• Importance Of Reading Essay

Importance of Reading Essay

500+ words essay on reading.

Reading is a key to learning. It’s a skill that everyone should develop in their life. The ability to read enables us to discover new facts and opens the door to a new world of ideas, stories and opportunities. We can gather ample information and use it in the right direction to perform various tasks in our life. The habit of reading also increases our knowledge and makes us more intellectual and sensible. With the help of this essay on the Importance of Reading, we will help you know the benefits of reading and its various advantages in our life. Students must go through this essay in detail, as it will help them to create their own essay based on this topic.

Importance of Reading

Reading is one of the best hobbies that one can have. It’s fun to read different types of books. By reading the books, we get to know the people of different areas around the world, different cultures, traditions and much more. There is so much to explore by reading different books. They are the abundance of knowledge and are best friends of human beings. We get to know about every field and area by reading books related to it. There are various types of books available in the market, such as science and technology books, fictitious books, cultural books, historical events and wars related books etc. Also, there are many magazines and novels which people can read anytime and anywhere while travelling to utilise their time effectively.

Benefits of Reading for Students

Reading plays an important role in academics and has an impactful influence on learning. Researchers have highlighted the value of developing reading skills and the benefits of reading to children at an early age. Children who cannot read well at the end of primary school are less likely to succeed in secondary school and, in adulthood, are likely to earn less than their peers. Therefore, the focus is given to encouraging students to develop reading habits.

Reading is an indispensable skill. It is fundamentally interrelated to the process of education and to students achieving educational success. Reading helps students to learn how to use language to make sense of words. It improves their vocabulary, information-processing skills and comprehension. Discussions generated by reading in the classroom can be used to encourage students to construct meanings and connect ideas and experiences across texts. They can use their knowledge to clear their doubts and understand the topic in a better way. The development of good reading habits and skills improves students’ ability to write.

In today’s world of the modern age and digital era, people can easily access resources online for reading. The online books and availability of ebooks in the form of pdf have made reading much easier. So, everyone should build this habit of reading and devote at least 30 minutes daily. If someone is a beginner, then they can start reading the books based on the area of their interest. By doing so, they will gradually build up a habit of reading and start enjoying it.

Frequently Asked Questions on the Importance of Reading Essay

What is the importance of reading.

1. Improves general knowledge 2. Expands attention span/vocabulary 3. Helps in focusing better 4. Enhances language proficiency

What is the power of reading?

1. Develop inference 2. Improves comprehension skills 3. Cohesive learning 4. Broadens knowledge of various topics

How can reading change a student’s life?

1. Empathy towards others 2. Acquisition of qualities like kindness, courtesy

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Reading is Good Habit for Students and Children

 500+ words essay on reading is good habit.

Reading is a very good habit that one needs to develop in life. Good books can inform you, enlighten you and lead you in the right direction. There is no better companion than a good book. Reading is important because it is good for your overall well-being. Once you start reading, you experience a whole new world. When you start loving the habit of reading you eventually get addicted to it. Reading develops language skills and vocabulary. Reading books is also a way to relax and reduce stress. It is important to read a good book at least for a few minutes each day to stretch the brain muscles for healthy functioning.

reading is good habit

Benefits of Reading

Books really are your best friends as you can rely on them when you are bored, upset, depressed, lonely or annoyed. They will accompany you anytime you want them and enhance your mood. They share with you information and knowledge any time you need. Good books always guide you to the correct path in life. Following are the benefits of reading –

Self Improvement: Reading helps you develop positive thinking. Reading is important because it develops your mind and gives you excessive knowledge and lessons of life. It helps you understand the world around you better. It keeps your mind active and enhances your creative ability.

Communication Skills: Reading improves your vocabulary and develops your communication skills. It helps you learn how to use your language creatively. Not only does it improve your communication but it also makes you a better writer. Good communication is important in every aspect of life.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Increases Knowledge: Books enable you to have a glimpse into cultures, traditions, arts, history, geography, health, psychology and several other subjects and aspects of life. You get an amazing amount of knowledge and information from books.

Reduces Stress: Reading a good book takes you in a new world and helps you relieve your day to day stress. It has several positive effects on your mind, body, and soul. It stimulates your brain muscles and keeps your brain healthy and strong.

Great Pleasure: When I read a book, I read it for pleasure. I just indulge myself in reading and experience a whole new world. Once I start reading a book I get so captivated I never want to leave it until I finish. It always gives a lot of pleasure to read a good book and cherish it for a lifetime.

Boosts your Imagination and Creativity: Reading takes you to the world of imagination and enhances your creativity. Reading helps you explore life from different perspectives. While you read books you are building new and creative thoughts, images and opinions in your mind. It makes you think creatively, fantasize and use your imagination.

Develops your Analytical Skills: By active reading, you explore several aspects of life. It involves questioning what you read. It helps you develop your thoughts and express your opinions. New ideas and thoughts pop up in your mind by active reading. It stimulates and develops your brain and gives you a new perspective.

Reduces Boredom: Journeys for long hours or a long vacation from work can be pretty boring in spite of all the social sites. Books come in handy and release you from boredom.

Read Different Stages of Reading here.

The habit of reading is one of the best qualities that a person can possess. Books are known to be your best friend for a reason. So it is very important to develop a good reading habit. We must all read on a daily basis for at least 30 minutes to enjoy the sweet fruits of reading. It is a great pleasure to sit in a quiet place and enjoy reading. Reading a good book is the most enjoyable experience one can have.

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75 Essential Reading Skills

reading skills examples and definition, explained below

Reading is a complex task. It requires skills like:

  • Phonemic awareness: Ability to hear and read individual sounds.
  • Use of context clues: Ability to infer a word based on surrounding words and images.
  • Memorization: Ability to rapidly remember and recall words and phrases to read rapidly.

As we get better at reading, we develop more complex comprehension skills, such as:

  • Scanning: Reading over the words and phrases rapidly, seeking important information rather than reading every word.
  • Recognizing Purpose: Ability to infer an author’s purpose, such as to persuade, inform, or entertain.

Reading Skills Examples

1. phonemic awareness.

Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the individual sounds, or phonemes, in spoken words. This skill is crucial as a foundational step towards learning to read and spell.

Imagine you are teaching a child how to read. You start by introducing a word, say “cat”, and then divide it into its individual phonemes, “c-a-t”. By doing this, you are helping the child develop phonemic awareness, which is a vital step towards their ability to read and spell words on their own.

Read Also: The 4 Types of Phonics

2. Vocabulary Development

Vocabulary development speaks to the process of learning and using new words. This skill is crucial for reading comprehension as the more words you know, the more you can understand what you’re reading.

Let’s consider a scenario in a language learning environment. Your language teacher introduces new words every day and asks you to use them in a sentence. This not only helps you learn definitions but also how these words fit within different contexts. Doing so is a key part of vocabulary development.

3. Comprehension

Comprehension involves the ability to read and understand the information embedded in a text. This skill allows you to make sense of what you are reading and relate it to your existing knowledge.

Let’s take the example of a student who is reading a science textbook. They must not only read the words but also understand the concepts, theories, and ideas laid out in the text to successfully learn the subject material. This necessity of understanding the content to achieve meaningful learning is a perfect example of reading comprehension.

Read Also: 50 Comprehension Skills

4. Decoding

Decoding is the process of converting printed words into spoken words. This involves correlating the individual characters (or groups of characters) in a word to their corresponding sounds.

Imagine a child who is just starting to learn how to read. They see the written word “dog” and then sound out each letter individually – “d-o-g” – before combining the sounds to pronounce the word correctly: “dog”. This process of converting the written symbols into a spoken word is decoding.

Fluency encompasses the speed, accuracy, and expression with which one reads. It’s a vital skill for effective and effortless reading.

A typical instance of fluency can be observed in proficient readers who read quickly and accurately, with proper intonation. This speed and accuracy allow these fluent readers to focus less on deciphering each word and more on comprehending the meaning of the entire text.

6. Making Predictions

Making predictions involve formulating ideas about what will happen in a text based on clues or details found within the text. This skill enhances engagement with the text and often boosts comprehension.

Imagine you’re reading a novel that follows a certain character as they try to solve a mystery. As you read, you use clues from the text to predict what you think is the resolution of the mystery. If you’re engaged enough to make these predictions, it is likely you’re comprehending the text effectively.

