reading

Recent conversation with my colleagues left me with some questions: How is my life better because I read? What does reading add to my life?

Because I read…

– I learn about all sorts of topics. From biology (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks to Garbology, which, yes, is still in progress!) to history to human behavior….I learn about a variety of topics. This gives me background knowledge.

– I understand people better. Recent studies (click) have found that people who read more tend to be more empathetic. I want a world of nice people. Don’t you?

– I escape. Sometimes my life isn’t going all that well. Reading a book provides me a break from reality.

– I have a larger vocabulary. I still remember being in 3rd or 4th grade and reading aloud the word “chaos.” I didn’t know how to pronounce it, but I knew what it meant because I was a reader. Stephen Krashen did a meta-analysis of over 50 peer-reviewed research studies in his book The Power of Reading. Beck and McKeown have done countless studies on vocabulary. More reading = larger vocabulary.

– I have a higher quality of life. I like talking to people about books. I like analyzing authors and their work. I like reading something and discussing it with someone else and hearing their point of view. I see things in ways I haven’t seen them and shouldn’t we all learn from others’ perspectives?

– I’m a better writer.

– I have peace. There’s nothing quite like the peace (or frustration) after finishing the last page of an excellent book. It’s a reflective, quiet time that I need for my soul.

– I have a better relationship with my children. Having my children in my lap as they listen to a book is quiet time (which for boys is especially great) that bonds us. It always amazes me that my bouncing, jumping, running, leaping, daring children quiet and still and stare fasinated at books. Books hold that power.

– I have a better relationship with my husband. We are reading Unbroken together and it will take us months to get through it, but it’s much more quality time together than in front of the tv or watching a movie together.

I don’t think I’m better than anyone else because I read and they might not. I think for my life and what feeds my soul, I cannot imagine not reading. Would I still be a happy person if I never was a reader? Probably. But with all that it adds to my life, why wouldn’t I read?

I’ve been reading a book for so long that I’m now actually paying for the opportunity to read it. How does this happen? I checked out the book for the first time in late November/December. I didn’t finish it within three weeks so I renewed it. I didn’t finish it within those three weeks. I tried to renew it, but I was past my limit. So, I went through the reservation request at the library. The book came in; I checked it out. I didn’t finish it. I renewed it. And now it’s due. I mean, it was due a week ago. So now I am paying 10 cents a day to read a book I haven’t finished in four months.

The point? I AM a reader. I can recognize that I’m being stubborn and probably should have stopped reading this book long ago. I know that I will eventually finish it (except I have to actually pick it UP and OPEN it to finish it, right?) and move on to another book. I have about 25 books on my Good Reads account to read next. I know that this is just a speedbump.

But for our students who aren’t readers, this isn’t a speedbump. This is their reading life. They only have these kinds of experiences. And by “these kinds” of experiences I mean struggling through books. For whatever reason (interest, ability, etc.) they struggle through them. Without a strong reading life to connect to, this becomes their only reading life.

So as I finish up today and go and (possibly? miraculously?) read another chapter of this book I will pass over my desk with 3 books lined up ready to go, knowing they are on the other side, wondering if our students have their own stack.