Reading has at all times and in all ages been a source of knowledge, of happiness, of pleasure and even moral courage. In today's world with so much more to know and to learn and also the need for a conscious effort to conquer the divisive forces, the importance of reading has increased. In the olden days if reading was not cultivated or encouraged, there was a substitute for it in the religious sermon and in the oral tradition. The practice of telling stories at bed time compensated to some extent for the lack of reading. In the nineteenth century Victorian households used to get together for an hour or so in the evenings and listen to books being read aloud. But today we not only read, we also want to read more and more and catch up with the events taking place around us. The various courses and classes being conducted in rapid reading support this belief. The amount of reading one should get through is of course nobody's business. There is no end to it for there is a variety of subjects to read about. The daily newspaper or the popular magazine while it discusses topical iss...
Donald M. Murray, in this article entitled “Reading as a Reader” is talking about how reading is an unique, an essential, and a necessary aptitude for human beings in their society. While illustrating his point of view, the author stresses on the idea that our attitudes towards reading is directly linked to the systematic approaches we have while facing a article or a book. In this article, he said that: “If we approach a text believing that we are not readers, or that we can’t read, that attitude may make it more difficult for us to understand the challenging text.”(Murray, 2). Throughout those words, Murray emphasizes that we should consider the process of reading as a learning process, and as a way of deepening the capacity we have as readers. We should have an open-mind while engaging with a reading, and understand that it may always not be our fault if it comes that the text we are reading is difficult. In clear, it is all part of the process of improving ourselves. Then, Murray, in his well structured writing, portrays differents types of reading and also gives us some tips on how to approach them.
Living in the Southern United States during eighteenth century was a difficult time for African-Americans. Majority of them were slaves who received manipulation, sexual abuse and brutally whips to the spin. They were treated this way in order to stop them from gaining hope, knowledge and understanding of the world. Some African Americans managed to obtain these qualities from books and use them to escape from slavery. Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist who wrote an autobiography, from which the excerpt "Learning to Read and Write" explains how he developed literacy. In the excerpt, an African American slave banned from learning to read and write, breaks the law in an attempt to free his mind from the restricted beliefs of his master. One significant idea portrayed from Douglass's ordeal is that reading and writing is a vital skill that benefits humanity.
Reading is an essential element in our everyday lives. What was the first thing that you learned in school? It was the ability to read. Exercising that ability by reading voluntarily keeps our minds active when we’re out of school. It is a supplement to our minds. The more you read, the more you know!
The type of reading that is on the decline, is that which requires thought, the assimilation and accommodation of ideas, and effort—close reading. This form of reading involves the careful, sustained interpretation of literary text that comes from observing a pieces minute detail. In accordance with the definition of reading provided by the Princeton dictionary, “the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message”, the methods used other than closed reading are not truly reading. Many have argued that the creation of new technology has actually enabled more people to read, but when compared with reading’s definition, this is not true. Reading in not mindlessly skimming articles and not knowing what they mean afterwards, but being able to comprehend the material that one has read, including its many facets.
Reading is on the decline and our reading skills are declining right along with the amount of reading we do. This is happening right across the board through both genders, all age groups and education levels, people are busy and they just do not have time to read books that they are not required to read for school or work. There are serious consequences to this neglect of reading that will continue to worsen if ignored. We need to take notice of what is happening to our culture and stop this situation from continuing, we must act to correct these issues that we are faced with. These things are discussed in the essay “Staying Awake’’ by Ursula K. Le Guin who uses the NEA essays “To Read or Not to Read’’ and “Reading at Risk’’ to support her argument that there is a decline in the amount of time that we are spending on reading and our ability to understand what it is that we are reading.
As I read this article by John Guillory, I thought he sounded like a pompous, condescending know it all, but when I read the article again it made me begin to think about reading skills. In elementary school, we read books about faraway lands of make b...
The possibilities are endless with the information available: encyclopedias, articles, books, magazines. Moreover, a reason I read, is for a source of enjoyment and entertainment. Every now and then I find a book that I can not take my eyes off of; freshman year I found a book that I loved so much, that I read all 300 pages in a matter of a day! Furthermore, reading may enhance vocabulary, advance writing skills, and improve analytical thinking. As author, Lana Winter-Hebert wrote, “should you ever find yourself in dire circumstances, remember that although you might lose everything else—your job, your possessions, your money, even your health—knowledge can never be taken from you” (Winter-Hebert). On the other hand, there are various of other thoughts about reading.
