2 minutes
Reading is one of the skills that brings the greatest benefits to human beings. Through it we can expand our imagination, increase our vocabulary, learn more about other cultures and languages, and even "travel" to places we will probably never visit physically. It also develops our ability to investigate and experience emotions, and involves numerous cognitive processes.
Reading is very important in our lives, and not only from an educational perspective.
How can we develop reading in our students?
Students should have daily experiences of pure reading, without surrounding it with additional activities or exercises, focusing their interest on the fascinating experience of reading.
And what are the benefits of reading?
Reading is not just perfect entertainment. Books can help us better understand the world we live in, as well as exercise our brains. When reading, we must see in our minds what the author tells us: to some extent, we are creating a world of our own and developing multiple mechanisms. Above all, we must remember that books stir concerns and interests, make us think, and make us rebel. They help us understand ourselves better. In my opinion, the phrase that best sums up reading's importance is by Saint Teresa of Jesus, a 16th-century writer:
"Read and you will lead; do not read and you will be led."
And what role do books play in the classroom?
A prominent one, without a doubt. When our students read, they develop reading comprehension and acquire new vocabulary and new structures almost unconsciously. Moreover, if students have not developed as readers, their writing skills will be poor, causing difficulties when writing compositions in both their native and a foreign language.
But as teachers, how can we encourage reading?
First, by understanding that reading should not be an obligation: we must try to help our students develop a taste for books and turn their reading habits into a hobby. Of course, we must begin by guiding them, but ideally we should motivate them so that, when they get home, they keep reading on their own.
Reading is something we learn
We must start young. That is why we need to find books appropriate for our students' ages. However, no two readers are alike. We therefore also need to know our students and offer them varied reading options, with particular emphasis on the topics each one is interested in.
Following the idea that reading is something we learn, we cannot expect our students to start by reading the classics: everything in its own time! First, we must help them define their tastes by introducing them to children's and young adult literature. We need to get them interested in books, not have them assess their literary worth—not yet! If we get our students hooked on a young adult series, for example, they will be practicing reading and gradually discovering more and more books on their own.
What do you think? What reading habits do you have? What ideas do you have to encourage students to read?