Reading Lists Should Be Taught In Schools

Required reading lists have always stood their ground in the test of time. Each year students in certain nations see the same worn out pieces of writing due to the required reading lists embedded into educational curriculum. Creating an environment of carbon-copied minds unable to think outside what they’ve been taught. Luckily, in the United States it is not mandated that schools are required to read a list of specific texts. Intellectually engaging writing has been and will always be implemented into America’s education system. In light of this, high school English students shouldn’t be assigned required texts lists because of their ability to lower diversity, education standards, and individuality. Students only exposed to one variety

This standardization can also be called a literary canon or as “The American Heritage Dictionary” explains, “a basis for judgment; standard; criterion”(Source A). This means the required list is the minimum standard required. These lists provide the minimum amount of education given to students across the nation. Students shouldn’t be given just the minimum. They should be allowed a wide array of books that expands their knowledge as a student. The lists usually only consist of a small amount of overread, famous works of writing compiled into an anthology. In addition to the lack of advanced material in these canons and since women still aren’t praised as highly in the field of literature, “few women writers have managed to gain entrance to such anthologies”(Source A). There have been many appraised intellectual literature written by women, but because of the standardization of writing, many students aren’t exposed to these pieces done by intelligent women. Students begin missing out on valuable information contained within non celebrated literature since they would be restricted to only the famous and celebrated works of literature found in every high school English classroom. Limiting the books a student can read for education is analogous to allowing light to travel to the other side of a door through a keyhole. Teaching the same material that has been taught for many years prior cause students to fall into the content nature of relying on past commentary instead of thinking individually on a subject. Since information is so readily available through the internet, students can simply look up answers and commentary on a classic required reading novel such as The Lord of the Flies. This is because of the human nature of finding the past of least resistance. Thinking intuitively can be difficult for most. But in this modern age