7. Retelling

Retelling is the process of recounting a story or information in your own words after reading a text. This skill helps to reinforce understanding and memory.

Consider a situation in which you read a fascinating article about the latest scientific discovery. Later, you discuss it with a friend, sharing the main ideas and details you remember. This act of recounting the article’s content in your own words is retelling.

8. Skimming

Skimming denotes the quick perusal of a text to understand its general idea. This skill is particularly useful when you want to quickly assimilate the central themes of a document without delving into the details.

As an example, imagine you’ve got a stack of reports to go through. You don’t need to analyze each report in depth entirely; instead, you simply want a gist of the content. By rapidly reading the titles, headings, and some sentences, you’re employing the skill of skimming.

9. Scanning

Scanning, unlike skimming, is the quick hunt through a text for specific details or information. This skill is essential when you need to locate a particular piece of information without reading the whole content.

Let’s say you are researching a topic, and you’ve got a book that you think contains relevant information. However, you don’t need to read the entire book, instead, you just need a particular detail. You’ll quickly move your eyes over the pages, searching for keywords or phrases related to your topic. This act is what we call scanning.

10. Recognizing Text Features

Recognizing text features refers to the ability to identify and comprehend the various elements that makeup and influence the layout, structure, and navigation of a text.

Think about the time when you pick a newspaper and immediately go to the sports section to check the latest scores. The fact that you know exactly where to find what you want is because you recognize the typical text features of a newspaper – headings, subheadings, body text, sidebars, pictures, captions, etc.

11. Using Context Clues

Using context clues alludes to the skill of using surrounding text or phrasing to derive the meaning of an unknown or unfamiliar word. This skill aids in understanding new vocabulary without having to resort to a dictionary.

To illustrate, imagine you are reading a book and come across a word that you have never seen before. Instead of immediately reaching for a dictionary, you read the sentences before and after the unfamiliar word. You then infer the meaning of the word from the overall context. This process of using context clues allows you to grasp the meaning of new or challenging words as you read.

12. Drawing Conclusions

Drawing conclusions refers to the ability to infer or deduce information that is not explicitly stated in a text. This reading skill allows you to make sense of a situation or idea based upon the details given within a reading passage.

Take for instance, you’re reading a novel where the protagonist is often described as looking nervously over their shoulder and locking their doors multiple times. Even if it’s not directly stated, you may conclude that the character seems to be afraid or paranoid. This mental leap based on given information signifies drawing conclusions.

13. Identifying Topic Sentences

Identifying topic sentences means recognizing the sentence in a paragraph that expresses the main idea. This skill is essential for understanding the purpose of each paragraph within the context of the whole text.

For instance, you’re reading an article. The first sentence of the third paragraph states, “Air pollution has dire effects on our health”. This sentence immediately lets you know that the following details will explain the relationship between air pollution and health. It signals the main idea the paragraph will explore, hence it is the topic sentence.

14. Evaluating Credibility of a Text

Evaluating the credibility of a text involves assessing the reliability and validity of the information provided within a piece of writing. It is a skill that helps determine whether the content is trustworthy and whether it stems from a reputable source.

Suppose you’re reading an online health article that suggests a revolutionary treatment for a chronic disease. Before accepting the claims, you check the author’s credentials, analyze any supporting evidence, and verify whether the arguments are coherent and logical. This systematic evaluation of the article’s credibility is an indispensable reading skill.

See More: Credibility Examples

15. Recognizing Themes across Texts

Recognizing themes across texts requires identifying common or recurring ideas or topics across different pieces of writing. This skill allows for comparison and contrast of texts and helps deepen understanding of key subjects and messages.

For example, suppose you’re studying the American Civil Rights Movement, and you read several articles, books, and speeches from that period. After a while, you notice recurring themes of resistance, equality, and justice in all these texts. Recognizing these repeated themes allows you to gain a deeper understanding of the mindset and values of that era.

Complete List of Reading Skills

  • Phonemic Awareness
  • Vocabulary Development
  • Comprehension
  • Making Predictions
  • Summarizing
  • Identifying Main Idea
  • Recognizing Supporting Details
  • Drawing Conclusions
  • Making Connections (Text-to-Self, Text-to-Text, Text-to-World)
  • Visualizing
  • Recognizing Cause and Effect
  • Comparing and Contrasting
  • Identifying Author’s Purpose
  • Recognizing Fact vs. Opinion
  • Recognizing Literary Elements (e.g., plot, setting, characters)
  • Analyzing Poetry Structures (e.g., sonnet, haiku)
  • Recognizing Themes across Texts
  • Identifying Alliteration, Assonance, and Consonance
  • Analyzing Character Traits
  • Recognizing Point of View
  • Understanding Dialogue
  • Analyzing Setting’s Influence on Plot
  • Recognizing Text Features (e.g., headings, subheadings, captions)
  • Recognizing Symbolism
  • Interpreting Figurative Language
  • Recognizing Irony
  • Evaluating Arguments
  • Distinguishing between Relevant and Irrelevant Information
  • Recognizing Bias
  • Critical Thinking
  • Evaluating Sources
  • Synthesizing Information
  • Recognizing Text Structures (e.g., chronological, problem-solution)
  • Using Context Clues
  • Identifying Prefixes and Suffixes
  • Recognizing Root Words
  • Using Glossaries and Dictionaries
  • Using Indexes
  • Using Table of Contents
  • Interpreting Graphs, Charts, and Diagrams
  • Following Multi-step Instructions
  • Recognizing Mood and Tone
  • Analyzing Author’s Style
  • Evaluating Importance of Information
  • Recognizing Patterns of Organization
  • Identifying Theme
  • Identifying Transitional Words and Phrases
  • Recognizing Rhetorical Devices
  • Understanding Implicit and Explicit Information
  • Identifying Genre
  • Using Footnotes and Endnotes
  • Recognizing the Structure of a Paragraph
  • Identifying Topic Sentences
  • Recognizing Supporting Sentences
  • Identifying Concluding Sentences
  • Recognizing Sentence Variety
  • Identifying Types of Sentences (e.g., declarative, interrogative)
  • Recognizing Passive and Active Voice
  • Understanding Sarcasm and Humor
  • Recognizing Persuasive Techniques
  • Identifying Stereotypes and Generalizations
  • Recognizing Propaganda Techniques
  • Evaluating Credibility of a Text
  • Recognizing Denotation and Connotation
  • Identifying Hyperbole and Understatement
  • Recognizing Paradox and Oxymoron
  • Recognizing Rhyme and Rhythm

We learn reading skills from a young age. From the start, our parents and teachers help us to read through use of context clues , repetition, and memorization of vocabulary.

Second language learners, similarly, need to go straight back to basics, learning to read through memorization, contextualization, repetition, and phonetic decoding.

As language learners get more skilled, they start to learn more complex techniques such as recognizing irony and evaluating sources. We need these advanced skills, and even more – such as digital lieracy in order to read uniquely online texts – in order to successfully read and comprehend the words around us.

Chris

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

  • Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University
  • Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 50 Durable Goods Examples
  • Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 100 Consumer Goods Examples
  • Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 30 Globalization Pros and Cons

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📖Essay on Importance of Reading: Samples in 100, 150, and 250 Words

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  • Updated on  
  • Nov 11, 2023

Essay on Importance of Education

Language learning requires four skills i.e. Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. It is an important part that eventually builds up the communication skills of a person. Reading will help in attaining knowledge of variable fields. It enhances the intellect of a person. Reading helps students to enhance their language fluency. Students must adopt the habit of reading good books. Reading books can also improve the writing skills. If you are a school student and searching for a good sample essay on the importance of reading then, you landed at the right place. Here in this blog, we have covered some sample essay on the importance of reading!

This Blog Includes:

Essay on importance of reading in 100 words, essay on importance of reading 150 words, essay on importance of reading 250 words.

Also Read: Essay on Social Issues

The English language is considered the global language because it is the most widely spoken language worldwide. Reading is one of the important parts of acquiring complete knowledge of any language. Reading helps in maintaining a good vocabulary that is helpful for every field, whether in school, interviews , competitive exams , or jobs. 

Students must inculcate the habit of reading from a young age. Making a habit of reading good books will eventually convert into an addiction over time and you will surely explore a whole new world of information.

Being exposed to different topics through reading can help you look at the wider perspective of life. You will eventually discover a creative side of yours while developing the habit of reading.

