Kia Garriques

I often talk about wanting more young people to get into reading because it has so many benefits for them but I’ve never actually laid down what these benefits are. Most people know that it is far better to read than to not read but why is this?

Firstly, reading does make us more knowledgeable as the more books we read the more we learn about new and different things in our world that we never usually, or perhaps never will, experience. This is crucial for children as it means that they will grow up to appreciate that everyone is different and the ways some people live is just as important as the way we do.

As a result of this our vocabulary grows and grows every time we pick up a new book and for young people this can be where some of the excitement lies in reading. Being able to articulate what they want to say in one word rather than five will help them greatly in the future when applying for university and jobs or just in how they present themselves to other people. While this process is taking place there is nothing more satisfying than telling your parents how clever you are because you’ve learnt a new word!

Reading also improves our ability to concentrate and this is another thing that some children struggle with. Focusing on a task is a skill we will all need to employ for the rest of our lives and a lot of adults still struggle with this so if as simple a task as reading is going to help improve this we should all be heading for our book shelves pronto.

Books also provide a talking point amongst people and this in turn increases your argumentative skills. The more topics you have to talk about the more you can perfect your ability to argue your point effectively.

I’ve only scratched the surface here of what reading can do for not just children but anyone who doesn’t read often. People often say that a book has completely changed their perspective on life or has shown them a new way of considering things and that kind of power needs to be utilised. Books are there to serve us whether they make us feel uncomfortable or incredibly happy so why don’t more of us just see what happens when we open a book?