Reading important: 10 Reasons Why Reading is a Skill Every Child Should Develop

Research Shows Reading is More Important For Our Kids Than You Ever Imagined

Today, a shocking 54% of U.S. adults read below a 6th-grade level. According to the National Literacy Trust, only 25.7% of children and young people surveyed said they read every day, and a study conducted by Scholastic found that only 51% of children enjoy reading for fun. Leisure reading among adults is also at an all-time low. What happened? And, more importantly, what can we as teachers do when kids aren’t reading?

There’s no single explanation for these troubling statistics. Several factors are likely to blame, including computer-based reading programs and reading logs. In addition, extra-curricular activities, enrichment programs, and screen time keep many families so busy and preoccupied that many kids (and adults) never get the chance to discover the simple joy of passing a quiet evening with a good book.

As teachers, encouraging a love of reading should be a top priority, because not only does leisure reading increase literacy, but it sets students up for a lifetime of success and pleasure. The benefits of reading are numerous and extend from infancy into adulthood and even to society at large.

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Why kids should be reading

1. Reading increases a child’s vocabulary.

According to a 2019 study, children who are not read to in their first five years have a vocabulary deficit of up to a million words. While teachers might be powerless to control what happens at home, reading to and with children is an important step in bridging the word gap. Not only that, but by promoting a love of reading among middle and high school students and educating them about the value of literature, we are encouraging the next generation of parents to read to their kids.

2. Reading develops the imagination.

Unlike television, movies, and video games, which do the work of creating a fictional world for us, reading enables us to use our imaginations to visualize characters and settings.

3. Reading increases logical thinking skills.

It helps children and teens grasp abstract concepts. Reading helps young people understand things like cause and effect, which leads to better decision-making. It also improves overall academic success—even in math.

4. Reading opens the lines of communication between teenagers and the adults who care for them.

With more than 1 in 20 children and teens suffering from anxiety and depression (and that was before the pandemic!), anything teachers can do to help kids express their feelings is important.

5. Reading is directly linked to a student’s future financial and physical health.

In 2020, the Barbara Bush Foundation conducted a study examining the impact of adult literacy on the economy. British A. Robinson director and CEO of the foundation said of their findings, “[literacy] lies at the core of multigenerational cycles of poverty, poor health, and low educational attainment…” In other words, literate adults are more likely to earn a higher salary and be healthy–regardless of their socioeconomic background.

6. Reading improves the economy.

According to the same study by the Barbara Bush Foundation, low adult literacy rates could be costing the U.S. economy up to 2.2 trillion dollars a year (10% of the GDP.)

7. Reading fiction helps children and teens develop a higher EQ.

EQ takes into account things like empathy and the ability to recognize other people’s perspectives. These types of skills make kids better students, better future employees, and better people.

So, what can we do?  Unfortunately, there is no magic formula that will guarantee all students will become life-long readers, but there are some things teachers can do to promote a positive attitude toward this all-important habit.

How to get kids into reading

1. Create a culture of reading in your classroom.

More than just setting aside time for independent reading, a culture of reading means creating an environment where students see themselves as readers. It also means allowing students to discuss and share what they are reading with classmates in a casual, non-threatening way. The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller is an excellent resource for creating this type of environment.

2. Model reading.

In a culture-of-reading classroom, students see their teacher as a fellow reader. In these classes, teachers read when their students read and share their own thoughts about what they are reading–what they like, dislike, and the challenges they face.

3. Host book clubs.

There are many methods for creating book clubs in the classroom, and each teacher has to figure out what works best for her students. It can be helpful, however, to keep in mind what inspires adults to form and attend book clubs–great books, camaraderie, community, fun, and snacks are probably better incentives than activities, assessments, or extrinsic rewards.

4. Encourage kids to read what they like. 

This is particularly important for low-level and reluctant readers. Forget about reading levels or genre requirements–not permanently but as you get started. Let kids fall in love (or at least in like) with books before challenging them further. Helping students find the right book can be a process of trial and error, but it is worth the headache.

5. Don’t be afraid to challenge them.

Part of helping kids discover what they like to read is challenging them to try new genres–including the classics. The reality is that some books take discipline to read, and that’s okay. Most kids today won’t be drawn to classic literature. But once they push through the antiquated language and the lack of robot overlords, many will not only find they enjoy the great works, they will also gain a sense of pride and accomplishment from having read them. It’s important to introduce young readers to classic literature because if they don’t learn to read and appreciate the classics in school, it’s likely they never will.

