What advantages does reading offer?
Reading is becoming a lost skill in many communities due to the introduction of advanced technology and use of computers. Although extensive research has proven beyond any doubt that children, taught the skills of reading for enjoyment, perform much better than their peers in reading tests and have a broader vocabulary and general knowledge of what is happening around them. They also tend to have a better knowledge of other cultures around the world.
Students that enjoy reading are, therefore, more likely to appreciate school and have the ability to perform better in written exams than their fellow students who not reading. Being able to enjoy a wide selection of reading materials gives the student the ability to understand complex individual sentences as well as the organizational structure of the article or subject. They will thus be able to comprehend ideas presented in writing, follow the arguments of the author and the implications of the work. Having been an ardent reader, the student will know most of the words contained in the text and able to determine the definition of those that are not previously encountered or that is unfamiliar. Readers are also more likely to use a dictionary or their computer to research the exactor implied meanings of those words.
Being an experienced reader has the big advantage of increasing both the speed and understanding of the text that they are reading. A large vocabulary is present in many readers and is constantly being increased with added reading. The more extensively a person read the better a reader they become over a relatively short period of time. Reading is the cheapest and most effective way a student can use to increase their potential.
The brain, like our body muscles, needs daily exercise. Having a healthy brain means having a healthy mind. Reading improves and develops the mind of the reader as it serves as an exercise in this “muscle” and one way to increase its growth and ability is by understanding written words. Additionally, language skills can be developed by reading and listening. Human nature is geared to talk but the skill of listening is something that must be developed to ensure better understanding of the material. Misunderstanding in communications can result in many disastrous incidents such as divorce, losing your job and many other complications in life. Reading develops the ability to focus on any form of communication.
Reading is a tool designed to assist the reader in discovery. Our generation has all the tools such as kindle, books, magazines and most importantly the internet to lead us on the road to discover many interesting facts about places and facts previously not readily available. This results in improved self-education in addition to the traditional and accepted ways in which people are educated. The media that are available to us overflow with an abundance of information and the only way to get this information is through reading.
The creative capabilities of the reader can also be improved in reading. It is always a good idea that when reading something, one should stop and digest the knowledge to create a better and full understanding of the content. Reading to young children can be done in a way where they are asked to explain the content, make a graphic drawing of how they perceive the text and even asking them to develop the story line in another direction. This way one can get the creative juices of both the reader and the audience flowing in different and interesting directions.
Another big advantage in reading is that it helps create the reader’s a better self image. Most illiterate or weak readers perceive themselves as lacking some ability. They could experience that the world is against them and feel totally isolated and inadequate in the community. Non-readers perform below standard in many instances because they fail to understand the material or text and give up on themselves very quickly.
Students with great reading ability will have superior spelling skills. The more the student is exposed to reading, the better the spelling ability. Extensive reading allows the reader to see and understand word usage and how to apply a word in a different context. This is far more interesting than reading the meanings in a dictionary.
Reading has through the ages been recognized as the building blocks of life. This applies to both the written and spoken word. The written word has been with us for centuries and historical leaders has given us the benefit of their vast understanding and experience by writing it down and preserve it for future generations. We still refer to ancient texts and written pieces to get a more thorough understanding of our world and its inhabitants. Our future depends on this skill to be preserved and used to its fullest extent.