the story of Dr. Ben Carson on TNT. It was insprational to say the least. Good television is rare. This was one of the best things I have seen in a very long time.

As a child he had learning disabilities and a mother who believed in him but who herself was illiterate (unable to read). What we tend to forget is that the ability to read is something we learn while our innate intelligence is a gift we are given at birth. Learning to read enables us to learn what others already know but also unleashes our own imaginations to discover new frontiers.

His mother knew this. She turned off the TV and challenged her sons to go to the library, read 2 books a week and write book reports for her.

This hit close to home for me yesterday. My son called and in our conversation he told me my grand-daughter was having trouble with reading comprehension. He has taken the bull by the horns and is reading with her every evening instead of watching TV.

We can solve our literacy problems one child at a time if each of us make a commitment just like Ben Carson’s mother and my son by opening up books and turning off the TV.