6. Teach them that it’s okay not to love every book they read.

True, the goal is to get kids to love reading, but there are some books that we don’t love reading but love having read. Teach them the value of (sometimes) pushing through a tough or even boring read. That is an important part of being a mature and informed reader and citizen.

7. Create a social media space where students can share book recommendations.

Book lovers know that one of the best things about reading a good book is sharing that book with others. Allowing kids to share on a well-moderated social media platform is a fun way to promote book discussions in and out of the classroom.

8. Don’t be afraid to let reading just be reading.

In our assessment-oriented, data-driven culture, it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that unless student success can be measured, nothing is happening. But that mindset can be detrimental to reading for pleasure. It really is okay to just let them read.

9. Read to them.

Kids love to be read to–even big kids. Not only does reading out loud model voice and expression, it models a love of good books. Perhaps most important, being read to gives kids some much-needed and pleasant downtime during the hectic school day, and they come to see reading as a healthy way to relax and decompress.

10. Create inviting reading spaces.

A delightful reading corner is a wonderful way to encourage students to enjoy a good book, and it makes reading time a treat.

It’s tragic when students who graduate from high school (able to write an annotated bibliography, balance complex equations, and explain the three branches of government) become adults who never again pick up a book. Helping kids develop a life-long love of reading is often a challenge. It is also one of the most important things we can do to prepare them for a lifetime of knowledge, wisdom, and pleasure.

Literacy is Important for Elementary Students

The Center for Public Education states, “Reading is the Open Sesame for acquiring knowledge: learn to read, and you can read to learn just about anything.” Children begin the process of learning to read long before entering school as they acquire vocabulary and background knowledge. But when they enter school, it is not long before they can and must use reading skills and strategies to learn all about the world around them in every subject and content area.

Reading is a complex process, involving skills such as decoding, making predictions and asking questions. Good readers know sight words, use context clues to understand unfamiliar vocabulary and reach into their background knowledge to make connections from what they know to what they want to learn.

Teaching children to read is a complex process, too. Students come to the classroom with a variety of abilities and learning styles. Many factors affect early learning, including a child’s experiences, family dynamics, and health and nutrition. And those who teach reading at any level must help children of every learning style and ability acquire the skills required to comprehend text in all subject areas. According to the National Academies Press, “Teachers of reading are called on to prepare students to interpret complex ideas, critically analyze arguments, synthesize information from multiple sources, and use reading to build their knowledge.”

The impact a teacher can have on a child’s ability to read and therefore be more successful in school can’t be underestimated. According to literacy educator, Laura Robb, teachers are irreplaceable, because unlike “computers and robots, when you possess deep knowledge about how children learn, you can process students’ actions, words, and written work and provide feedback that moves each child forward.”

While the traditional theory that children learn to read in the primary grades and read to learn in later years is somewhat controversial, the bottom line remains the same: Children who can read fluently will be more successful in school.

In a seminal article in The Reading Teacher Magazine, author and professor of literacy education Barbara Moss states, “The ascendance of standards-based education throughout the United States has clearly helped heighten interest in students’ ability to read informational texts. In almost every state, language arts standards related to reading and writing informational-text genres now appear at kindergarten and extend through the high school level. Requirements that teachers address these standards at every level have made educators more aware of their importance. ”

Reading and comprehension skills in math class have become an area of particular concern. Teachers report that it is not uncommon for students who excel in math to complain about “word problems.” Students who may be able to calculate arithmetic problems and break records in “Mad Math Minute” exercises may read through a standardized test problem and say, “I don’t know what to do!”

Teachers are facing the fact that real-life problems involving math knowledge are seldom presented as a worksheet full of four-step multiplication problems. Instead, in contemporary test settings where students are asked to evaluate and solve realistic problems, students’ reading skills must support grade-level math ability. According to the Intercultural Development Research Association, “Reading and writing activities can help students analyze, interpret and communicate mathematical ideas. These are skills needed to evaluate sources of information and the validity of the information itself, a key competency for mathematically literate citizens. ” In response to what she sees as the increasingly abstract nature of math curriculum, math coordinator Allesandra King has students work on projects that engage both, as reading and writing “are complex, fundamental, integrative learning skills that should be used to their potential in math class.”