Also Read: Essay on Gaganyaan

Reading is considered an important aspect that contributes to the development of the overall personality of any person. If a person wants to do good at a professional level then he/she must practice reading.

There are various advantages of reading. It is not only a source of entertainment but also opens up the creative ability of any person. Reading helps in self-improvement, enhances communication skills, and reduces stress. It is one of the sources of pleasure and also enhances the analytical skills. 

Here are some of the best books to study that may help you enhance your reading skills:

  • Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling .
  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee .
  • The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri .
  • Pride and Prejudice
  • The Great Gatsby

A person with good reading skills would be able to communicate with more confidence and shine brighter at the professional level. Reading is a mental exercise, as it can provide you with the best experience because while reading fiction, or non-fiction you use your imagination without any restrictions thereby exploring a whole new world on your own. So, Just Enjoy Reading!

Also Read: Communication Skills to Succeed at Work

Reading is a language skill necessary to present yourself in front of others because without being a good reader, it’s difficult to be a good communicator. Reading books should be practiced regularly. Books are considered a human’s best friend.

It is right to say that knowledge can’t be stolen. Reading enhances the knowledge of a person. There are numerous benefits of reading.

I love reading books and one of my all-time favorite authors is William Shakespeare. His work “As You Like It” is my favorite book. By reading that book I came across many new words. It enabled me to add many words to my vocabulary that I can use in my life.

Apart from this, there are many other benefits of reading books such as reading can help you write in a certain way that can impress the reader. It also enhances communication skills and serves as a source of entertainment . 

Schools conduct various competitions which directly or indirectly involve reading. Some such competitions include debate, essay writing competitions, elocution, new reading in assembly, etc. All such activities require active reading because without reading a person might not be able to speak on a specific topic.

All such activities are conducted to polish the language skills of students from the very beginning so that they can do good at a professional level.

In conclusion, in a world of technological advancement, you are more likely to get easy access to online reading material available on the internet. So, you must not miss this opportunity and devote some time to reading different kinds of books. 

Also Read: SAT Reading Tips

Relevant Blogs

Reading is a good habit; It helps to improve communication skills; Good books whether fiction or non-fiction widen your imagination skills; You can experience a whole new world while reading; It helps you establish your professional personality; Reading skills help you interact with other people at a personal and professional level; Improves vocabulary; Reading novels is considered a great source of entertainment; It helps you acquire excessive knowledge of different fields; Reading is motivational and a great mental exercise.

Reading is important to build the overall personality of a person. It establishes a sense of professionalism and improves the vocabulary. Adapting a habit of reading books will help in expanding your knowledge and creativity.

Here are some of the best books for students to read: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People; The Alchemist, The 5 AM Club, Rich Dad Poor Dad, etc.

For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

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Essays About Reading: 5 Examples And Topic Ideas

As a writer, you love to read and talk to others about reading books. Check out some examples of essays about reading and topic ideas for your essay.

Many people fall in love with good books at an early age, as experiencing the joy of reading can help transport a child’s imagination to new places. Reading isn’t just for fun, of course—the importance of reading has been shown time and again in educational research studies.

If you love to sit down with a good book, you likely want to share your love of reading with others. Reading can offer a new perspective and transport readers to different worlds, whether you’re into autobiographies, books about positive thinking, or stories that share life lessons.

When explaining your love of reading to others, it’s important to let your passion shine through in your writing. Try not to take a negative view of people who don’t enjoy reading, as reading and writing skills are tougher for some people than others.

Talk about the positive effects of reading and how it’s positively benefitted your life. Offer helpful tips on how people can learn to enjoy reading, even if it’s something that they’ve struggled with for a long time. Remember, your goal when writing essays about reading is to make others interested in exploring the world of books as a source of knowledge and entertainment.

Now, let’s explore some popular essays on reading to help get you inspired and some topics that you can use as a starting point for your essay about how books have positively impacted your life.

For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers

Examples Of Essays About Reading

  • 1. The Book That Changed My Life By The New York Times
  • 2. I Read 150+ Books in 2 Years. Here’s How It Changed My Life By Anangsha Alammyan
  • 3. How My Diagnosis Improved My College Experience By Blair Kenney

4. How ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ Saved Me By Isaac Fitzgerald

5. catcher in the rye: that time a banned book changed my life by pat kelly, topic ideas for essays about reading, 1. how can a high school student improve their reading skills, 2. what’s the best piece of literature ever written, 3. how reading books from authors of varied backgrounds can provide a different perspective, 4. challenging your point of view: how reading essays you disagree with can provide a new perspective, 1.  the book that changed my life  by  the new york times.

“My error the first time around was to read “Middlemarch” as one would a typical novel. But “Middlemarch” isn’t really about plot and dialogue. It’s all about character, as mediated through the wise and compassionate (but sharply astute) voice of the omniscient narrator. The book shows us that we cannot live without other people and that we cannot live with other people unless we recognize their flaws and foibles in ourselves.”  The New York Times

In this collection of reader essays, people share the books that have shaped how they see the world and live their lives. Talking about a life-changing piece of literature can offer a new perspective to people who tend to shy away from reading and can encourage others to pick up your favorite book.

2.  I Read 150+ Books in 2 Years. Here’s How It Changed My Life  By Anangsha Alammyan

“Consistent reading helps you develop your  analytical thinking skills  over time. It stimulates your brain and allows you to think in new ways. When you are  actively engaged  in what you’re reading, you would be able to ask better questions, look at things from a different perspective, identify patterns and make connections.” Anangsha Alammyan

Alammyan shares how she got away from habits that weren’t serving her life (such as scrolling on social media) and instead turned her attention to focus on reading. She shares how she changed her schedule and time management processes to allow herself to devote more time to reading, and she also shares the many ways that she benefited from spending more time on her Kindle and less time on her phone.

3.  How My Diagnosis Improved My College Experience  By Blair Kenney

“When my learning specialist convinced me that I was an intelligent person with a reading disorder, I gradually stopped hiding from what I was most afraid of—the belief that I was a person of mediocre intelligence with overambitious goals for herself. As I slowly let go of this fear, I became much more aware of my learning issues. For the first time, I felt that I could dig below the surface of my unhappiness in school without being ashamed of what I might find.” Blair Kenney

Reading does not come easily to everyone, and dyslexia can make it especially difficult for a person to process words. In this essay, Kenney shares her experience of being diagnosed with dyslexia during her sophomore year of college at Yale. She gave herself more patience, grew in her confidence, and developed techniques that worked to improve her reading and processing skills.

“I took that book home to finish reading it. I’d sit somewhat uncomfortably in a tree or against a stone wall or, more often than not, in my sparsely decorated bedroom with the door closed as my mother had hushed arguments with my father on the phone. There were many things in the book that went over my head during my first time reading it. But a land left with neither Rhyme nor Reason, as I listened to my parents fight, that I understood.” Isaac Fitzgerald

Books can transport a reader to another world. In this essay, Fitzgerald explains how Norton Juster’s novel allowed him to escape a difficult time in his childhood through the magic of his imagination. Writing about a book that had a significant impact on your childhood can help you form an instant connection with your reader, as many people hold a childhood literature favorite near and dear to their hearts.

“From the first paragraph my mind was blown wide open. It not only changed my whole perspective on what literature could be, it changed the way I looked at myself in relation to the world. This was heavy stuff. Of the countless books I had read up to this point, even the ones written in first person, none of them felt like they were speaking directly to me. Not really anyway.” Pat Kelly

Many readers have had the experience of feeling like a book was written specifically for them, and in this essay, Kelly shares that experience with J.D. Salinger’s classic American novel. Writing about a book that felt like it was written specifically for you can give you the chance to share what was happening in your life when you read the book and the lasting impact that the book had on you as a person.

There are several topic options to choose from when you’re writing about reading. You may want to write about how literature you love has changed your life or how others can develop their reading skills to derive similar pleasure from reading.

Topic ideas for essays about reading

Middle and high school students who struggle with reading can feel discouraged when, despite their best efforts, their skills do not improve. Research the latest educational techniques for boosting reading skills in high school students (the research often changes) and offer concrete tips (such as using active reading skills) to help students grow.

It’s an excellent persuasive essay topic; it’s fun to write about the piece of literature you believe to be the greatest of all time. Of course, much of this topic is a matter of opinion, and it’s impossible to prove that one piece of literature is “better” than another. Write your essay about how the piece of literature you consider the best positive affected your life and discuss how it’s impacted the world of literature in general.

