Readers are not born but taught. Reading achievement, like any other achievement, is difficult to attain and even trickier to maintain.
Beginnings are important. We begin to learn to read the first time our parents and grandparents read to us. When we browse through illustrated books and pretend to be reading them ourselves. When we’re surrounded by adults who love to read and read to us with love. Beginnings are important. To begin with, you need to have books to read.
Reading for pleasure seems to be one of the main factors that influences accademic and career success.
A study by the Institute of Education in Great Britain found that kids who read for pleasure do better in all academic areas, including math.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, kids who read less or don’t read at all in their free time are found to be less likely equipped to become active members of society.
Everywhere in the world, children from underprivileged backgrounds face learning difficulties as soon as entering kinder-garden. In the US, for example:
MATTHEW’S EFFECT
In education, Matthew’s Effect describes the phenomenon of cumulating disadvantages. Beginning with the 3rd grade, kids stop learning to read and start reading to learn. Children who fall behind on their reading before this point are statistically less likely to ever catch up with their peers who are proficient readers.
CREATIVITY
Although we all have an imagination, readers tend to exercise their creative skills more than non-readers.
EMPATHY
Readers are better at understanding the people around them, are more tolerant and find it easier to put themselves in another’s shoes.
COMMUNICATION
Proficient readers are much better equipped to communicate verbally and in writing, in any context.
CRITICAL THINKING
Readers tend to be independent thinkers with a greater capacity to formulate and express personal view-points.