The importance of reading
Getting students to read
their textbooks is hard. Getting them to read books just for the sheer
pleasure of reading is especially harder since kids just don’t seem to
be interested in reading these days. Gone are the days when kids curled
up with a nice little book when it was too hot to play outside. Today,
students spend any free time they have watching TV, going to the mall,
tinkering with their mobile phones or playing video games.
Still,
the many benefits your students could reap from reading regularly
should make the challenge of making them read a small price to pay.
Consider the following:
- Reading develops a person’s
creativity. Unlike movies where everything is determined by the
producer, writer and director, books allow students to create in their
minds how a particular character looks like or imagine how a scene
plays out. Reading a book therefore, allows a student to exercise and
cultivate her/his creative thinking skills.1
- Developing good reading skills can improve your students’ ability to comprehend concepts and ideas. 2
- Reading
develops critical thinking, thus, ensuring that your students will be
able to think and make good decisions for themselves.3
- Ones’ fluency in a language and, consequently, communication skills are improved by reading.4
- Reading
introduces your students to new things and has the ability to broaden
their interests. A student who reads a biography of Albert Einstein for
example, may be inspired to take his high school Physics class more
seriously.5
- Reading regularly increases the vocabulary.6
- Reading
can develop positive values in your students. According to a study
conducted in the United States for example, students who learn to read
by the time they are in third grade are less likely to take drugs, drop
out of school or end up in prison.7
- One of the main
problems of today’s students is their inability to concentrate on their
lessons (a result of their shortening attention span.) A solution to
this problem is to encourage students to read. According to studies,
reading increases a student’s ability to concentrate.8
- Developing
your students’ reading and comprehension skills early on in their
education also means that you are preparing them for the “real world.”
Being able to read well means that they would have no problem
understanding manuals, guides or contracts - vital documents and papers
they will surely encounter when they join the work force.9
- Spelling improves when words are seen in print.10
- Reading also improves your students’ writing skills as they are able to “subconsciously acquire good writing style.” 11
The
fact that students reap great benefits from reading cannot be doubted
or questioned. It is for this reason that teachers must instill in
students a real love for reading and groom them into becoming lifelong
readers.
Sources:
1 Rabel, Nikki, “Reading to Children is Essential.”
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5287.html
2“The Impact of Trade Books on Reading Achievement,”
www.sdlback.com/standards/Reading Achievement.pdf
3 Ralph, LeAnn, “The Importance of Reading.”http://www.peopleoffaith.com/benefits-of-reading.htm
5, 6 “Benefits of Reading for Pleasure.’
http://www.pinescharter.com/teacherwebs/KScarola/Student%20Work%20Files/2005%20FAU%20
at%20PPCS/2005%20FAU%20RED4750/Kori%20Winters/Promoting%20the%20Lifetime%20
Reading%20Habit%20in%20Middle%20School.ppt
7 Wikipedia, Reading. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_(activity)
8 Haker, Paul, “Read away winter blues.”http://www.kernel.uky.edu/2001/text/0131/09a_arts.shtml
9Gallagher, Kelly in Communication Skills Expectations for Students and Parents,
http://www.ccboe.net/Teachers/kirkland_judy/files/965464C6604340088477A831352915D0.doc
10, 11 Krashen, Stephen in Communication Skills Expectations for Students and Parents,
http://www.ccboe.net/Teachers/kirkland_judy/files/965464C6604340088477A831352915D0.doc.
