ViV Magazine Volume 4 (April - May 2014) ViV Magazine Volume 4 (April - May 2014) | Page 66

THE JOY
OF READING!

“Reading opens
doors towards an
unk nown universe”
There are so many reasons which validate the importance of
reading in children as well as adults that it would be difficult
for us to enumerate them on one page. Nevertheless, just to
mention a few, you must know that more than an exercise,
reading is actually a true pleasure and nourishment for the
brain. Yes, it is indeed, one of the best exercises for the brain,
and a quite complex activity which enhances the brain’s
“hard-wiring” and, as a matter of fact, creates new cerebral
connections, while increasing our capacity to concentrate.
The practice of silently reading material written in black on the
white pages of a book, benefits us much more than watching
TV. or staring at the screen of a computer or of electronic
games, whose noise, constant movement and flashing lights
are polluting agents which stress our eyes and our brain.
Reading also stimulates our imagination since our brain
visualizes what we read about people, places and things. When
a story captivates our attention, we imagine the characters
and share their emotions. We use our own experiences to
transpose ourselves in similar situations. Reading also teaches
us to feel empathy beyond cultural borders, allowing us to
identify ourselves to characters of different nationalities,
beliefs and traditions.
Another benefit of reading is that it helps us escape, by
relaxing our body and calming our mind, since we must stay
still in order to read and once we penetrate into the word
of letters, we momentarily disconnect ourselves from our
problems and the daily stress. It is a very important aspect
because nowadays, we seem to have forgotten how to relax
and most of all how to enjoy silence.
For those kids who adopt the good habit of reading since
a very young age, books become a part of their daily life.
Reading opens doors for them towards an unknown universe,
and teaches them things about the world they live in and
the people who surround them, and lets them experience
all types of adventures. And it is a fact that parents who
read frequently generally instill the taste for reading to their
children, by giving them the good example. And there are
many ways to encourage kids to read: by taking advantage
of all the circumstances of our daily life to show them the
usefulness of reading, by including the reading of story books
before mister sandman arrives, as a part of the bedtime
routine, etc., which is also a nice way for children to fall
asleep with one and a thousand images in their minds while
dreaming of their favorite heroes.
And what can we say language wise? Reading is the best
source of enrichment of our vocabulary. When reading,
we discover new words, new expressions to add to our
repertoire, which helps us to better structure our writing and
to express ourselves more fluently and precisely by following
the patterns provided by the texts and situations.
Furthermore, one never feels lonely in the company of a good
book and although it is true that travelling enlightens, well
reading even more so.

ViVmaghaiti.com | Pg. 66 |