You’ve heard it again and again. English teachers constantly stressing the importance of reading. But just because you’ve heard it before, doesn’t make it any less true.
Statistics have shown that 1 in 5 primary school students in Australia is unable to meet the proficient reading standard, with reports revealing that boys in NSW are falling far behind girls in their reading ability; the gap has worsened in the past decade.
In our dynamic world, the ability to read goes far beyond “understanding poems,” or “comprehending Shakespeare” in English class; it is a cross- curricular cornerstone that supports and enhances learning in all subjects.
Need to problem solve in Maths? This requires understanding complex written problems. Reading helps in decoding these problems. Have a science project due? Reading articles, journals and textbooks equip you with the ability to understand experiments and think critically about scientific information. What about that report you need to write for business studies, geography or history? Reading helps you evaluate sources, understand context and develop a nuanced view of social issues.
It has been proven that reading from a young age not only improves vocabulary and language skills but also stimulates cognitive development by enhancing concentration, memory, and critical thinking skills, necessary skills needed to perform well in all subjects which consist of assessments and exams.
Students who are proficient readers tend to perform better across all subjects. Read that line again.
And remember, reading extensively often makes you a better writer because exposure to a wide range of writing styles and vocabularies sharpens your own imagination and writing capabilities. Like Game of Thrones author George R.R Martin said “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.”
Hence, we encourage you to go to your local library, browse a book store in person or even online and choose something to read. Whether it’s the The Empyrean series, the so beloved Harry Potter series or even manga, it doesn’t matter, all reading is good reading. If you read 10 pages a day, in 75 days, you’ll have read 750 pages. That’s at least 2 books.
So why don’t you put down your phones, and pick up a book today?