Hi dadair,
Thank you for an interesting question. Ahhh... the joys of reading
just because I love to read. :)
Cornell University 2005 New Student Reading Project
http://reading.cornell.edu/welcome.html
"According to a recent study by the National Endowment for the Arts,
the amount of reading done for pleasure is down in this country,
especially reading of literature such as fiction, poetry and drama. It
is happening across all age groups, all genders and races, regardless
of income, education, or region. Perhaps most disturbing, the steepest
decline has come among young adults, ages 18 to 24, over the past two
decades."
[edit]
"Reading is the best thing we can do, for ourselves and each other.
Not only does it enrich our lives, but it can enrich the world around
us. As the NEA survey also indicates, people who read for pleasure are
many more times more likely than those who don't to visit museums and
attend concerts, and almost three times as likely to perform volunteer
and charity work. Readers are active participants in the world around
them, and that is the best kind of person to be."
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HowtoAdvice.com
http://www.howtoadvice.com/Preview/Jaqfbx/
7 Benefits of Reading Fiction
"Is your life so busy you're wondering how you are going to find time
to read more, especially when it's just for 'pleasure'? Having trouble
justifying it, even to yourself? Leisure activities like reading are
often the things that slide when life goes into overdrive. And that's
sad because it's an activity that can make life richer and more
enjoyable.
A lot has been written about the benefits of reading for and to
children. However, there is very little about the benefits to adults
in engaging in regular reading. Let me assure you that the benefits
for adults do exist and are many and varied.
Some of these include:
1. Providing an escape from the day-to-day Fiction is a great way to
take a quick immediate break, to be instantly transported into another
world. Today you could be in America, in the deep south with Alice
Walker's 'The Colour Purple', tomorrow in the Australian bush with Tim
Winton's 'Dirt Music', next week in downtown London with Helen
Fielding's 'Bridget Jones Diary' and next month in Ireland with Jim
O'Neill's 'At Swim, Two Boys'. There is no limit to the places fiction
can take you.
2. Relaxation There is something about stopping to focus on words
arranged for our reading pleasure that is instantly relaxing. Maybe
it's staying still, something that doesn't seem to happen often
enough. Maybe it's knowing that we are stepping into a secret world
that we have to relax enough to enter. Then there is the words
themselves. The beauty and rhythm of language has the ability to calm
and relax us.
3. Stress relief Taking your mind off your own problems, even for a
few minutes, can have a therapeutic effect and be a timely circuit
breaker. This is so effective that the National Health System in the
United Kingdom has introduced a 'Reading and You Scheme'. The scheme
encourages mental health patients to read more as part of their
therapy for reducing stress and overcoming anxiety, depression and
social isolation.
4. Stimulates the right side of your brain Reading opens your mind to
new possibilities. It stretches your imagination in new and wonderful
directions and takes your mind on a wonderful journey through others'
lives.
[edit]
5. Entertaining Fiction is capable of provoking many and varied
emotional responses ? it can make you laugh out loud, it can make
tears spill onto the page, it can be edge-of-the seat terrifying, it
can make you blush with embarrassment, it can challenge your core
beliefs. There is a world of emotion in every story and you as the
reader get to be part of it.
6. Enjoyable Reading is a deeply satisfying pursuit. The expression
'curling up with a book' evokes a warm and cosy image and feels
luxurious if you don't get to do it often.
7. Rejuvenating Reading is an easy and quick way to nourish your soul
because it is for the most part a solitary pursuit. And being alone,
or at least alone in your thoughts, on a regular basis is crucial to
maintaining a sense of self. As I'm sure you know, it's easier to give
to others when you feel fulfilled and your needs are met. Even just a
few minutes of reading can keep you going throughout the day. Of
course, you know you've read something special when you find your
thoughts continually re-visiting it.
Reading is like exercising ? mental and physical benefits flow from a
regular routine.
So don't feel guilty about taking time out to read. Its good for you!"
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Why People Should Read for Pleasure
http://www.eslbee.com/why_people_should_read_for_pleasure.htm
"In the past years the use of the television and the internet has
increased; this situation has caused many people to change their likes
and the way that they enjoy their free time. Because of television
and the internet, many people spend less time reading, so the purpose
for this essay is to present reasons why people should read just for
pleasure. The reasons that I give you are quite simple: to improve
your knowledge, to expand your general culture, to have more fun, to
make your imagination fly, to find new ways to express your ideas, and
finally to expand your vocabulary.
The first reason that I give you to enjoy reading is that when you
read, you can expand your knowledge and also your culture. There are a
lot of good books in which you can find history, novels, tragedies,
comedies and a variety of other themes. You can see that people who
read more often frequently have a bigger knowledge of life and also a
bigger perspective of their environment. I think that fact gives them
an advantage over all others who do not read frequently.
The second reason to read more often is that through books you can
have fun and even travel in your imagination. Children have not yet
lost the ability of getting into their dreams, and because of this,
in their first years the parents read a lot of tales in which they
use their imagination. Adults should try to keep this ability, so we
do not forget the importance of the use of the imagination. The
imagination also represents a tool that could help you to develop your
professional career in a creative way.
Finally, the third and the most important feature that reading offers
you is that it does not matter the age that you have, you always could
expand your vocabulary and the ways to express your ideas to the
others in a simple and correct form. By the time you can improve the
kind of books that you read, there are a lot of categories, so you
will never stop learning from the pleasure of reading. People who know
how to choose a book generally have the capability of choosing a
formal book in which they can find formal grammatical structures and
obviously a formal vocabulary. All these things allow them to gain
greater fluency in their communication."
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Arizona State Universtity College
http://www.asu.edu/xed/reading/
Reading Skills Programs for Children and Adults
"and also helps to stimulate a lifelong interest in reading for pleasure.
Of all the things parents do for their children, there are very few as
important as helping them to develop a love of books and the habit of
reading independently for pleasure.
The benefits of enjoying reading last a lifetime. Reading well
profoundly affects your child's academic and professional success, and
it also shapes your child's character. No matter what your child's
age, level of reading skill, and current attitude toward books, it's
never too late to develop a love of reading".
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Home Schooling Resources
http://www.home-schooling-resources.net/homeschool-books.html
"Education through books goes far beyond the use of text books. Home
schooling families have used books of all types as critical tools to
educate their children. Simply, reading for pleasure can be the best
reading lesson for your child."
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An excellent article you might be interested in purchasing to read
online is titled "Making the Case for Pleasure Reading"
http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0199-429889_ITM
Making the case for pleasure reading.
Publication Date: 01-APR-04
Publication Title: Teacher Librarian
Format: Online - approximately 1936 words
Author: MacDonell, Colleen
Article Price: $9.95
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Best regards,
tlspiegel |
