Let's Bring Reading Back!

I have always been an avid reader. When I was a child, I couldn’t wait until school to learn to read, so I begged my mother to teach me. She taught me to read using my older siblings’ comic books. Once I started reading I couldn’t get enough. I usually have 2 or 3 books going at once.

A 2007 poll by the Associated press revealed that one in four Americans did not read a book in the previous year. Of those who did read, the typical number read was 4. How many books did you read last year?

I have often heard the phrase – “leaders are readers.” I don’t know who said it first, but I like it a lot. While not all readers become leaders, if you look closely you will find that most leaders are readers. Reading leads to many different cognitive benefits, such as greater mental flexibility, better information processing, increased imagination, language development, varied interests, and the ability to empathize.
What is our society losing by reading less? Why have we slowed down on our reading habits? I believe that it is because we are so filled with media – TV, video games, internet, iPods, etc. – that we don’t make time for reading. It seems like children are not reading as much as when I was a child.

The good news is that you can help change this. You can start reading more books this year. You can encourage your children to read more. Let’s bring reading back!