Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling), alphabetics, phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, and motivation.
Other types of reading and writing, such as pictograms (e.g., a hazard symbol and an emoji), are not based on speech-based writing systems. The common link is the interpretation of symbols to extract the meaning from the visual notations or tactile signals (as in the case of Braille).
Reading is typically an individual activity, done silently, although on occasion a person reads out loud for other listeners; or reads aloud for one's own use, for better comprehension. Before the reintroduction of separated text (spaces between words) in the late Middle Ages, the ability to read silently was considered rather remarkable.
As a leisure activity, children and adults read because it is pleasant and interesting. In the US, about half of all adults read one or more books for pleasure each year. About 5% read more than 50 books per year. Americans read more if they: have more education, read fluently and easily, are female, live in cities, and have higher socioeconomic status. Children become better readers when they know more about the world in general, and when they perceive reading as fun rather than another chore to be performed.
A large percentage of the population is missing out on the significant benefits of reading. According to Statistic Brain, about a third of U.S. high school graduates will never read another book after graduating and 42 percent of college students will never read another book after obtaining their degree.
Reading can improve your life in several ways leading to better well-being and mental health, personal growth, and a boost in confidence. These benefits will carry over to your school work, career and social life.
If you haven’t read a book in years or think reading is for nerds, perhaps you should reconsider. The following are just a few of the benefits associated with reading and the reasons why you should read more.
1. Gain Valuable Knowledge
One of the most obvious benefits of reading every day is learning. And unlike a YouTube video or podcast, books provide access to in-depth knowledge. In other words, if you want to become more productive, which do you think you'll learn more from:
A book by someone who's studied productivity for 20 years, Or a 10-minute YouTube video by someone interested in the topic? Which do you think you'll absorb more from? Which do you think is more likely to help change your habits? Books, of course!
Going beyond the surface of a subject is essential to success, too. This is probably why the author Roald Dahl once said, "If you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books."
Plus, you can learn literally anything from books. For example, whenever anybody asks Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, how he learned to build rockets, he says, "I read books."
So, what do you want to learn?
Perhaps you want to learn how to code, paint, or start a successful business? Maybe you want to learn how to stop procrastinating? Or perhaps you want to figure out how to change your life completely?
Whatever it is, reading can help.
2.Stimulates your brain
Your brain needs to be kept active and engaged in order to stay healthy. Reading is great exercise for the mind. From a neurobiological standpoint, reading is more demanding on the brain than processing speech and images. Mental stimulation from reading will improve your memory and learning capacity, keep your mind sharp by slowing cognitive decline as you age, and strengthen your brain against disease like Alzheimer’s or dementia.
