Prof. A.C.

Grayling, in a review of ��A History of Reading by Alberto Manguel��

that was published in Financial Times had said, "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." So true!
Reading is really like taking a flight to high altitudes in pursuit of information
and knowledge. It is a journey in search of enlightenment.

Have you asked yourself the question, "Why is reading important?" What was the
answer that you got? I am sure your heart must have answered in favor of reading.
Reading is like providing the mind with nourishment. Knowledge is the food for the
mind and soul. Apart from giving us the basic information about the world around
us, it also provides us with the food for thought. It encourages us to think. It
increases our hunger for knowledge and our thirst to learn more.

During the ancient times, reading was limited to
reading on the web. We have some very good sites
authentic information. Reading from the Internet
all. Reading from the web does not undermine the
books.
books. But today, it encompasses
providing their readers with
is an easy option for one and
pleasure one can get from reading

We are introduced to the concept of reading at a very early age. It remains with
us in different forms throughout our life. School-life begins with books. Books
are our close companions in the youth. Reading continues to remain the favorite
pastime of a large number of people even during their old age. For voracious
readers, books are their lifelong companions.

It is very important to inculcate the habit of reading right from childhood. You
can put in children the habit of reading bedtime stories. Reading during the early
years helps the child in improving his/her language skills. The child learns to
recognize written words. Reading when young helps you in your later life. Studies
say that reading before going to bed helps the child feel secure and comfortable
while sleeping. Emotions can be best understood through the characters in stories.

A child who grows up reading is definitely enriched as a young person. He/she

automatically takes to reading. If the habit of reading is formed during an early
age, reading soon becomes the person��s hobby. Teenage years are the growing and
developing years of one��s life. This is the period of one��s mental growth as
well. So it is nice to read good books during these years. Youngsters often relate
to the story of heroes and try to emulate their behaviors. They idealize their
favorite authors. They dream about their future and plan for it. Feeding the brain
with loads of information from all around the world during this phase of life
helps a person base his ideals on positivities. Reading helps the person shape
his/her life.

Reading is an activity that keeps us occupied. Reading results in the fruitful

usage of time. It helps us get rid of our anxieties. It diverts our mind from
monotony and boredom. It is one of the best ways of relaxation. Reading novels or
stories takes us to a new world where we forget our sorrows and fears. Books make
very good friends.

Books and the web are the richest sources of information. They cover a wide range
of topics and store an enormous amount of information. Numerous websites covering
different areas of information or innumerable books that flood the libraries tell
us of the vastness of knowledge. Reading leads us only to read more in the never-
ending pursuit of knowledge.

Research has shown that avid readers stand out from the rest because of improved
cognitive abilities. They can think creatively. It improves their grasping power.
It makes them better analyzers and problem solvers. Reading helps a person be
successful in life.

I hope you have read all about ��reading�� and are convinced about why reading is
so important. Keep reading ��

Reading is one great habit that can truly change your life forever. Reading can
entertain you; amuse you, but most of all it will enrich you with knowledge, and
experiences narrated. Reading purely for leisure is fun as we all know but there
exist certain reading skills and strategies, which if mastered at a nascent stage
can help us, be better and far more comprehensive readers.

Although the term reading strategies might sound to mechanical and dry for the
ears of a creative book-lover, these strategies can enhance your grasping power
and help you get the most out of any book or any text that you lay your eyes on.
These skills might not necessarily be learnt as rigid theories or rules but if
understood well once they can definitely enhance the reading process and increase
the quality as well as quantity of output that you get from after reading. Not
only can these strategies can be taught to children right from school, but can
also be used by any person of any age to help improve their reading process.

Speed reading:

Speed-reading is actually a combination of various reading methods. The aim of

speed-reading is basically to increase the reading speed without compromising on
the understanding or retention. Some of the strategies used in speed reading are
Identifying words without focusing on each letter
Not sounding out all words
Not sub-vocalizing some phrases
Spending less time on some phrases than others
Skimming small sections
Speed reading is thus actually not precisely defines by specific guidelines and
rules but is actually just a process that increases the speed of reading without
compromising on the retention of the content.

Scanning :

Scanning through the text is a reading strategy that can be used if you are
particularly looking at the text through a set perspective in mind. You can only
scan for portions that interest you. For the highlights or important points you
can skim through the summary or the preface of the book or the beginning and the
ending chapters.

Active Reading:

There are times when you just cannot afford to skim through or scan through the
text but need to get an in-depth understanding of the text that you read and hence
you need to make sure you're actively involved with the text while reading it.
There are four important points that you need to keep in mind during active
reading which are as follows:
Underlining / Highlighting:Identify the most important parts of the text according
to your own understanding and highlight or underline them using a pencil or a
marker while you are reading. You can even use different colors to highlight
diverse aspects of the text.
Note Key-words: Jot down the headings as you read and detail using one or two
keywords for each point.
Questions:Before you start reading prepare for your reading by writing down all
the questions you want the material to answer. This helps you to read accordingly
and ensures you get the answers to all your questions and don��t get distracted
while reading.
Summaries:After you've read one complete section of the text, summarize that
portion in your own words. Later, go through the text again to check how accurate
your summary is and modify / upgrade it in case you��ve left out any details.
Structure-Proposition-Evaluation :

This is an interesting reading technique suggested by Mortimer Adler in his book

How to Read a Book. The reading technique is mainly for non-fiction genre and
elaborates about how a written piece can be read in three passes
Studying the structure of the work
Studying the logical propositions made and organized into chains of inference
Evaluation of the merits of the arguments and conclusions.
This reading method advocates suspended judgment of the work or its arguments
until they are fully understood.

