1. WHY IS READING SO IMPORTANT?

2. Some people love to read and others really dislike it. • Some people find it easy, others find it difficult. • No matter how you feel about it, it is important to understand the value of reading and why you should always make it a part of your life.

3. Reading Makes You Smarter • It’s a fact: people who read do better in school in all subjects. • There is a direct connection between people who read and broad intelligence. People who read a lotknow more about a variety of subjects.

4. Smart People Read!! See these Jeopardy contestants? They may be lawyers, teachers, chefs, writers, soldiers, etc. but one thing they ALL share is a passion for reading.

5. Reading Builds Confidence • When you know how to read well and increase your knowledge in all areas, you feel pretty good about yourself!

6. Reading Improves… Reading • As with any skill, the more you practice, the better you will get. There is no magic formula. if you want to become good at reading…READ!!

7. Reading Improves Vocabulary • It’s no secret that if you read a great deal you are always learning new vocabulary words through context clues. • Do you know what the following word means? melancholy • See if you can figure it out: When all of Ted’s friends left town for the summer, he felt so melancholy and alone, his mom signed him up for camp.

8. Books not only teach you what words mean but how to use them correctly. • Vocabulary is one of the most measurable and valued forms of intelligence. • I relish learning new words.

9. Reading Improves Spelling • People who read a great deal are often much better at spelling than people who avoid books. • It makes sense: if you read a lot you see the same words over and over. Effortless studying!

10. Reading Improves Writing • There is no better writing teacher than a good book. Everything you need to know about interesting openings, vivid characters, exciting plots…even how to write dialogue is sitting on the shelves of your library or bookstore. • Nobody should be surprised that J.K. Rowling loves to read!!

11. Reading and Writing Go Hand-In-Hand • Using what you read to support your writing will be used in all your years of study. • This skill is also used in many, many careers. For example, lawyers read about the facts of a case, as well as law books, and then write legal documents using what they read to support their arguments.

12. Reading Exercises the Brain • Studies show that people who read a lot have a greater ability to concentrate for longer periods of time. • Studies also prove that reading improves memory. Those who read regularly tend to perform better on both written and verbal tests.

13. Reading fires up the many parts of the brain because it uses multiple skills such as processing, visualization, and drawing conclusions. That is the ultimate brain exercise!

14. Reading Stimulates Imagination • People who read a great deal have much more vivid imaginations. Your mind is what creates the pictures. • Have you ever imagined a conversation with a character in a book, or maybe a different ending to a story? That is your imagination in flight.

15. Creativity is not only helpful if you want to write the next Harry Potter series. It’s an essential quality to have if you want to want to develop video games or work at Google. Exciting careers require imagination!

16. Reading Teaches You About the World • Through reading, students learn about people, places and events outside your own experience. You are exposed to ways of life, ideas and beliefs about the world which may be different from those which surround you.

17. Reading Teaches Compassion and Empathy • It makes sense that as you read, you identify with characters and what they go through. • The more you read about different human experiences the more understanding you become about the difficulties and challenges of others. That is what empathy means. • In literary terms, it calleda theme; you might think of it as a life lesson.

18. Reading Stirs the Senses • Have you ever read a really scary story and kind of liked it? • A newspaper article may be infuriating. • A really great poem can make you laugh or cry. • Reading is an excellent way to get in touch with your feelings!!

19. You Are Never Alone If You Have a Book • Reading is a fantastic form of entertainment that does not require anyone else. Unlike texting, Facebook, Instagram, and Xbox Live; the characters you create in your mind are right there on the page. • Remember when we all lost power last year? I was happy to curl up by a window with a book…no charger needed!

20. Reading is the Best Thing There Is • I hope this year you either continue to indulge your love or reading or find that one book you connect with that shows you that the whole world and beyond is in the pages of books.