The world is full of many perspectives and points of view, and it can be hard to imagine the world through someone else’s eyes. Reading books by authors of different gender, race, or socioeconomic status can help open your eyes to the challenges and issues others face. Explain how reading books by authors with different backgrounds has changed your worldview in your essay.

It’s fun to read the information that reinforces viewpoints that you already have, but doing so doesn’t contribute to expanding your mind and helping you see the world from a different perspective. Explain how pushing oneself to see a different point of view can help you better understand your perspective and help open your eyes to ideas you may not have considered.

Tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.

If you’re stuck picking your next essay topic, check out our round-up of essay topics about education .

essay about reading skills

Amanda has an M.S.Ed degree from the University of Pennsylvania in School and Mental Health Counseling and is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer. She has experience writing magazine articles, newspaper articles, SEO-friendly web copy, and blog posts.

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6 Techniques for Building Reading Skills—in Any Subject

Students need good reading skills not just in English but in all classes. Here are some ways you can help them develop those skills.

A young woman reads a heavily annotated book.

As avid lovers of literature, teachers often find themselves wanting to impart every bit of knowledge about a well-loved text to their students. And this is not just an ELA issue—other disciplines also often focus on the content of a text. However, teaching reading skills in English classes and across the disciplines is an almost guaranteed way to help students retain content. Unfortunately, the tendency to focus on the content is a real enemy to the ultimate goal of building reading skills.

Without a repertoire of reading strategies that can be applied to any text, students are being shortchanged in their education. In order to teach students to read effectively, teachers must be sure that they are not simply suppliers of information on a particular text but also instructors of techniques to build reading skills. Here are some ideas on how to incorporate reading skills lessons into a curriculum.

Teach Close Reading Skills

Guide students in annotation by directing them to do more than highlight or underline. Encourage students to have a conversation with the text by jotting notes on the text while reading—this keeps students engaged and often increases comprehension. Annotations can include:

  • Defining new words
  • Asking questions
  • Coding recurring words and themes
  • Making personal connections to the text
  • Citing current events
  • Highlighting heading and subheadings
  • Summarizing paragraphs
  • Categorizing information
  • Numbering and ordering
  • Drawing pictures

The list of possibilities is endless—the point is to have students form their own process when approaching a text. But don’t be afraid to give students specific annotation guidelines such as “annotate the writer’s characterization techniques” or “find examples of . . .” to help them focus. Annotations also help students identify which strategies work best for them as they try to process and understand information. The clip “ Girls Read Comic ” from The Big Bang Theory is a great way to introduce the concept of reading closely and its importance.

Appeal to the Senses

While reading is the work of the mind, incorporating the senses provides extra reinforcement for students who are still growing their skills. Reading passages aloud and verbalizing questions you would mentally ask while reading can be a great benefit to students. Students often have no idea how to ask questions, what type of questions to ask, or the frequency of questions, so modeling this skill is invaluable. This can be further reinforced especially for visual learners by using a document camera or overhead projector to write questions, mark key words and phrases, and interact with a text. And as always, encourage students to read with a pen or pencil in hand.

Guide Students in Setting Reading Goals

While writing goals are used regularly in the classroom, students do not assess personal reading skills on a regular basis. Begin the year by having students write a reader’s biography to gain insight into their reading habits, struggles, and successes; this serves as a foundation for discussions on setting reading goals. After reading a novel, nonfiction text, short story, or poetry unit, help students evaluate their reading skills: Did you feel confident reading the text? Why or why not? What parts of the text gave you trouble? Could you have used a different strategy to make reading the text easier? Students should evaluate goals on a regular basis and create new goals based on their needs and growth.

Vary Text Length

When approaching a particularly difficult text, break it up and offer it in shorter segments. Students often become discouraged with lengthy texts that require intense concentration. Giving smaller segments allows the students to digest chunks in pieces, acquire academic vocabulary, and build confidence.

Offer Opportunities for Choice Reading

Simply put, the best way to improve reading is to read, and students are more likely to read when they have a choice in the reading. Newsela and CommonLit offer a variety of nonfiction articles for choice (and CommonLit includes fiction as well); both sites include articles with various grade levels and across multiple disciplines. Classroom libraries built from donations, garage sales, and thrift shops encourage students to take books for personal reading. Ask students about their interests and make recommendations. Reading for pleasure builds transferable skills for content reading and should be encouraged, including in class.

Assess Content and Skill

Students should be able to demonstrate their skills in assessment, whether it’s formal or informal, formative or summative. Recall and comprehension questions are a good way to check for basic understanding, but teachers should then move to the harder how and why questions. Choose activities that require students to dig deep into a text, such as:

  • Facilitate a socratic discussion.
  • Create a playlist for a character.
  • Write a formal essay.
  • Make a meme for a character.
  • Present a mini-TED talk on research inspired by a text.
  • Create a mind map, literary 3x3, or infographic.

Most teachers already incorporate skill building in their classes to some degree; however, taking time to discuss and actively engage students in the process will keep skill development at the forefront of learning. The result will be students who not only make gains in reading but also have an understanding of how to become better readers.

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Readers' Corner

Why Reading is Essential for Improving Essay Writing Skills

why reading is essential for improving essay writing skills? There are several ways we can draw a connection between reading and writing skills where some ways both skills benefit each other.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” ― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

When we think about improving students’ writing skills we tend to think of spelling, grammar, phonemic awareness and phonics. Recently, studies have shown that working with students to improve their reading skills can have an impact on their essay writing.

Because most students don’t like to read, the vast majority of them find writing essays to be even more of a daunting task. According to BetterWrititngServices.com , essay writing services are extremely popular among college students, and the number of websites that sell academic papers to students grows rapidly. For this reason, it is important to help students improve their writing skills.

In this article, we will cover why reading is essential for improving essay writing skills. There are several ways we can draw a connection between reading and writing skills where some ways both skills benefit each other.

Mechanics of writing

We often teach reading and writing as two separate subjects, but students cannot complete a writing task if they cannot read and understand the instructions. These two skills are intertwined and both equally important to students’ success.

Reading serves not only to expose the student to different styles of writing but also supports them in their emerging skills.

The most well-known benefit reading has on writing skills is the increased exposure to different words. The more students read, the more it exposes them to alternative ways to use words they are both familiar and not familiar with.

The more students read, the bigger chance that they will learn new ways to structure their sentences and express their ideas. Reading allows them to learn new patterns they can use in their own writing.

The more well-read the writer is, the better grasp they have on understanding poor writing versus quality writing. This will allow students to make this identification more clear in their own written work.

Power of words

Essays are a tool used to get an idea across, make a point, prove something, or tell a story. The more students read, the more access they have to literature that seeks to make the same things happen.

It gives more weight to the words themselves and by extension more weight to what the students write.

Reading is also a proven way to support the development of imagination. While reading, we tend to picture the events in our mind’s eyes based on what we are reading. This has been shown to support your ability to understand situations and the solutions from the text.

Developing their voice

Without reading a variety of different authors and texts, it is hard for students to understand the idea of the voice of the author. The more students are exposed to different authors, the more courage and sense of self they develop for their own writing.

The more we expose students to different writing styles (classics, modern-day fiction and nonfiction), the more we support them in crafting their own voice for essay writing.

The development of a unique voice is an important skill needed to write essays, and it will aid in setting them apart from their peers.

Keeping up with the times

Language is something that is ever-changing, even in the world of essays. The words and phrases used by a student can change from year to year. Reading is essential for students who want to stay informed about modern language and style changes.

APA and MLA are always evolving in order for students to understand these changes. They need to see how they are implemented in various forms of writing.

Outside of the evaluation of different citation reading keeps students involved in learning the ways modern writing is changing.

Entwining reading and writing in the classroom

For those in education looking to improve their students’ essay writing skills, there are a few ways reading and writing can be taught together for the most benefit to the student.

Note-taking is the easiest way to aid students in their reading and writing skills. Having your students take notes on what they have read not only increases their deep reading skills, but benefits their writing as well.

Students do not just write one form of essay, they write personal essays, persuasive essays, they compare and contrast, so why are they only reading one thing? In order for students to understand the different tones and syntax required for these different forms of essays, they need to read them.

Exposing your students to different forms of literature broadens their ideas on what their next essay could be.

Genre Study

By selecting one genre for students to narrow their field of study it allowed them to learn the specific genre before they experiment with writing within that genre.

