"Mastery of the knowledge assumed within the American speech community is not just a technical prerequisite for proficiency in the standard language. It is also a prerequisite to something equally profound in a democracy—a sense of community and solidarity within the nation. Such a sense of unity was one of the chief educational ambitions of the founders. 'A popular Government,' said Madison, 'without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy.' The cohesion of the nation and the willingness of citizens to temper their private and local interests with allegiance tothe common good could be obtained only through commonality in the school curriculum. Such commonality was the explicit subject of an important early essay on schooling, 'Thoughts Upon the Mode of education Proper in a Republic,' written in 1786 by Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Our most important and influential early schoolmaster, Noah Webster, was our chief maker of both dictionaries and schoolbooks. He correctly connected the two projects, believing that a common public language plus a common school curriculum were needed to sustain a loyalty to the common good."

Nothing grates on me more than when a teacher says: "It doesn't matter what they read as long as they read."  One teacher laughed and said "they can read a cereal box for all I care."  Wrong, wrong, wrong.  It does matter.  It matters twice over.  First, "good" stories promote good language and good writing;  "bad" stories promote bad language and bad writing (and that is all if you are lucky).

Great article by E.D. Hirsch.

Two great resources for the young and older.  My own humble list.

Update:  Execupundit points us to why it matters.  Think of the books that you devoured as a child.  The books you want to read today.  Are they cereal boxes?

Thanks, Arts & Letters Daily.