The Benefits of Reading

Take a break from the screen this summer and do so leisure reading. Reading has a significant number of benefits, and one of the best things you can do to be successful on standardized tests and in college. The list below provides a few of the benefits of reading.

Stress Reduction

• Don't we all need a stress reliever? Reading allows you to get lost in the story and transports you to another realm where you forget about all your worries. Studies say that reading for just a few short minutes can reduce stress by up to 68%.

Mental Stimulation and Improvement

• Reading is brain exercise. Have you ever heard the saying, “use it or lose it”? When you are reading you are keeping up with all the characters and the plot and getting that brain exercise that you need to maintain a healthy active brain.

Knowledge

• Knowledge is power! Reading fills your head with all sorts of knowledge. Knowledge that can allow you to learn about and appreciate other cultures and people from different backgrounds to learning how to detect and understand others. These skills can be valuable in both social and professional settings.

Vocabulary Expansion

• The more you read the more words you gain exposure to and it is likely those words will become part of your vocabulary.

Improved Focus and Concentration

• Our brain is in constant motion with all of the internet surfing and multi-tasking that we do each day. This ADD like behavior can cause stress and lower levels of productivity. On the other hand, when we focus on reading the rest of the world fades away and we get lost in our thoughts and absorbing every little detail.

Stronger Critical Thinking Skills

• Fictional reading really allows us to use and practice those critical thinking skills. If you have ever read an amazing mystery novel and solved the mystery before you finished the book you are tapping into those critical thinking skills. The ability to analyze characters and think about how they think and interact in their world around them is also working those skills.

Become a Better Writer

• Whether you have to just write reports and papers for class or a job, or you want to become a novelist or even a blogger, you will want to become a better writer. Exposure to well-written works has documented effect on one’s own writing.

Low Cost Entertainment

• Reading can be a free form of entertainment if you utilize your local library. Libraries have books on every subject imaginable, and even have access to many other books through the sharing system with other libraries. Although I recommend you put down the screen and pick a “real” book you can also access books for a very low cost if you have an app like Kindle.

Happy reading! Here are some of the most anticipated young adult books for this summer.