Letting students take the lead fosters their interest and independence in their language skills.

For teachers who find themselves struggling with ways to improve their student’s essay writing this may be the perfect solution. We know that we are more likely to complete certain tasks when we are motivated.

Thus it would make sense that if we allow students to pick the genre they both read and write about, they will be more motivated as well. Allow students to pick their own reading materials, then craft the writing work around their chosen piece.

In conclusion

The ways of teaching reading and writing separately are changing as more of us in education understand that reading is vital to essay writing skills.

As a basic level skill, students need to understand the written instruction before they can write the essay. In addition, the more well read students are the more vocabulary and grammar they are absorbing that is then transferred to their own writing.

The more students reading is spread out of topics and genres the deeper understanding they develop on the topics they are then to write essays about.

The absorption of knowledge that happens through the process of reading is integral to students improving their essay writing skills.

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essay about reading skills

Reading is a skill many people take for granted, but the act of reading and properly comprehending a text is a complex and interactive process. It requires several different brain functions to work together and most often requires one to puzzle through multiple layers of context and meaning.

Because reading comprehension is so complicated, we can often find ourselves understanding the most basic interpretation of a text, but missing the emotional core or the "big picture." Or we might just find our brains spinning with no clue at all as to what a text is attempting to convey.

But luckily for everyone who struggles in English classes, on standardized tests, or in daily life, reading comprehension can be improved upon (and it's never too late to start!). In this guide, I explain step-by-step how to improve reading comprehension over time and offer tips for boosting your understanding as you read.

What Is Reading Comprehension?

Reading comprehension is the understanding of what a particular text means and the ideas the author is attempting to convey, both textual and subtextual. In order to read any text, your brain must process not only the literal words of the piece, but also their relationship with one another, the context behind the words, how subtle language and vocabulary usage can impact emotion and meaning behind the text, and how the text comes together as a larger, coherent whole.

For instance, let's look at the first line from Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice :

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

Now, a completely literal interpretation of the text, just based on word-meaning, would have us believe that 'all rich men want wives.' But the context, word choice, and phrasing of the text actually belie that interpretation. By using the phrases "universally acknowledged" and " must be in want of" (emphasis ours), the text is conveying a subtle sarcasm to the words. Instead of it being an actual truth that 'rich men want wives,' this one sentence instantly tells us that we're reading about a society preoccupied with marriage, while also implying that the opening statement is something people in that society may believe, but that isn't necessarily true.

In just a few short words, Austen conveys several ideas to the reader about one of the main themes of the story, the setting, and what the culture and people are like. And she does so all the while seeming to contradict the literal words of the piece.

Without practice in reading comprehension, nuances like these can become lost. And so it can happen that someone may find themselves reading, but not truly comprehending the full meaning of a text.

As you can see, reading comprehension involves many processes happening in your brain at once, and thus it can be easy for some aspects of a text to get lost in the muddle. But the good news for anyone who struggles is that reading comprehension is a skill just like any other. It must be learned through practice, focus, and diligence, but it absolutely CAN be learned.

Why Reading Comprehension Is Important

Proper reading comprehension can be difficult, so why bother? Even though learning how to properly read and comprehend texts is a complicated process, it is a necessary skill to master, both for work and for pleasure.

You will need to know how to read and interpret all kinds of different texts—both on the basic, literal level and on a more in-depth level—throughout your schooling, in college, and in the working world (as well as in your recreation time!). If we think about "reading" just as a literal or surface understanding of a piece and "reading comprehension" as the complete understanding, a person can only get by in the world on pure "reading" for so long.

Reading comprehension is essential for many significant aspects of daily life, such as:

  • Reading, understanding, and analyzing literature in your English classes
  • Reading and understanding texts from your other class subjects, such as history, math, or science
  • Doing well on both the written and math sections of the SAT (or all five sections of the ACT)
  • Understanding and engaging with current events presented in written form, such as news reports
  • Properly understanding and responding to any and all other workplace correspondence, such as essays, reports, memos, and analyses
  • Simply taking pleasure in written work on your own leisure time

essay about reading skills

Just like with any goal or skill, we can master reading comprehension one step at a time.

How to Improve Reading Comprehension: 3 Steps

Because reading comprehension is a skill that improves like any other, you can improve your understanding with practice and a game plan.

Dedicate yourself to engaging in a combination of both "guided" and "relaxed" reading practice for at least two to three hours a week. Guided practice will involve structure and focused attention, like learning new vocabulary words and testing yourself on them, while relaxed practice will involve merely letting yourself read and enjoy reading without pressure for at least one to two hours a week. (Note: if you already read for pleasure, add at least one more hour of pleasure-reading per week.)

By combining reading-for-studying and reading-for-pleasure, you'll be able to improve your reading skill without relegating reading time to the realm of "work" alone. Reading is a huge part of our daily lives, and improving your comprehension should never come at the cost of depriving yourself of the pleasure of the activity.

So what are some of the first steps for improving your reading comprehension level?

Step 1: Understand and Reevaluate How You're Currently Reading

Before you can improve your reading comprehension, you must first understand how you're currently reading and what your limitations are.

Start by selecting excerpts from different texts with which you are unfamiliar—text books, essays, novels, news reports, or any kind of text you feel you particularly struggle to understand—and read them as you would normally. As you read, see if you can notice when your attention, energy, or comprehension of the material begins to flag.

If your comprehension or concentration tends to lag after a period of time, start to slowly build up your stamina. For instance, if you continually lose focus at the 20 minute mark every time you read, acknowledge this and push yourself to slowly increase that time, rather than trying to sit and concentrate on reading for an hour or two at a stretch. Begin by reading for your maximum amount of focused time (in this case, twenty minutes), then give yourself a break. Next time, try for 22 minutes. Once you've mastered that, try for 25 and see if you can still maintain focus. If you can, then try for thirty.

If you find that your concentration or comprehension starts to lag again , take a step back on your timing before pushing yourself for more. Improvement comes with time, and it'll only cause frustration if you try to rush it all at once.

Alternatively, you may find that your issues with reading comprehension have less to do with the time spent reading than with the source material itself. Perhaps you struggle to comprehend the essential elements of a text, the context of a piece, character arcs or motivation, books or textbooks with densely packed information, or material that is heavily symbolic. If this is the case, then be sure to follow the tips below to improve these areas of reading comprehension weakness.

Improving your reading comprehension level takes time and practice, but understanding where your strengths and weaknesses stand now is the first step towards progress.

Step 2: Improve Your Vocabulary

Reading and comprehension rely on a combination of vocabulary, context, and the interaction of words. So you must be able to understand each moving piece before you can understand the text as a whole.

If you struggle to understand specific vocabulary, it's sometimes possible to pick up meaning through context clues (how the words are used in the sentence or in the passage), but it's always a good idea to look up the definitions of words with which you aren't familiar. As you read, make sure to keep a running list of words you don't readily recognize and make yourself a set of flashcards with the words and their definitions. Dedicate fifteen minutes two or three times a week to and quizzing yourself on your vocab flashcards.

To get started, you'll need some blank index cards and a system to keep them organized. These basic cards are an affordable option that are also available in fun colors . You can keep them organized with plastic baggies or rubber bands, or you can get an organizer .

Alternatively, try these easy-flip flashcards that include binder clips. Though we strongly recommend making your own flashcards, you can also buy pre-made ones —the best option is Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know , a series of exercises to master key words and idioms.

In order to retain your vocabulary knowledge, you must employ a combination of practiced memorization (like studying your flashcards) and make a point of using these new words in your verbal and written communication. Guided vocabulary practice like this will give you access to new words and their meanings as well as allow you to properly retain them.

Step 3: Read for Pleasure

The best way to improve your reading comprehension level is through practice. And the best way to practice is to have fun with it!

Make reading a fun activity, at least on occasion, rather than a constant chore. This will motivate you to engage with the text and embrace the activity as part of your daily life (rather than just your study/work life). As you practice and truly engage with your reading material, improvement will come naturally.

