Readers for Life

Why Reading is Important

it is my opinion that empathetic turbo-charged reading fiction is a change maker, an enabler of interaction and transaction creating compassionate, responsible and responsive people.

Obama enjoying a story.

Creating Readers for Life

In order to create readers for life it is essential to grab our young people and engage and maintain their interest. Reading aloud is essential. There has been plenty of speculation on social media lately about whether Donald Trump ever reads; it seems that he probably doesn’t. Susan Hill, however writes in the February 2017 edition of the Spectator, that at the end of his time in office Barack Obama confided that he had used reading as a key way of managing stress over his last years in office. This is a fine testament to the importance of reading for life. 

When we discuss reading we often cite statistics for how it improves our youngsters chances of performing well academically. I was told at a recent adolescent literacy summit I attended that reading fiction for just ten extra minutes a day gives students access to up to a million words a year and improves vocabulary and student performance exponentially. Wow-it seems that bcoming a reader for life isn't so hard and is definitely worth it! 
 
Both in schools and at home parents and educators need to make time to have one-on-one chats with young people about reading in order to help them develop as ‘life readers’. This is challenging if reading isn't part of a families cultural values, or if curriculum demands to pass exams take away the necessary time in class for reading for pleasure.

​There is no doubt though that talking about reading helps develop self-selected allegiances to authors and genres which help develop passion and interest, and significantly increases reading stamina. The idea of reading stamina is an interesting one and could be used like with sports to develop the idea of building up reading 'fitness'.

​Libraries and librarians are, of course, the obvious go to place to find a range of enticing and exciting titles to read. As when discussing reading or making recommendations it is always a good idea to encourage choice.

​It’s my view that if children are empowered to own and develop their own reading choices, and encouraged to develop stamina for volume reading it will help develop greater empathy enabling them to make ethical choices. In a changing world developing these skills is becoming increasingly important. Our young people need to own their reading and consequently own the values that being ‘life readers’ creates.