Everyone Should Learn To Read!

I can not imagine going through my everyday life and not knowing how to put letters together to form a word or reading that word. Whether reading for pleasure or out of necessity, humanity should be able to read. There are books on all sorts of genres or categories including books to learn to read. All books can be broken down into sub- sections for a more defined reading experience.

My five most important reasons for reading books are fairly self-explanatory. First and foremost is an interest in what I am about to read. If there is no interest or curiosity about the book, the title or the story, then why would I want to read that book? Sometimes there is a need to read a book such as a cookbook or a pamphlet from a doctor that encourages you to read for a particular reason. Mostly books should be read for fun as a way to de-stress. If it is not fun, you probably won't want to read another book for fear that you won't enjoy it. Puzzles books for me can be fun. I like the search and find as well as crossword puzzles. Required reading is a little more difficult. Not because of the words but if it is something that we must read, such as an instruction booklet or assembly instructions, it is important but not truly fun or enjoyable.

Reading is not always from a book. Today's technology has allowed us to read a book digitally so that we don't actually have a physical book in hand. Throughout the course of any given day for most people involves reading of one degree or another. As a child it is our class time and homework. We should be able to interpret our bills that we receive daily. Or what about all of the paperwork that we have to read and fill out when we are at the doctor's office for ourselves or children, to apply for a job, or to write an article that hopefully will be read.

I was raised in a single parent home like a lot of folks and had a great learning environment to help broaden my horizons. My favorite subject was always spelling and perhaps that is why I find reading easier than a lot of people. Unfortunately, I did not learn how to like and appreciate a book and what it can do for you until I was an adult. We did not have books in our home while I was growing up and when I became an adult I mentioned to both of my parents how much I enjoyed reading and both parents asked "Why?".

Reading is a useful tool. A book small or large, thick or thin, with or without pictures can be something of value. Since my husband has taught me that I enjoy a good book, it has added to my life in ways I never could have imagined. Though I do not enjoy a lot of the classics since I am not good at figuring out the moral of a story, I do like an easy read mystery. I have also figured out that I love reading to our grandchildren and sometimes changing my voice to fit the story characters. I wish that I had developed my love for books when I was young enough to share it my children so that maybe they would have a better appreciation for reading a book now.

Board books are a great beginning for toddlers to start their vocabulary and possibly recognize words on sight later when starting school. A book can be a guide to self-help through a time of struggle or a way to pass the time while mending a broken leg. Being able to read a cookbook has helped me to fix more healthy meals at home so that my husband doesn't suffer another heart attack (at least from my no-salt cooking).

Reading has had a lot of clichés attached to it over the years: reading is fun, reading is fundamental; the 3 r's...reading, writing, and arithmetic...that one always confused me. Whatever the reason that someone is reading, it is great and I wish that I could make it as easily available to everyone as going to the store and purchasing it from the shelf.

Pick up a book and read, read, read. Now that's 3 r's!