Begin by reading texts that are slightly below your age and grade level (especially if reading is frustrating or difficult for you). This will take pressure off of you and allow you to relax and enjoy the story. Here are some fun, easy reads that we recommend to get you started:

  • Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roksani Chokshi
  • Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
  • Ghost   by Jason Reynolds
  • The Westing Game by Ellen Rankin
  • From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
  • The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
  • I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
  • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone   by J.K .Rowling

Once you feel more comfortable reading and practicing your comprehension strategies (tips in the next section), go ahead and allow yourself to read at whatever reading or age level you feel like. Even if you feel that you don't understand some of the text right now—or even a large portion of it!—if you enjoy yourself and give it your best shot, you'll find that your reading comprehension levels will improve over time.

essay about reading skills

Reading these problematic passages aloud can often help circumvent that block and help you to form a visual of what the text is trying to convey.

Tip 3: Re-read (or Skim) Previous Sections of the Text

For the most part, reading is a personal activity that happens entirely in your head. So don't feel you have to read just like anyone else if "typical" methods don't work for you. Sometimes it can make the most sense to read (or re-read) a text out of order.

It is often helpful to glance backwards through a piece of text (or even re-read large sections) to remind yourself of any information you need and have forgotten—what happened previously, what a particular word means, who a person was...the list is endless.

Previous sentences, sections, or even whole chapters can provide helpful context clues. Re-reading these passages will help to refresh your memory so that you can better understand and interpret later sections of the text.

Tip 4: Skim or Read Upcoming Sections of the Text

Just like with the previous step, don't feel that the only way to read and understand a text is to work through it completely linearly. Allow yourself the freedom to take apart the text and put it back together again in whichever way makes the most sense to you.

Sometimes a current confusion in a work will be explained later on in the text, and it can help you to know that explanations are upcoming or even just to read them ahead of time.

So skip forward or backwards, re-read or read ahead as you need to, take the piece in whatever order you need to in order to make sense of the text. Not everyone thinks linearly, and not everyone best understands texts linearly either.

Tip 5: Discuss the Text With a Friend (Even an Imaginary Friend)

Sometimes discussing what you know so far about a text can help clear up any confusion. If you have a friend who hasn't read the text in question, then explain it to them in your own words, and discuss where you feel your comprehension is lacking. You'll find that you've probably understood more than you think once you've been forced to explain it to someone who's completely unfamiliar with the piece.

Even if no one else is in the room, trying to teach or discuss what a passage says or means with "someone else" can be extremely beneficial. In fact, software engineers call this technique "rubber duck debugging," wherein they explain a coding problem to a rubber duck. This forces them to work through a problem aloud, which has proven time and time again to help people solve problems. So if a piece of text has your head spinning from trying to work through it by yourself, start chatting with your nearest friend/pet/rubber duck. You'll be surprised with how much easier it is to understand a text once you've talked it through with someone.

Even if that someone is a duck.

essay about reading skills

The Take-Aways

Improving reading comprehension takes time and effort, but it can be done. Be patient with yourself, work through your reading comprehension steps, and try not to get frustrated with yourself if you feel your progress is slow or if you feel you're "falling behind." You will utilize your reading skills throughout your life, so go at a pace that works for you, and take care to maintain that balance between reading for pure pleasure and reading for dedicated improvement.

As you begin to incorporate more and more reading into your daily life, you'll find that comprehension will become easier, and reading will become more fun. In every piece of text, there are worlds of meaning to explore, and learning how to uncover them can be the ultimate rewarding journey.

What's Next?

Can't get enough reading? Whether as part of your reading practice or just for fun, check out our picks for the 31 best books to read in high school.

Problems with procrastination? Whether you're studying for the SAT's or studying your reading comprehension vocabulary check out how to beat procrastination and get your studies back on track.

Want to earn better grades? Our guide will help you get that 4.0 you're striving for .

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Get eBook: 5 Tips for 160+ Points

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Courtney scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT in high school and went on to graduate from Stanford University with a degree in Cultural and Social Anthropology. She is passionate about bringing education and the tools to succeed to students from all backgrounds and walks of life, as she believes open education is one of the great societal equalizers. She has years of tutoring experience and writes creative works in her free time.

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essay about reading skills

Importance And Benefits Of Reading Skills In Communication

“There is no friend as loyal as a book”, said American author Ernest Hemingway. Books fire up your imagination, provide…

133. Stages And Strategies For Effective Reading

“There is no friend as loyal as a book”, said American author Ernest Hemingway. Books fire up your imagination, provide solace in times of grief, and open up your world.

The importance of a reading habit is intrinsically linked to professional success, as it opens up the mind to new experiences and provides new avenues of knowledge.

What Are Reading Skills?

The importance of reading, advantages of reading.

Reading can make you a better writer and speaker. Reading skills can take you a step ahead and help you achieve your objectives by customizing the way you read. If you choose the appropriate reading skill, it will enhance the reading process and help you achieve your goal.

If you wish to read for pleasure, you can use the extensive reading skill. There is no expectation from the reader here and you can understand the meaning of words through context. For example, after reading the sentence, “Tread softly because you tread on my dreams”, you would be able to make out that the meaning of tread has something to do with walking.

Among the various reading skills, intensive reading is used most often. Here, you pay complete attention to every word and understand it fully. This method would take you much longer to read, but the comprehension of the text would be much higher.

Another reading skill, critical reading, helps analyze and question the assumptions in the text. It enables you to arrive at your own conclusions.

When you want to go over information quickly, you use skimming. For example, going through a book before purchasing it. Sometimes when you read, you only look for a specific portion. This skill is called scanning.

Choosing the appropriate way to read can help you get maximum benefit. For example, you should not skim through something that you need to prepare a report on. Similarly, you may not want to apply the extensive reading skill for a topic that you don’t find interesting.

Reading enhances our life in several ways:

Exercising your mind

One of the advantages of reading is that it engages various parts of your brain. When you read, you exercise your comprehension abilities and your analytical abilities. It fires up your imagination and stimulates the memory centers of your mind. It helps recall information as well as stabilize your emotions.

The importance of a reading habit is that it strengthens mental muscles. Reading is one of the best mental workouts there is. It’s been found that regular mental stimulation can slow down and possibly even prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Reading keeps the mind agile and young.

The role of reading skills in communication

Swedish-American writer Frans Johansson, in his book The Medici Effect , explains how creativity is intersectional. Ideas born in one medium and industry can be used as inspiration for others.

Reading and writing work in similar ways. Reading improves your writing style and flow. Writers learn to perfect their craft by taking inspiration from other writers. It’s impossible to be a good writer if you don’t read. Acclaimed author Stephen King is said to carry a book with him wherever he goes. He even reads while eating.

Another vital role of reading skills in communication is perfecting your oratory skills . Reading teaches you new words and perspectives. It helps strengthen language and sharpens sentence structure. It gives you a better command over the language. All of these are critical to being a good speaker.

Finding yourself

Books work as portals to newer worlds. They have the potential to broaden your perspective, shape your attitude towards others and life, and open you up to new ways of thinking about everyday life.

One of the several advantages of reading is that it helps shape your identity. When you read, you decide who you want to become. You borrow bits from fictional characters you hold dear. For example, reading Sherlock Holmes can inspire you to become a detective or simply become more observant and analytical.

Becoming a well-read individual

Well-read individuals are held in awe. The words “well-read” are often used to denote a learned individual, full of wisdom.

Before the internet, books were the only sources of information and knowledge. Books contain the collective wisdom of our times. The more you read, the more you will learn about the world and the people in it. One of the great benefits of reading is that it helps you evolve your understanding of the world.

Keeping calm and entertained

Books can be a perfect escape from reality. They can cheer you up when you’re down, motivate you when you’re sad, and even keep you company when everybody else is busy.

One of the benefits of reading is that it relaxes your mind and body. You recharge your energy levels much faster when you read. Reading is the best way to end the day on a calm note. It may even help you fall asleep much faster.

The points above demonstrate the importance of maintaining a reading habit. Here are a few more benefits of reading regularly:

Improves your thinking skills and analytical abilities

There are times when you read a book and realize there are loopholes in the plot. You figure out who the murderer is before the book tells you. Somehow, your mind works faster when you read.

Reading sends your analytical and critical thinking abilities into hyperdrive. Each book becomes a puzzle your mind races to solve. With each book, it keeps improving its score.

These same abilities also apply to the real world. A reader’s mind is trained to notice tiny details. It puts the pieces together and can find connections. It is more adept at identifying patterns and solving puzzles. It learns how to synthesize knowledge better. In Harappa Education’s course on Reading Deeply , this aspect is covered in the module on Post Reading.

Helps you block out the noise

Short attention spans are the order of the day as lives become a constant stream of interruptions and activity.

