I had seen to that. The mother's anxiety about her daughter's reading level was very real. She thought she had a big problem on her hands but when the child had been given the permission, the time, the books, the light, the comfort and the warmth of reading in bed every night the problem was solved. In the kinds of homes that produce avid readers people still watch television but probably with discrimination. Of course not.
Children watch television because it is intrinsically rewarding, it's fun, it's worth doing.
None of this creates a hunger for books. Children choose what they want to watch on television within the bounds of parental control. Research has shown that children actually prefer programmes designed for adults, particularly comedy programmes, and cops and robbers. Basal readers are provided and everyone begins with Reader No.1 and grindingly slowly, ignoring any interests the children might have, each child progresses step by step to Reader No. 157. Television watching is not competitive.