Reading voluntarily is not something that you often find encouraged: yet it is extremely helpful to a child’s success. There are many reasons why parents should kindle the love of leisure reading within their children, some of which I hope to discuss here.
Growing up, reading has always been an integral part of my life. It was alien for me to discover that persons didn’t read often. It was almost as though they were missing a whole section of their lives. For me, one thing that reading did was stimulate my creativity. Through fictional books, I was able to picture mythical worlds, and I became more imaginative. This then led me to my love for writing, as I wanted to be able to create my own stories. And because of reading, I was also able to excel in English, as I was familiar with syntax and my vocabulary had expanded. This love for reading continued to aid me in life, even in my higher studies, as I didn’t find reading notes or textbooks as burdensome as some of my colleagues did. Such little things have added up to what I believe is an easier and more enjoyable school experience.
Something else too that reading gifts to children is a wider cultural experience. You are able to live situations (second-handedly) that you might not come across in real life, and analyse how the characters respond to them. These simple analyses can be applied to your own life, and can help you make better decisions as to how to interact sensitively with others. Furthermore, reading can help you connect with others. If two people have read the same book, there’s almost an instant rapport created between them. Just like how persons supporting the same football team act as a family, so do readers who support a particular author. Readers form a community, and reading can even become a constructive hobby. It can be used to distract from stress, while simultaneously stimulating your mind.
Plus, it’s relatively low budget. You can buy used books, or even borrow books from schools, libraries and friends. You can also get a few online if you’re up for the modern experience of e-books. So really, it seems like a win-win.
Obviously, not everyone will find the same joy and benefit the same ways as I did from reading, but there’s nothing to lose from trying.