In addition to using reading and writing skills in math, the skills required to process both math and reading are very similar. The ability to predict, infer, compare and contrast and determine cause and effect are necessary to work through both math problems and intricate reading passages. When a student is successful in one area of learning, it is more likely they will be able to transfer some of their skills to another area. At the elementary level, this ability to transfer builds a foundation of understanding and independence that will serve young students well as they mature and progress.

For most students, the ability to read is foundational to a successful education. Tomie dePaola, author and illustrator of over 200 children’s books, once said, “Reading is important, because if you can read, you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything. ”

Since the federal government started tracking student achievement in 1971, scores have not much changed. While fourth grade reading scores have increased slightly due to literacy instruction efforts, they remain low. This deficit follows students throughout their school careers. According to recent research by ACT, “roughly half of high school graduates lack the reading skills needed to do well in a typical first year college course.” Only 34% of eighth graders read and write at a proficient level according to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Assessment of Educational Progress. The long-term consequences of illiteracy go beyond the school experience, impacting the individual’s quality of life for the rest of their lives.

The ability to read influences more than graduation rates. People of all ages who read fluently are more likely to read independently, and the benefits of reading independently extend far beyond academic success.

Students who read independently and fluently are more likely to attend college or engage in professional trades. The National School Board Association (NSBA) gathered data supporting the conclusion that adults with low reading skills are more likely to experience poor health, be unemployed, or, if employed, earn much less than those with high reading skills. Unfortunately, the NSBA also reports that “adults with the lowest literacy skills are the least likely to engage their own children in activities that promote literacy development, such as reading to them or playing rhyming games.”

As literacy experts Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst write in Literacy Today, independent reading “is about creating independent thinkers who think with compassion, logic, and curiosity, and without manipulation from others.” They emphasize the need to allow students as much freedom as possible in the process, which helps nurture independent thought and a life-long interest in reading.

Experienced teachers who want more in-depth study about reading and comprehension can earn a post-graduate degree such as the Master of Education in Elementary Education from Mississippi College. This CAEP-accredited program will reinforce the skills necessary to help you launch your students into a more successful personal and professional future.

Learn more about the MC online M.Ed. in Elementary Education program.

Scientists named 6 reasons to read books

Reading books not only takes us to another world and helps to disconnect from worries, but also has a beneficial effect on our well-being. And even gives longevity.

In any case, this is stated in a study previously published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, writes Medical News Today.

Scientists from Yale University have found a link between reading books and increasing life expectancy. As shown by 12-year follow-up of study participants, people who read more than 3.5 hours a week had a 23% lower risk of premature death in the observed period compared to those who did not read books.

The researchers were unable to give an exact explanation for this, but recalled previous scientific findings that showed that reading increased the connections between brain cells. And this may reduce the risk of life-shortening neurodegenerative diseases, the authors say.

Reading is also helpful in reducing stress.

It’s no secret that stress is a dangerous factor in many diseases. For example, it can increase the risk of stroke and heart disease by 50 and 40 percent, respectively.

According to the University of Sussex in the UK, reading can reduce stress levels by as much as 68 percent – even more than listening to music or walking. It turns out that just 6 minutes of reading newspapers or books is enough to slow down the heart rate and reduce muscle tension.

In addition, reading can help slow age-related cognitive decline and possibly even more severe forms of cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer’s disease. This conclusion was reached by American scientists from Rush University in Chicago, who studied the data of 294 elderly people, the average age of which was 89 years.

Researchers found that those who spent their lives reading, writing, and otherwise stimulating their mental activity had fewer signs of dementia—brain lesions, amyloid plaques, and protein tangles—in their brains. This reinforces the results of another study that found that older people who read, played chess and participated in other mental activities were 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

Another benefit of reading is its beneficial effect on sleep.

According to the findings of the Mayo Clinic, the bedtime ritual of reading a book improves sleep by helping us transition from wakefulness to sleepiness. But using smartphones before going to bed is not recommended, as this has a bad effect on the quality of sleep. The fact is that the light emitted by the screens of devices reduces the production of the hormone melatonin associated with sleep.

Reading books also improves our ability to understand other people.

