Why Should Your Kid Read?

1.Reading makes students smarter, more creative, more able to understand others, and more successful in future careers. Studies have shown that young people who were voracious readers (those who read a lot more than just the assigned reading in school) throughout elementary to high school and college are more intelligent, more flexible in their thinking, have more ideas, understand people much better, and have a much higher chance of being successful in life, no matter which career they choose.

A case in point is Bill Gates: Gates is associated with computers, but he is not just a tech nerd. Bill Gates has always been a voracious reader from the time he was very young to now—he reads a wide variety of books, fiction and nonfiction.

2. Reading makes you a better writer. Those who have read a variety of well-written works are more likely to excel in writing. Enhanced vocabulary, sophisticated writing styles and knowledge of cadence, word usage, and sentence construction are just some of the many ways in which reading can improve one’s writing skill. Strong writers, of course, are greatly rewarded during the essay portion of college applications.

3. Extensive reading often leads to nearly perfect SAT scores. Students who read a lot tend to perform better on the SAT Critical Reading and Writing sections and are better prepared for the heavy, dense reading they will face in college.

4. Reading can help students develop their interests. Having a specialty, defined interest or passion is important when applying to college, as colleges want to build a well-rounded class made up of specialists. One of the best ways for students to discover their niche is through reading.