How Reading Has Led Me Research Paper

As children, many are exposed to activities such as fishing, baseball, or dance by their parents as a way to introduce them to the world in which they live. I have always considered myself to be incredibly fortunate that my parents chose education, and more specifically, reading to be the extra curricular that has set the stage for the life skills I have learned thus far. Throughout my life, reading has proven itself to be an efficient way to escape the stress that a day has brought, make connections with those around me, and has assisted me in social situations such as job interviews and discussions with my peers. The benefits that reading have granted me can be attributed to the fact that my parents read to me every night as a child; as a

No matter how low on money my parents were, my father, in particular, would not say “no” to buying us any piece of literature we wanted. He strongly believed in the importance of literacy and wanted to ensure that my sister and I took every opportunity we had to read. Inevitably, our connection was strengthened and our relationship as father and daughter grew. This is one of the fondest memories I have of my father and I do not believe I would be as avid of a reader if it were not for him and the lessons he taught me. In this respect, I relate closely with Sherman Alexie, a Spokane-Coeur d'Alene-American author. Alexie’s childhood reading experience was much like mine in a sense that he bonded with his father over their shared love for books. In his work, The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me, Alexie recalls, “My father loved books, and since I loved my father with an aching devotion, I decided to love books as well” (Alexie, The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and

An enthralling book is all it takes for me to be relieved of stress and studies have proven that is the case for many. Reading has also, over the years, facilitated the formation of meaningful connections for me; one of these connections being the one I have with my father. Lastly, the vocabulary and cultural awareness I have gained through reading has benefited me in various situations and I can foresee this pattern continuing in my future. My lifelong reading experience can be compared to that of popular American authors and historians, such as Sherman Alexie and Frederick Douglass, as literacy has influenced our values in life, our public image, and the way we view our world. In this way, reading is a magical skill as it allows the reader to relate with individuals they would, otherwise, not see themselves being similar to. All in all, my reading experiences have been positive and I look forward to what lies