Thus, studies have shown that those who read fiction have a better ability to perceive other people’s beliefs, thoughts and desires along with their own. They are also more likely to show empathy, that is, the ability to sympathize and empathize with the emotional state of another person.

And, finally, reading helps to replenish vocabulary and increases intelligence.

A study previously published in the journal Child Development found that children with better reading skills at age 7 performed better on IQ tests.

Information from the Rossiyskaya Gazeta website

“The main thing that reading can give is contact with oneself”

Why read if the necessary information can be obtained in other ways? Perhaps in order to get to know yourself better. So says Yulia Bayandina, partner and co-director of the MIF publishing house, who is 17 years old. We talked with Yulia about reading, current books and the corporate culture of MIF.

Julia Bayandina

Partner and co-director of MIF Publishing House

— Today MIF is more than just a publishing house. You are not only engaged in books, you create courses, organize cultural events, film clubs, and that’s not all. What are these extensions for? Why is it not enough to dwell on books?

— From the very beginning, the goal of MIF as a company was to create a space where a person can accept, understand and create himself. Moreover, feeling the contact both with oneself and with the world. It is important for us that our product, whatever it may be (whether it is a book or a course), gives a sense of impulse: the desire to live, to be, to choose your own path, to move from the position of an observer to a creator. And also to give support to a person on this path. This is also achieved through a variety of formats: there are meetings with readers, book clubs, and courses. And about the fact that there are not enough books: there are always enough books, there is not enough time for reading, but that is another story.

— How can a modern person, overloaded with information, be encouraged to read?

— I don’t really like the word “encourage”, just like the phrase “teach a child to read”. I think this is the choice and responsibility of each person. And all we can do as publishers is tell about the book in a way that makes it interesting. Tell why we chose this book and what meanings we see in it.

We have such an exercise in promotion: we look at a book like a cake, in which there are several layers of meanings that can be relevant in different ways for different people. And here it is important to understand what exactly and to whom the book may be interesting. We literally ask ourselves this question. For example, “The Magic of the Morning” is about getting up early or about paying attention to yourself, or about how to assemble a practice constructor in 6 minutes? To each his own. As a rule, it is more interesting to work not with the first answers, not with the context that is not on the surface, but with the answers-meanings that will be in the fifth, sixth, seventh places.

– Can you list the features of the modern reader? What is he?

— The word “modernity” is very timeless. The Mexican poet Octavio Paz said very precisely about this: we are contemporaries for ourselves, but we will be “medieval” for the next generations, because the modern reader is a person who lives in the present. For him, it may be interesting what is happening in the present. In any case, we are a “product” of culture. When we are born, we absorb culture, but at some point we become a source of culture for future generations. We, as modern readers, shape not only the present, but also the culture of the future. Our every action, every word, every choice – all this affects the world, even if it seems mundane.

— How do you see the MIF reader?

– You know, it seems to me that the main thing is a “caring person.” This is about responsibility, about the desire to understand yourself, create your life, be in contact with the world.

— Thank you! What topics are readers interested in? What books are popular?

– The most read book in recent times is The Choice by Edith Eva Eger. Edith went through Auschwitz, and then became a therapist and at the age of 90 wrote a book that cannot be read without tears. Her book is self-therapy and support in difficult times. And in the last few months, this is our most popular book.

Looking at the trends a little more broadly, we and other publishers have increased demand for fiction, while non-fiction literature is in decline. Maybe this is a slight hint of escapism, given the reality around us, or maybe the approach of summer.

— Why is it important, in your opinion, to read fiction?

– Because the ability to feel comes in many ways from fiction. It is believed that non-fiction is applied literature that can give specific skills, but you can learn to empathize and develop emotional intelligence through fiction, especially the one that is consonant with the human soul.

A poet (and prose writer), expressing what people feel, gives names to these feelings and thus helps a person to become aware of himself in these feelings, better understand himself and, as a result, start living his own life in a different way. That’s why it’s important to read.

— There are many mental and emotional processes going on during reading. Do you have any tips on how to read to get to know yourself a little better?

– While reading, you can notice the shades of emotions that arise. You can be in solidarity with the author – and then the question is: why do I agree? Or, in some kind of conflict, you can justify one of the parties (and then the question is why this one and not the opposite?) Reading, we notice where we want to turn the page as soon as possible, and which paragraphs we reread several times. If some situation resonates, causes an internal protest or delights, why not follow these sensations? It is worth learning to notice these beacons, everything that causes an emotional response: indignation, curiosity. This helps to understand yourself better. And also, when you read something, you understand why: to get distracted, to learn something, or just because you like it. But… like why? We are always saved by the right questions.

