READING

I thank God that Reese loves reading. There are two things that he loves the most, drawing and reading. I did not start reading until I was 10 years old. A late bloomer!

Reading is one of the best hobby you can have because it gives you immense pleasure with great benefits. Do you know that reading is an active mental process that improves your concentration and focus? It simply makes you use your brain! I used to love reading but these days, I hardly read books because I cannot concentrate and focus! Too much time spent on  iPad and the internet! What more for kids!

Reading nourishes your mind and soul. Agree? Reading encourages you to think and imagine the impossibles. We learn to read then read to learn! Given that reading is the means to gain knowledge, it's important to inculcate the habit of reading right from childhood. Reading good books to your children and help them understand the joys books hold. This habit will go a long way in making them better human beings.

Children who grow up reading GOOD books, definitely stand out. The way they think and act is way different from those who don't. See I capitalized the word 'GOOD'? Reading good books is important during the formative years of a child's development. It's during childhood and teenage years that reading inspiring stories can have a deep impact on a child's mind. There are lots of crappy books out there so choose wisely. Ideally reading should be split between fiction and nonfiction books. Fiction is definitely more exciting, but it does not yield long term knowledge benefits like nonfiction books do.

The more children read, the better they become at reading. It's as simple as that. The more enjoyable the things they read are, the more they'll stick with them and develop the reading skills that they'll need for full access to information in their adult lives. The more young children are read to, the greater their interest in mastering reading. Reading out loud exposes children to proper grammar and pharasing. It enhances the development of their spoken language skills and their ability to express themselves verbally.

The best part about reading is that it can provide children with endless hours of fun and entertainment. Stories can free up imaginations and open up exciting new worlds of fantasy or reality. They allow children to dream and may give them a good start on the road to seeing reading as a life long source of pleasure. Read to your young children everyday. Inspire your older children to read. Give them access to plenty of reading material that they'll enjoy and discuss it with them. Try everything.

Some inspiring quotes:

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends: they are the most accessible and wisest of couselors, and the most patient of teachers. - Charles W. Eliot

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. - Dr. Seuss

"I still love books. Nothing a computer can do can compare to a book. You can't really put a book on the Internet. Three companies have offered to put books by me on the Net, and I said, 'If you can make something that has a nice jacket, nice paper with that nice smell, then we'll talk.' All the computer can give you is a manuscript. People don't want to read manuscripts. They want to read books. Books smell good. They look good. You can press it to your bosom. You can carry it in your pocket. - Ray Bradbury