Survey-Question-Read-Recite-Review :

This method facilitates a very deep understanding of the matter that you are
reading. In fact the system aims to facilitate an understanding so clear that the
reader should be able to teach whatever he has learnt during the process of
reading. Instructors who are preparing to teach material without having to refer
to notes during the lecture generally use this reading method. The process
involves five different steps, which are as follows
Survey: Survey involve getting a quick idea of what the whole writing piece. For
example if it is a book, may be the introduction or the brief summary on the back
will suffice.
Question: Remember that you are not just reading the words or looking at the words
but are actually trying to decipher the meaning that underlies them. Create
questions in you mind and hunt for the answers while you are reading the text. In
case you are reading the piece for research, it is always advisable that you write
these questions and their answers in brief.
Read:Read selectively if you are looking for specifics. Learn to find out the
portions of the text that are important to you and move over.
Recite: Try and answer the questions in your own words, using only the key words
or listings that are required to sum up the complete idea.
Review: Review of summarize the entire thing in your mind and rest assured that
you will never have to memorize it or learn it by heart.
Here are a few pointers to keep in mind when you start reading
Identify your aim while reading. Be clear about what you want from the text.
Jot down important points, quotes or lines that you might find useful later. Notes
taken while reading can come in handy while studying the subject later
Even if you are reading fiction, do try and stretch your understanding about the
writer��s writing style with regards to elements like language emotion and
vocabulary. This will actually make the reading process more enjoyable for you.
Every piece of text read gives you some information and enriches your knowledge in
some way.
Always concentrate and read with concentration. Reading for the sake of it will
not yield in any fruitful outcome.
Learning To Read: Reading Tips for Parents of Preschoolers
Inspiring your child to read could be the single most important thing you can do
to help him succeed in school. Stories are an excellent way to stimulate the mind
and expand the imagination for all of us.

Starting early with your child is the key to a life-long passion for the written
word. Use the tips below and watch your child develop into a proficient reader.

Read Together Every Day

Read to your child everyday with different voice tones. Sometimes you can be fun,
crazy, and exciting, other times be serious and intriguing. Even if your child
does not understand all the words, you are making reading fun and interesting!

Have Your Child Read to You

Make this a warm loving time where your child feels safe to make mistakes. Have
your child repeat after you. Start with simple phrases and words and move forward
as your child progresses.

Show How Much You Love to Read

Tell your child that you need a certain amount of time every day to read by
yourself. "This is my time," tell her. This shows how much you enjoy reading.
Research shows that 55% of communication is body language, 38% tone of voice, and
only 7% the content. If you are reading and enjoying it, your child is more likely
to model that behavior. You may even find your child picking up your books and
pretending to read.

Get Excited About Reading With Your Child

Throughout the day tell your child how much you are looking forward to "Story
Time!" Remember the percentages of communication above.

Know When to Stop

Little by little is the key. Reading should be fun time. If your child is losing
interest, put the book away for a while. If reading time is not surrounded by
positive feelings then negative feelings will emerge. It is very difficult to re-
establish the fun in reading when apprehension surfaces.

Talk About Writing

Ask your child what she thinks it would be like to write a book like the ones she
loves. Mention to her how it's interesting how we read from left to right and how
the text is separated by spaces, commas, and paragraphs.

Point Out Words Everywhere

Talk about written words you see in your community: road signs, advertisements,
bumper stickers, and grocery stores. Challenge your child to find at least two new
words on each outing. Then celebrate her discoveries with positive body language,
exciting tones of voice, and positive words of encouragement.

Follow the above tips and watch your child develop a strong vocabulary and passion
for the written word. The importance of reading with your children cannot be over
emphasized.
Reading is a wonderful way to bond with your children and provides memories they
will carry with them all their lives. Proficiency in reading, more than any other
skill, increases their potential for success in school and as an adult.

In short, reading with your children is a gift that gives for a lifetime.

Teaching Reading - 3 Simple Ways To Teach Your Child To Read

We all know that learning to read is an important part of growing up for a child.
Learning to read is also essential to future success both in school and in life.
Older children and adults who struggle with reading will struggle in the future in
terms of both professional prospects as well as personal life. Reading is quite
simply a part of every day modern life. While we all know that helping our
children learn to read is important, many parents struggle with what they can do
as non-educators to teach children to read. There are three simple ways you can
teach your child to read - expose them to the world of literacy, read to them, and
give them the tools they need to become literate.