You are expected to manage your WhatsApp messages and check your email and interact with your colleagues, all at the same time. Juggling such tasks reduces focus and lowers productivity.

But when you read a book, all your attention is focused. The importance of reading in our digital age cannot be overstated. It is perhaps the only way left to improve focus and attention.

Helps master a language

Reading is one of the best ways to learn a new language or gain mastery over a known one. Also, when you learn through stories, you learn much faster.

Learning about words through context is one of the most organic ways to understand their meaning and improve your vocabulary. This also helps gain knowledge about colloquial terms.

Connecting with others

Books can be great conversation starters and can help bond with new people.

Readers can have multiple stories to tell or topics to discuss, and can easily become the center of attention due to their knowledge. Their ability to objectively critique issues also makes them popular.

Keeps you grounded 

Reading is a constant exercise in  humility . The more you read, the more you realize how much you haven’t. That reminds you of how much further you still need to go. Each book reminds you of how limited your knowledge is.

Readers are friendlier and more accepting of others. They are always helpful as they know they too are still a work in progress.

Its benefits make reading a non-negotiable habit. A book can be many different things. It can be a guide when you are lost. It can be a companion when you feel alone.

While these benefits are remarkable, reading deeply requires expert guidance. You can learn all about in Harappa Education’s Reading Deeply course, which helps you improve your reading quotient. Sign up now to start your reading journey.

Explore our Harappa Diaries section to know more about topics related to the Communicate habit such as speaking skills , what is communication , and the importance of writing skills .

Reskilling Programs

L&D leaders need to look for reskilling programs that meet organizational goals and employee aspirations. The first step to doing this is to understand the skills gaps and identify what’s necessary. An effective reskilling program will be one that is scalable and measurable. Companies need to understand their immediate goals and prepare for future requirements when considering which employees to reskill.

Are you still uncertain about the kind of reskilling program you should opt for?  Speak to our expert   to understand what will work best for your organization and employees.

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Essay on Reading is a Good Habit

Students are often asked to write an essay on Reading is a Good Habit in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Reading is a Good Habit

Introduction.

Reading is a beneficial habit that enhances our knowledge and develops our imagination. It takes us on journeys to different worlds without leaving our homes.

Benefits of Reading

Reading opens our minds to new ideas and perspectives. It helps improve our vocabulary, language skills, and even our understanding of the world.

Reading and Creativity

Our creativity flourishes when we read. It encourages us to think, imagine, and create our own narratives.

In conclusion, reading is a good habit. It’s an enjoyable way to learn, grow, and escape into different worlds.

Also check:

  • Paragraph on Reading is a Good Habit

250 Words Essay on Reading is a Good Habit

The power of reading.

Reading is a powerful habit, capable of transforming lives. It is a gateway to knowledge, a path to intellectual growth, and a tool for personal development. Unlike many other habits, reading offers a multitude of benefits, making it an essential practice for everyone, especially college students.

Building Knowledge and Critical Thinking

Reading broadens the mind, introducing us to new ideas, perspectives, and cultures. It enhances our understanding of various subjects, making us more informed and versatile individuals. Additionally, reading develops critical thinking skills. It challenges us to analyze and interpret information, thereby fostering our ability to make informed decisions and solve complex problems.

Boosting Emotional Intelligence

Reading is not just about gaining knowledge; it’s also about understanding emotions. Literature, in particular, allows us to delve into the minds of characters, fostering empathy and emotional intelligence. This ability to understand and share the feelings of others is a crucial skill in our increasingly interconnected world.

Enhancing Communication Skills

Reading also improves our communication skills. It exposes us to diverse writing styles and expansive vocabularies, helping us to express our thoughts more effectively. Good communication is vital in all aspects of life, from personal relationships to professional settings.

In conclusion, reading is a habit that offers numerous benefits. It equips us with knowledge, enhances our critical thinking, boosts emotional intelligence, and improves communication skills. In the age of information, where knowledge is a key determinant of success, the habit of reading is indeed a good one to cultivate.

500 Words Essay on Reading is a Good Habit

Reading is a good habit that has the potential to fill our minds with knowledge and stimulate our imagination. It’s a timeless form of entertainment and learning, offering a window into the experiences, ideas, and perspectives of others. This essay explores the benefits of reading and why it is an essential habit for college students to cultivate.

Reading is a powerful tool that can broaden our horizons and deepen our understanding of the world. It allows us to explore different cultures, historical periods, and scientific concepts, all from the comfort of our own homes. This makes reading a valuable habit for intellectual growth and personal development.

In today’s digital age, we are inundated with information, making the ability to read and comprehend texts of utmost importance. Reading equips us with critical thinking skills, enabling us to analyze and evaluate the information we encounter, discerning fact from fiction.

Reading for Personal and Professional Growth

Reading is not only a source of knowledge but also a means of personal and professional growth. It can foster empathy by allowing us to see the world from different perspectives, thereby enhancing our emotional intelligence. This can be particularly beneficial for college students as they navigate diverse social environments.

Professionally, reading can enhance our communication skills. It exposes us to a wide range of vocabulary and writing styles, which can improve our ability to articulate thoughts and ideas effectively. For college students preparing to enter the workforce, this can be a significant advantage.

Reading as a Source of Relaxation

Amid the hustle and bustle of college life, reading can serve as a source of relaxation. Unlike screen-based activities that can strain the eyes and mind, reading a book can be a calming experience. It allows us to escape into different worlds and experiences, providing a much-needed break from our daily routines.

Building a Reading Habit

Building a reading habit may seem daunting, especially with the demands of college life. However, it can be achieved by setting aside a specific time for reading each day. Even a few minutes spent reading can add up over time, leading to substantial benefits.

Choosing books that align with your interests can also make the process more enjoyable. With the wide variety of genres available, there is something for everyone. As your reading habit strengthens, you may find yourself exploring new genres and topics, further enriching your knowledge and perspectives.

In conclusion, reading is a good habit that offers numerous benefits, from intellectual growth to personal and professional development. For college students, it provides a foundation for critical thinking, effective communication, and emotional intelligence. Despite the demands of college life, cultivating a reading habit is a worthwhile investment that can yield long-term benefits. By embracing reading, we can enrich our minds, broaden our perspectives, and enhance our lives.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Reading Books — A Reflection on the Improvement in My Reading, Writing, and Learning

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A Reflection on The Improvement in My Reading, Writing, and Learning

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Published: Dec 11, 2018

Words: 649 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Works Cited

  • Anderson, P. (2017). Technical Communication: A Reader-Centered Approach. Cengage Learning.
  • Bussmann, H., & A. Jansen, E. (2018). How to Write and Illustrate a Scientific Paper. Cambridge University Press.
  • Graff, G., & Birkenstein, C. (2018). They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. W. W. Norton & Company.
  • Hacker, D. (2019). A Writer's Reference. Bedford/St. Martin's.
  • Lunsford, A. A., & Ruszkiewicz, J. J. (2020). Everything's an Argument with Readings. Bedford/St. Martin's.
  • McWhorter, K. T. (2018). Reading and Writing About Contemporary Issues. Bedford/St. Martin's.
  • Oshima, A., & Hogue, A. (2018). Writing Academic English. Pearson Education.
  • Rosen, L. D., & Lim, A. F. (2018). Writing for the Information Age: Elements of Style for the 21st Century. Cengage Learning.
  • Strunk, W., Jr., & White, E. B. (2017). The Elements of Style. Penguin.
  • Williams, J. M., & Colomb, G. G. (2020). Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace. Pearson Education.

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Published on February 9, 2015 by Shane Bryson . Revised on July 23, 2023 by Shona McCombes.

This example guides you through the structure of an essay. It shows how to build an effective introduction , focused paragraphs , clear transitions between ideas, and a strong conclusion .

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Other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about writing an essay, an appeal to the senses: the development of the braille system in nineteenth-century france.

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

In France, debates about how to deal with disability led to the adoption of different strategies over time. While people with temporary difficulties were able to access public welfare, the most common response to people with long-term disabilities, such as hearing or vision loss, was to group them together in institutions (Tombs, 1996). At first, a joint institute for the blind and deaf was created, and although the partnership was motivated more by financial considerations than by the well-being of the residents, the institute aimed to help people develop skills valuable to society (Weygand, 2009). Eventually blind institutions were separated from deaf institutions, and the focus shifted towards education of the blind, as was the case for the Royal Institute for Blind Youth, which Louis Braille attended (Jimenez et al, 2009). The growing acknowledgement of the uniqueness of different disabilities led to more targeted education strategies, fostering an environment in which the benefits of a specifically blind education could be more widely recognized.

