many questions about Reading, Berkshire.

Look a little closer 🙂 ... possibly it is a quote that is being very widely used, rather than a coordinated campaign slogan. But I've seen it on posters in both my children's schools (primary and secondary) as well as repeated in school newsletters and on the website.

Perhaps it started as "Teaching reading is everyone's responsibility" (meaning cross-curriculum teaching and parental support) but then it morphed.

So many parents don't read to their children I sort of understand where it's coming from. I agree it's preachy and condescending though.

I have just literally read something on Facebook from Billy Connolly where he says that reading is your ticket to the world which much better.

That snapshot refers to a "whole-staff approach". If it's a poster within a primary school then yes I think it's 100% appropriate for every member of staff to take every opportunity to promote reading skills.

Depressing, puritanical and demanding. Also inaccurate, why is the guy driving the sweeper truck in my street now responsible for applying and imparting ‘reading’ to children, adults or anyone?!! Encouragement of reading is the responsibility of families and schools.

Safeguarding. It's safeguarding that's everyone's responsibility.

Reading is either somewhere near That London. Or is something that should be done for fun, irresponsibly, joyously!

It's a terrible phrase.

Agree, a rubbish slogan that makes reading sound like a chore. Ticket to the world as PP said, or something about it being an adventure for everyone perhaps? Even just ‘reading is for everyone’ would be better.

‘Health and safety is everyone’s responsibility’, ‘Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility’ etc etc

Terrible phrase that is not going to encorage or engage anyone. The "is everyone's responsibility" phrase works for safety, quality, safeguarding etc as a warning we need to be alert to prevent serious incidents,0.

It just doesn't work for supporting and teaching children reading. It sounds very much like the outcome of a particularly negative work group whose agenda topic was "it's not our fault if literacy standards are dropping"

So many more positive and engaging messages that could be shared, I like @Merrilydancing 's Billy Connelly quote.

It's not the catchiest of slogans and sounds like the FACTS thing that the Scottish govt came up with during covid and which nobody really understood as it wasn't as catchy as "hands, face, space".

But the sentiment is right - parents cannot expect schools/teachers to do it all, and parents have to support their child's literacy by reading at home, taking them to the library etc etc.

I've not heard of this campaign but it sounds like a campaign to get parents to read to their young children. Teaching children to read isn't just a teacher's responsibility. Parents should be reading to their young children.

I agree, op - the emphasis should be on the benefits rather than the "responsibility".

Just a quick Google gives you lots of catchier ones:

You can borrow a book but you get to keep the ideas

Reading is how people download software into their brains

Today a reader, tomorrow a leader

Open a book, open your mind

Joyce Grenfell's monologue is an inspiration to reading and the liberation and joy books represent: Nicodemus.

Even to convey this message I've seen better ones, eg:

Children are made readers on the laps of their parents

I guess “read to your kids you scumbags” was too harsh?

TBH, the type of people who don’t read to their kids could do with some patronising comments and harsh realities but I know I’ll be shot down for that.

Reading‘s attempts to attain city-zenship have sadly been thwarted every time

Look a little closer 🙂

I'm not going into your children's schools .

My point was, this is not some slogan that a marketing company has been paid millions to come up with for a national literacy campaign. It is just a drab sentence a few schools are using to try to encourage reading (which everyone agrees is a good thing).

type of people who don’t read to their kids could do with some patronising comments and harsh realities but I know I’ll be shot down for that.

Shot down? No. But I would be interested to know why you think "patronising comments and harsh realities" would be effective in persuading people to support their children's reading.