It is important to expose children to the world of literacy from a very young age.
This means demonstrating on a daily basis how important reading is by sharing the
various ways the written word is a part of daily modern life from street signs to
food labels to printed literature. It is also important to teach young children
how print works, such as the fact we read from left to right and top to bottom.
Readers know this is the way literature works but non-readers need to be taught.
You should also make sure your child has reading material available that is
suitable and age appropriate. You can either provide your child with a library of
their own or if money is tight then make sure they have a library card and visit
regularly. Exposing your child to the world of literacy from a young age is an
important part of teaching reading.

Reading to your child is the most important part of helping your child become a
reader. Teaching reading involves teaching children to love reading. The more fun
your child has with books from an early age then the more interested they will be
when they reach school age in becoming a reader. Reading to your child also
improves your child's emergent literacy skills including vocabulary, knowledge,
and print awareness such as how a book works. Reading to your child on a regular
basis gives your pre-reader a jumpstart in learning to read and continuing to read
to your child even after they learn to read helps improve their vocabulary and
reading skills.

Giving your child the tools they need to become literate is also important. Some
parents handicap their children's efforts to learn to read by not helping them
master the alphabet and beginning letter sounds before school begins. Other
parents discourage learning to read by not providing age-appropriate reading
material. If there are no books or magazines in the house to read then how can a
child learn to read? Still other parents do not speak properly to their children,
perhaps using baby talk, to encourage the development of vocabulary and grammar
skills. You can be involved in helping your child learn to read by giving your
child the tools they need to become literate.

If you follow these three simple steps you can teach your child to read. Teaching
reading is as simple as exposing them to the world of literacy, reading to them,
and giving them the tools they need to become literate.
Let's Read! The Benefits of Reading to Your Children
Parents, when you help your children learn to read, you help them open the door to
a big, exciting world. As a parent, you can begin an endless learning chain like
this: You read to your children, they develop a love of stories and poems, they
want to read on their own, they practice reading, and finally, they read for their
own information or pleasure. When children become readers, their world is forever
wider and richer.
Studies have shown that children that are read to on a consistent basis begin to
develop both communication and thinking skills at a much younger age than children
that aren��t read to on a consistent basis. In addition, those skills continue to
progress and develop much more rapidly in children that are read to consistently.
This progression of skills will continue as long as you spend quality time reading
with them.

Children appreciate the quality time you spend with them reading books and enjoy
good stories as well!

Here are some things you can do to make sure you get your daily readings with your
children:

��Read aloud to your children: books, newspaper and magazine articles, the back of
the cereal box, labels on cans, or directions �C anything with appropriate printed
material on it is

��Read poems aloud together to learn about rhythm and repeated sounds in language.

��Point to the words on the page when you read. Move your finger from left to
right.

��Listen to your children read homework or favorite stories to you every day.

��Go to the library together and check out books. Be sure to ask the librarian for
good books or to help you find what you need.

��Have books, magazines, and papers around the house, and let your child see that
you like to read, too.

��Encourage older children to read to younger children.

��Help experienced readers talk and write about what they read.

��Develop a quality nighttime ritual of reading a few books with your children.

Remember, giving your children a head start in life requires spending time with
them �C and part of that time should be spent with a good book!
Hatful-of-Seuss
One of the largest selections of Dr. Seuss merchandise on in internet!

Learning To Read: Why You Should Give Your Child Reading Lessons
Learning to read is the single most important achievement of a child's academic
life. All other success in school depends on this important skill. Yet many
parents spend more time worrying about teaching their child to tie their shoes
than they do about reading. Why should you give your child reading lessons? After
all, isn't that what the professionals are supposed to do in school?
True, trained teachers are an important part of learning to read for most
children, but no matter how skilled and dedicated your child's teacher may be they
still have a couple dozen other children to worry about in addition to your child.
You can focus your attention and energy better because you do not have to worry
about teaching 25 children to read. You only have to teach one child.

You also know your child's strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else. You
also know your child's interests. This means you can craft reading lessons and
reading activities that will challenge and intrigue your child.

There is another important reason why you should be a part of teaching your child
to read. Sometimes schools and reading programs fail to meet the needs of all
children. Some children struggle with certain reading programs and fall behind
their peers. If you are involved then you can spot these difficulties and take
steps to intervene before it is too late. If you are not involved then you may now
know until your child has fallen behind.

No matter how busy your schedule, you do have time to work in reading lessons
because they should be short, more like mini lessons, in any case and many can be
done while you are taking care of other chores such as shopping, driving, or
cleaning.

Do not feel intimidated by the enormity of the project. Teaching a child to read
takes years and a dedicated staff in most schools' reading programs. However you
do not need to take on the whole project on your shoulders. Work with your child's
teacher and school reading program to reinforce lessons learned in school. If you
have time to do more research then you can go beyond those but simply supporting
the efforts of the formal reading program can do a lot to help your child.

You do not need to buy any special equipment or reading programs. Most often you
can use books, paper and writing utensils from your home or local library to
support your efforts.

You should give your child reading lessons because you should be a part of this
important step in your child's development, you are the best equipped person to
teach your child, and you do not have to do it alone. Teaching your child to read
can be fun and rewarding for you both.

Deanna Mascle shares more tips about How To Teach Reading with her newsletter
Preschool Lessons here.