Momentum - Business to Business Online Magazine MOMENTUM October 2019 | Page 32

EDUCATION DALANA SOWELLS 832.895.1233 [email protected] www.kumon.com/league-city-south | Facebook Celebrating National Book Month: The Benefits of Reading B ooks have helped millions of children and adults alike across the world explore their imaginations for decades. As the summer winds down and fall begins, we are set to enter October, which is also National Book Month. Reading to your child is one of the most crucial things you can do for their eventual success in reading, as well as to keep your own mind sharp. Unfortunately, according to the National Endowment for the Arts, there is a steady decline of literary reading. In fact, only 43 percent of American adults read at least one work of literature—novels, short stories, poems each year. There’s no doubt that video games, tablets, streaming services, and endless content within the Internet are to blame for that decline, as it’s clear there are many more distractions today than there were decades ago. This leads to a pressing question: With the drastic digital takeover, does it even matter if people are reading fewer works of literature? In short, yes! There’s proof that reading actual books on paper is more beneficial than skimming social media posts or news updates on digital screens. This Recommended Reading List contains 380 books designed to help you as a parent select material that enhances your child’s appreciation for and understanding of the English language and helps to cultivate a lifelong joy of reading. Many of the books on the Recommended Reading List have won literary awards such as the Newbery and Caldecott Medals, the Pulitzer Prize, and the National Book Award. The list covers a range of titles from read-aloud books to the classics. The rich literature exposes your child to history, the arts, science, 30 MOMENTUM and culture, as well as features a diversity of genres, writing styles, and authors. These include classics such as Goodnight Moon, Green Eggs and Ham, James and the Giant Peach, and other well-known children’s literature like Bridge to Terabithia– all designed to spark creativity and imagination in those who read the stories. Incorporating literary fiction appears to boost the quality of empathy in readers, because it allows them to see the world from another person’s perspective, whether it’s the author or the character imagined in the novel. Empathy isn’t the only benefit obtained from reading literature. Check out these research driven reasons to read more literature. Increased Brain Power As we age, we experience a decline in memory and brain function. Reading may help slow that process. Reading Can Relax You Reading may reduce stress by as much as 68%. Reading Raises Intellect Children’s books expose kids to 50% more words than prime-time TV; enriching vocabulary and increasing knowledge. Stave-Off Dementia Those who engage in activities like reading could be 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Reading Habits Rub-Off Reading out loud to kids throughout their elementary school years might push them towards adapting the habit of reading more. Helps Sleep Reading before bed creates a signal to your body that it’s time to wind down and go to sleep. So, in honor of National Book Month, throw on some pajamas, curl up with a mug of hot tea, and crack open your favorite book, whatever it may be!