By Melissa Mora Carvajal - School of Education Student

Can we make a non-reader read a book? Reading is a healthy and beneficial hobby for all ages. Through reading, we get to know other people and listen to their opinions. Reading can affect not only the acquisition of knowledge and information but also the improvement of learning and writing capacity. However, young people living in the digital age have little interest in reading, making it difficult for them to enjoy the many opportunities that reading offers. That is why it is necessary to let them know that there is a lot to be gained from this. For a child, reading is not just a learning tool, but it is also a game. However, change depends on the perception we leave them about reading. Now it is our turn to positively change their perspective on reading.

The first step we must take to increase our writing proficiency is to read a lot. As Ana See said: “read a thousand books, and your words will flow like a river.” (De Silva, 2017). No one will be surprised by the undeniable fact that we must read wisely to write well. Yes, if we want to write as impressively as an actual writer does, we first must read someone else's writing. As Heavenridge (2015) supported, “a writer who doesn’t read is like a musician who doesn’t listen to music or a filmmaker who doesn’t watch films. It is impossible to do good work without experiencing the good work that has been gone before.”

According to the International Journal of Business Administration, students' writing skills are directly affected by what they read. Their research even shows that what students read has a greater impact on students' writing skills than even writing classes (Douglas & Miller, 2016). However, it is more effective if we not only read it, but read it thoroughly. It is a good idea to get into the habit of reading while taking notes. This allows us to expand our use of words and add new colors to our writing style and the way we use language. We must also remember that there is a significant difference between "light reading" and "exact reading". The only way to solve this is by letting them know that reading is not a must but is enjoyable enough.

Now, the question is, how do we get students to enjoy reading? If we as adults do not read, how can we tell our children to read? Furthermore, in a world where there are many more interesting devices than books, it is extremely difficult as a teacher to persuade children to read books. For children to be interested in and read books consistently, we must first bring a variety of interesting and diverse books that make them feel like they want to read them. What kind of book will the students be happy with? First, it should be a book with fun, persuasive, inspiring content, and a coherent theme. Any job that tackles a new endeavor or an ambitious new story is sufficient. But above all, a delightful book should be a busy book on the shelf. It is important to create a correct reading environment and remind them that reading a book is not stressful but rather calming, personal, welcoming, and fun.

Cultivating habitual reading habits can go a long way towards helping our students lead a subjective and creative life. In addition to improving writing, when faced with demanding situations in life, we can even get answers and encourage those skills through reading. It is true that children's reading improves and grows over time. So, if we do not give up and steadily guide them, their reading skills are sure to grow. The only thing we will have to worry about now is to make sure they feel comfortable and happy when it comes to reading and keep reminding them that books are such good friends.

 

MOXIE es el Canal de ULACIT (www.ulacit.ac.cr), producido por y para los estudiantes universitarios, en alianza con el medio periodístico independiente Delfino.cr, con el propósito de brindarles un espacio para generar y difundir sus ideas.  Se llama Moxie - que en inglés urbano significa tener la capacidad de enfrentar las dificultades con inteligencia, audacia y valentía - en honor a nuestros alumnos, cuyo “moxie” los caracteriza.

References:
  • De Silva, R., (2017). 18 Motivational Quotes to Bring Out the Writer in You.
    Medium. https://writingcooperative.com/18-motivational-quotes-to-bring-out-the-writer-in-you-ea3e61c93734
  • Douglas, Y., & Miller, S., (2016). Syntactic Complexity of Reading Content Directly Impacts Complexity of Mature Students’ Writing. Sciedupress. http://www.sciedupress.com/journal/index.php/ijba/article/view/9481/5736
  • Heavenridge, P., (2015). Why Read? Reason #7. The More One Reads, the Better Writer They Become. Literacyworks. https://www.literacyworks.org/news/2015/6/2/why-read-reason-7-the-more-one-reads-the-better-writer-they-become