– About “like / dislike”. Some do not like the process of reading – boring, uninteresting. At the same time, they can receive information and learn about the world in different ways. In your opinion, should something be done about it? And how to love the process of reading?

– I am against forcing myself to do anything – trying to force myself will lead to nothing but inner rebellion and more disgust. It seems to me that if a person has a more relevant format for obtaining information and self-knowledge than a book, this is good and nothing needs to be done about it. And if a person wants to read, then he has probably already passed the stage when reading looks like a complex and difficult process. The main thing is to find the book that will bring pleasure.

— How can I find that book?

— Why not rely on your own instinct? It rarely fails us. At least at the “interesting/uninteresting” level, we can definitely choose. You can read a couple of pages and understand how much the way the author writes resonates with you, you can look at the cover and annotation. Like it or not? You can consider a book as an opportunity for dialogue, conversation with the author. After all, when we read a book in its entirety, we get more than information. We understand the way people think. You take “Principles” by Ray Dalio from the bookstore and that’s it, you can meet him, drink coffee and talk about something. Which is almost impossible in reality. This awareness also helps in the choice: with which of the authors do you want to talk, whose thinking to understand?

— What is reading for you?

— For me, reading is a separate world, delicate, fragile. And the most that reading can give is contact with oneself. This is a space of honesty where you know for sure whether you like the book or not. By reading, a person can understand that his thoughts are not exclusive and that he is not alone in his experiences. Reading helps us stay human.

The book is the space of the word. Whatever the author writes, the book brings it into the world when it comes into contact with the reader. A book is always a co-creation of a reader and a writer. Your experience of communication with the author, the experience of reading will be different from mine – we will read the same book with different emotions, with different perceptions, and we will remember completely different stories after reading. It’s magical.

**—Good. Let’s talk a little more about the MYTH in more detail, and about the corporate culture, because all this is reflected in the company’s activities. The meanings of MYTH are reading, current agenda, creation, development and business with a human face. What do you mean by creation in this business context?

— Creation is the creation of the world and culture. Each of our actions enriches the culture in one way or another. Everything we do leaves a mark. Creation is a proactive position at the level of one’s own personality and the surrounding space.

— But how do these principles, the meanings that are embedded in the concept of the MYTH, help in work?

— We started formulating these meanings back in 2019. To find what is our DNA in all the variety of areas – self-development, business, marketing, sports, pop science, healthy lifestyle, children’s literature, creativity. Find more than trends, find our timeless meanings. Today, the MIF portfolio is built on these meanings.

— You are engaged in the development of the corporate environment, corporate culture in MIF. How to create an environment in which employees will have an internal motivation to develop, both professionally and personally?

– I like Ben Horowitz’s quote, which reflects in many ways our approach to corporate culture and specifically my approach: “We care about people, product and profit.” Exactly in that order. We care about people – this is always the most difficult part, but without it, the rest does not matter. When the lockdown began, I started one of the internal mailing letters with this quote. At the heart of the company’s strategy, we have people and a human relationship with each other.

And if we talk about the principles that exist within the company, this is maximum transparency and responsibility to each other. This is constant synchronization and flexibility.

Example. We work remotely from 63 cities around the world. At the end of February, the context changed for everyone – what are we going to do? Unscheduled meeting for the whole company on the next day. This is an example of corporate culture. There is an event – there is an instant reaction. Then we talked about the Kenevin model and that we are in the chaos quadrant, and tried to find practices and actions that would help in this case. They also answered any questions in the free microphone mode. This is maximum transparency, openness, focus on people and on each other, and mutual responsibility. This is what is important to us.

— In closing, I can’t help but ask you for book recommendations.

– Choice by Edith Eger. A book that allows you to deal with anything. It is difficult to read it, sometimes even painful, but the further you read, the more light you feel inside yourself, the more faith that any, even the most terrible reality, can be overcome. You start reading and understand how through pain and absolutely unbearable hardships a person can recreate and heal himself. Edith Eger has a second book, The Gift, which is more applied, but I advise you to start with The Choice.