And she was absolutely right! I've observed all my life those who love to read, and those who never read. Guess which group succeeds? It's not innate intelligence that enables the reader to read better, it's that the non-reader never had it drilled in him or her. Giving children interesting/fun books to read as soon as they're able and encouraging reading will help them all their lives.Why am I telling you all this. Because I did not have the privilege of a public school myself growing up. I was raised in the jungles of Central and South America and my mom taught me with whatever books she could get her hands on. I also had a learning disability as a child that I had to learn to overcome (dyslexia). In spite of all this, at age 14 I was a certified Malaria microbiologist at an outpost clinic in the Amazon jungle, where I saved many lives. The most valuable thing my mother ever taught me was reading comprehension. She always said, "Son, I am sorry I cannot offer you the best education, but if you can learn to read and understand what you read, you can learn anything you want and do anything anyone else can. I have instilled this same confidence in my children and they too are very successful in their lives.