In life you have everyday obstacles that you are faced with, some obstacles are big and some are small, but in spite of the obstacles you strive to overcome them. Learning to read and write was a huge obstacle for me because when I was younger I didn’t care about anything but video games and toys. Later, as I grew up I saw the importance of those essentials and eventually learned how to read and write. Even though I could read and write I had to face a lot of adversity just because I stutter. It 's times where I had to read out loud and was so nervous that I would stuttered, or times where I would be talking and get tongue tied and people would laugh, but as I got older I stop caring what people think of me and overcame it.
Being literate defines who I am, and forms an integral part of my life. From the practical to the creative, it aids, and enables me to perform in the tasks that modern society dictates. I shall explore the many aspects of my life that are affected by literacy. Through this, understanding in greater depth what it means for me, to be literate.
Before describing the problem, I would like to mention the advantages of reading because if people realize the benefits of reading one book in a month, they begin to develop reading habits. First of all, reading is good for both human psychology and physiology. Psychologist Dr. Kalyoncu and neurologist Dr. Ovak states that reading increases the brain blood flow in addition to speeding up the brain’s metabolism and the electrical activity (64). They also point out that reading delays ageing and diseases such as Alzheimer, which stems from ageing as well. Other major advantages of reading are that our vocabulary gets richer; also we could learn different cultures, different lives and different perceptions by reading. A noted Professor AC Grayling says in a review of A History of Reading, “To read is to fly: it is to soar to a point of vantage which gives a view over wide terrains of history, human variety, ideas, shared experience and the fruits of many inquiries.” Yes, that’s right. We go on a journey without paying lots of money and carrying heavy suitcases, and we can go wherever we want simply by turning the pages of the book. Furthermore; we could become a knowledgeable and sophisticated person who could talk articulately and think creatively. Despite of all these benefits, reading culture in Turkey still hasn’t settled. You might be saying that this is already known by everybody. Yes, I have nothing to say about it. What I would like to point out is the low rate of reading habits at METU, whose mission is to educate scientists. According to a research done with university students which are from METU, Gazi University, Bilkent University and Başkent University; among 803 students, only two of them c...
According to statisticbrain.com only 56% of young people claim that they have read more than ten books in a year. “When we hear that reading is “good for us” we may assume that this is because it helps our education. But reading anything for pleasure can also raise your spirits, offer an escape from everyday stresses, help you empathise with other people AND keep the brain ticking over. Reaching for a favourite magazine or book could well be good for your health” (Appleby). Reading has many benefits. The three main benefits include; health benefits, knowledge benefits, and life benefits. Parents should encourage their children to read because of the many benefits.
Many high schoolers, throughout the history of high school education, have found it hard to believe why it is important to study what seems to them like random literature. They ask questions like when will this ever apply to my life, what’s the point of reading this and why can’t we read something funny for once. Despite the hostility towards serious works of literature, I find it very important to study these great pieces of work written throughout history. I find that once you spend the time to really study the great writings of people such as Shakespeare, you can find many meaningful lessons that can apply to anyone's life. Even though we have studied many titles this semester, three of my personal favorites, or three that I find the most
Is it important to be a literate person in today’s society? The ability to function well depends on whether or not a person is literate and can comprehend what is going on around them. If a person doesn’t have the basic ability to read, they will feel the stress and dependency on others because of their illiteracy. Illiteracy is a big problem because without the knowledge of reading, illiterate people can’t perform daily tasks and responsibilities in daily life. When all it would take is a mere two minutes out of your day, don’t you think illiteracy can be helped or even extinguished?
At a young age my mother told me that I would always need reading and writing. At that time I wouldn’t listen to what she said because I didn’t like to read and definitely didn’t like to write. Through school I only seemed to improve on one of these things and it never seemed to be writing. My journey through elementary school, middle school, and high school has shaped me into the writer that shows today.
Nowadays, many people think reading is not necessary, since there are so many sources of information and types of entertainment, such as TV, cinema and the Internet. I believe they are wrong because reading is very beneficial in many ways.