Several different systems of tactile reading can be seen as forerunners to the method Louis Braille developed, but these systems were all developed based on the sighted system. The Royal Institute for Blind Youth in Paris taught the students to read embossed roman letters, a method created by the school’s founder, Valentin Hauy (Jimenez et al., 2009). Reading this way proved to be a rather arduous task, as the letters were difficult to distinguish by touch. The embossed letter method was based on the reading system of sighted people, with minimal adaptation for those with vision loss. As a result, this method did not gain significant success among blind students.

Louis Braille was bound to be influenced by his school’s founder, but the most influential pre-Braille tactile reading system was Charles Barbier’s night writing. A soldier in Napoleon’s army, Barbier developed a system in 1819 that used 12 dots with a five line musical staff (Kersten, 1997). His intention was to develop a system that would allow the military to communicate at night without the need for light (Herron, 2009). The code developed by Barbier was phonetic (Jimenez et al., 2009); in other words, the code was designed for sighted people and was based on the sounds of words, not on an actual alphabet. Barbier discovered that variants of raised dots within a square were the easiest method of reading by touch (Jimenez et al., 2009). This system proved effective for the transmission of short messages between military personnel, but the symbols were too large for the fingertip, greatly reducing the speed at which a message could be read (Herron, 2009). For this reason, it was unsuitable for daily use and was not widely adopted in the blind community.

Nevertheless, Barbier’s military dot system was more efficient than Hauy’s embossed letters, and it provided the framework within which Louis Braille developed his method. Barbier’s system, with its dashes and dots, could form over 4000 combinations (Jimenez et al., 2009). Compared to the 26 letters of the Latin alphabet, this was an absurdly high number. Braille kept the raised dot form, but developed a more manageable system that would reflect the sighted alphabet. He replaced Barbier’s dashes and dots with just six dots in a rectangular configuration (Jimenez et al., 2009). The result was that the blind population in France had a tactile reading system using dots (like Barbier’s) that was based on the structure of the sighted alphabet (like Hauy’s); crucially, this system was the first developed specifically for the purposes of the blind.

While the Braille system gained immediate popularity with the blind students at the Institute in Paris, it had to gain acceptance among the sighted before its adoption throughout France. This support was necessary because sighted teachers and leaders had ultimate control over the propagation of Braille resources. Many of the teachers at the Royal Institute for Blind Youth resisted learning Braille’s system because they found the tactile method of reading difficult to learn (Bullock & Galst, 2009). This resistance was symptomatic of the prevalent attitude that the blind population had to adapt to the sighted world rather than develop their own tools and methods. Over time, however, with the increasing impetus to make social contribution possible for all, teachers began to appreciate the usefulness of Braille’s system (Bullock & Galst, 2009), realizing that access to reading could help improve the productivity and integration of people with vision loss. It took approximately 30 years, but the French government eventually approved the Braille system, and it was established throughout the country (Bullock & Galst, 2009).

Although Blind people remained marginalized throughout the nineteenth century, the Braille system granted them growing opportunities for social participation. Most obviously, Braille allowed people with vision loss to read the same alphabet used by sighted people (Bullock & Galst, 2009), allowing them to participate in certain cultural experiences previously unavailable to them. Written works, such as books and poetry, had previously been inaccessible to the blind population without the aid of a reader, limiting their autonomy. As books began to be distributed in Braille, this barrier was reduced, enabling people with vision loss to access information autonomously. The closing of the gap between the abilities of blind and the sighted contributed to a gradual shift in blind people’s status, lessening the cultural perception of the blind as essentially different and facilitating greater social integration.

The Braille system also had important cultural effects beyond the sphere of written culture. Its invention later led to the development of a music notation system for the blind, although Louis Braille did not develop this system himself (Jimenez, et al., 2009). This development helped remove a cultural obstacle that had been introduced by the popularization of written musical notation in the early 1500s. While music had previously been an arena in which the blind could participate on equal footing, the transition from memory-based performance to notation-based performance meant that blind musicians were no longer able to compete with sighted musicians (Kersten, 1997). As a result, a tactile musical notation system became necessary for professional equality between blind and sighted musicians (Kersten, 1997).

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

Bullock, J. D., & Galst, J. M. (2009). The Story of Louis Braille. Archives of Ophthalmology , 127(11), 1532. https://​doi.org/10.1001/​archophthalmol.2009.286.

Herron, M. (2009, May 6). Blind visionary. Retrieved from https://​eandt.theiet.org/​content/​articles/2009/05/​blind-visionary/.

Jiménez, J., Olea, J., Torres, J., Alonso, I., Harder, D., & Fischer, K. (2009). Biography of Louis Braille and Invention of the Braille Alphabet. Survey of Ophthalmology , 54(1), 142–149. https://​doi.org/10.1016/​j.survophthal.2008.10.006.

Kersten, F.G. (1997). The history and development of Braille music methodology. The Bulletin of Historical Research in Music Education , 18(2). Retrieved from https://​www.jstor.org/​stable/40214926.

Mellor, C.M. (2006). Louis Braille: A touch of genius . Boston: National Braille Press.

Tombs, R. (1996). France: 1814-1914 . London: Pearson Education Ltd.

Weygand, Z. (2009). The blind in French society from the Middle Ages to the century of Louis Braille . Stanford: Stanford University Press.

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    Reading skills are of various forms such as skimming, scanning, paraphrasing, summarizing, and inferring on context. The development of these skills such as mentioned is of high importance because reading …show more content…. According to Mahfoodh, 2007, proficient readers are those who are able to gain understanding on any written statements.

  14. How to Improve Reading Comprehension: 8 Expert Tips

    Tip 3: Re-read (or Skim) Previous Sections of the Text. For the most part, reading is a personal activity that happens entirely in your head. So don't feel you have to read just like anyone else if "typical" methods don't work for you. Sometimes it can make the most sense to read (or re-read) a text out of order.

  15. Importance Of Reading Skills Essay

    Importance Of Reading Skills Essay. Reading - A Self Sufficient Skill. The skill of reading is an integral part of all types of learning particularly language learning. It precedes and strongly determines the quality of all important skill, the skill of writing. Proper development of reading skill ensures a sound base for writing.

  16. Importance And Benefits Of Reading Skills In Communication

    Among the various reading skills, intensive reading is used most often. Here, you pay complete attention to every word and understand it fully. This method would take you much longer to read, but the comprehension of the text would be much higher. Another reading skill, critical reading, helps analyze and question the assumptions in the text.

  17. The Importance Of Early Reading Skills

    The Importance Of Early Reading Skills. Reading is a skill often taken for granted but it is essential in order to progress in life. For a child being able to read well helps them learn new things, give ideas and enables use of imagination. National literacy trust (2015) suggests that children's early language skills can have a major impact ...

  18. How to Improve Your Reading Skills

    The following steps also help outline what you might do to improve and further develop your reading skills. 1. Set aside time to read each day. One of the most effective ways to build your skills is to practice. Developing your reading skills will ultimately take practice, and you can set aside 10 to 15 minutes each day to read.

  19. How To Write An Essay About Reading Skills

    2796 Words | 12 Pages. Reading is an essential life skill. The ultimate goal of reading is to comprehend and make meaningful connections with text. Therefore, the development of skills needed for reading begins at an early age and progresses through stages into adulthood (Chall, 1996).

  20. Essay on Reading is a Good Habit

    Introduction. Reading is a good habit that has the potential to fill our minds with knowledge and stimulate our imagination. It's a timeless form of entertainment and learning, offering a window into the experiences, ideas, and perspectives of others. This essay explores the benefits of reading and why it is an essential habit for college ...

  21. A Reflection on The Improvement in My Reading, Writing, and Learning

    Reading is not only about speaking, but also about how to find ideas and make sense of the presented materials. Reading is very essential to the entire process, because once one is familiarized with proper reading techniques , they can also improve in other areas such as writing. Through this class, my writing skills have also improved ...

  22. The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay

    The essay writing process consists of three main stages: Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline. Writing: Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion. Revision: Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling ...

  23. Example of a Great Essay

    This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people's social and cultural lives.