by Kate O'Leary

Created on: February 14, 2010

Reading can literally change and save lives.  Reading can give individuals the power and the skills and the knowledge to overcome almost any obstacle.  The best gift that a parent or other adult can give a child is a love for reading.  Books allow you to escape and dream.  Additionally a love of reading is one of the most important things needed to be a successful student and adult.  Even in today's world where so much knowledge is transmitted by technology and twenty-four hour news channels the importance of the written word can not and should not be discounted.  Even today most people polled will tell you that they are more likely to believe something they read then something that they hear.

The benefits of reading begin at a very young age.  The reality is that teachers tend to favor students who are able to read at an early age.  These students are identified as gifted and they tend to move forward faster then students who may struggle with reading.  In middle and high school the majority of learning is done by reading.  It does not matter what subject you are studying you are expected to learn it by reading about it and then answering questions.  The more one reads the more likely one is to be a good writer.  So when you encourage your child to read you are also teaching them to write and one of the best ways to get your point across is to write.

Moving into college and graduate school reading becomes even more important.  In middle and high school teachers are more readily available to answer questions and guide a student through a class by the time one gets to college the student is really the one who is responsible for his or her own education.

After graduation it is very easy for life to take over.  Jobs and families tend to be the priorities and dreams can and sometimes have to be put to the side books and reading can give you back your dreams and let you experience things through the written word that you may have to put on hold.  If you dream of going to Paris and finding love and creating great art but you are seven months pregnant with your second child and two mortgages and a husband who just lost his job the reality is that you are probably not going to Paris but you can find a book about living and loving in Paris and for a few minutes a day you can escape.  When you are in your mid forties and have a job that you really like and is challenging and gives you opportunities

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