National Reading Month–The Importance of Reading
The month of March is National Reading Month. This month is designated to motivate Americans of all ages to read every day. Reading regularly has been linked to development of positive mental health throughout our lives.
It is never too early to help children develop reading skills. In fact, the National Early Literacy Panel produced a report over recent research that states literacy skills begin to develop at birth. As a result, you can have a large influence on young children’s later success. This can be accomplished by helping them learn the alphabet by singing it aloud, play with letters to enable letter recognition, finger paint and teach them how to write each letter and how to write their names, etc. Other fun beneficial activities for this age group can be found at Celebrate National Reading Month.
For school age children, reading aloud to them is beneficial for their continued progress in literacy skills. Reading aloud together helps the child develop their phonics skills. This is the ability to hear and identify the correspondence between these sounds and the spelling patterns that represent them. In addition, engage the child in conversations on what kind of books they enjoy reading and why those genres are their preference. Doing these types of activities can help him/her gain confidence that will help them excel in school. Other helpful tips for reading to and/or with this age group can be found at Reading to School-Age Children.
We can all set examples that will inspire our youth to read as they continue to grow. For instance, reading daily yourself sets a great example. Keeping books, magazines, newspapers, interesting blogs, etc. visible will encourage you and the youth to read. Taking a trip to the public library or bookstores can also be a great way to spend time with youth you are involved with. Other helpful tips can be found at Raising a Reader.
Forming a habit of reading daily has several positive effects on people of all ages. It keeps your brain stimulated resulting in slowing the progress of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. Keeping your brain engaged can also increase your knowledge, vocabulary, capability to write, and enhance analytical skills. In addition, those who regularly read have a better memory, ability to focus, and longer concentration skills. All of which are beneficial in school and/or the workplace. Reading is also often thought of as a great stress relief and promotes tranquility.
Reading is a crucial life skill that must be developed and maintained throughout our lives. Create a habit of reading for fifteen minutes a day. This small commitment can lead to the benefits described above. This can seem like a daunting task, but here are some resources to help you get back to reading: How to Get Into Reading, and 14 Ways to Cultivate a Lifetime of Reading.
If you have questions regarding any of the information mentioned in this week’s article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. Please always feel free to contact my office if you have any questions or issues regarding a Texas state agency, or if you would like to contact my office regarding constituent services. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
– State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter represents Nueces County (Part). He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.texas.gov or at 512-463-0672
