The Importance of Reading

Despite the statistics, the reading literacy rates in Trinidad and Tobago are lower than expected. Today children don’t seem to have much zest or enthusiasm for reading, they are more inclined to TV shows, and action-packed video games.

Maybe tight schedules and busy lives don’t allow us the luxury of spare time needed to enjoy reading or our computerized and electronic world has taken away readings thunder.
The significance of this reading disinterest hit me this morning when I was discussing a school outing to the Logos Foating Library that the kids went on last semester.

Logos Hope, as you may know, is a floating book fair operated by the non-profit organization GBA Ships based in Mosbach, Germany. The ship have travelled all around the world to as many as 158 countries promoting world-wide education, cooperation, aid relief, social awareness and a personal relationship with God.

Amazed by the Logos, I was excitably discussing that I loved to read and how amazing this phenomenal floating library was with its range of affordable books. One of the children responded, “What is so exciting about reading?”
Floored, I thought to myself, “Wow this child does not see the importance and excitement of reading!”

However, I was not too surprised as most of the habits we have formed do not exactly encourage the reading bug to spread.

Here are just a few benefits of reading:

5 Benefits of Reading:
1. Reading is an active mental process: Reading makes you use your brain. In the process you use the grey cells of your brain to think and become smarter.
2. Reading improves your vocabulary: While reading books, especially challenging ones, you are exposed to many new words.
3. Improves concentration and focus: Reading requires you to focus for long periods. Since you must concentrate in order to read, with practise you will get better at concentration.
4. Builds self-esteem: The more you read, the more knowledgeable you become. With more knowledge comes more confidence. More confidence builds self-esteem.
5. Improves creativity: Reading about the diversity of life and exposing yourself to new ideas and information helps to develop the creative side of the brain as it introduces innovation into your thinking process.

These are just a few of the many benefits of regular reading.
Look out for upcoming blogs on reading and literacy and feel free to contact KIND at 626 –KIND(5463) for more information.