“People stop thinking when they cease to read.”
― Denis Diderot
Why is reading no longer as popular among children? What do we aim to teach our students by encouraging them to read? What goals do we set for ourselves and for our readers? Who will teach them to read? Lastly, should the school have a library if it is not serving its purpose? We will attempt to answer these questions in this article.
Let us first clarify what the purpose of reading is. While reading a book, individuals may have different motives, but they all share a common goal – to grasp the primary objective of the book. Of course, we cannot remember all the details of what we read, but we do try to remember the main ideas. It’s possible to read a book in one sitting merely for the sake of reading, but it’s advisable to attempt to follow the storyline or logical structure of the text. I think we should at least draw some conclusions from what we read. The key aspect is comprehension – understanding what we read, otherwise, the time spent is wasted.
With regards to schools today, it is important to consider that we rarely address this issue correctly. Few people explain to children the importance of how they should read assigned text. Children are simply persuaded to read “in order to become intelligent.” We demand that they make an effort to memorize and reproduce what they read, but we never teach them how to read effectively. We even blame it on a child’s poor memory skills, seeing that after rereading the same paragraph over and over, a student either fails to grasp the meaning, gets bored, or simply finishes a chapter without remembering what he or she has read.
When teaching a child reading comprehension, we should encourage them to take notes to better digest what they are reading. This practice reinforces comprehension, leading to all-round success. It is important to understand that books serve as good advisors and friends of ours. They give wings to our dreams and strengthen our faith.
Before starting to read a book, I believe we should answer the following questions:
- What is the purpose of reading this specific book?
- How do I plan to apply what I have learned in my life?
- How important is this particular material to me?
These questions will help individuals read with intentionality. We should teach students to clearly understand the main objectives of their reading; otherwise, they may soon forget what they’ve read. Meaningless reading can be very boring.
Setting goals is not enough, however. It’s impossible to remember everything. Our brain acknowledges this, so we can’t deceive ourselves. We need to decide beforehand how long we want to retain this information. With some practice in using our new skills, we should be able to achieve what we have determined.
If we apply these steps, both students and adults will dispel the notion of an “uninteresting” or “boring” book.
For example, a text may be long and uninteresting, lacking twists in the plot, or perhaps students have to analyze a prescribed reading that might not align with their preferences. This is where the teacher or librarian can advise them to read it through twice. The first time, they can scan through and skip details to grasp the main idea, also summarizing a rough outline of the text structure. Analyzing the text structure helps determine whether the text will pique the reader’s interest. The second time, we encourage them to read paragraph by paragraph. Each paragraph in a well-written text presents its main objective, development, and finally, the conclusion. The chapters, consisting of these paragraphs, are constructed in the same way.
After reading the first sentence of each paragraph, we should ask ourselves a question. It may be a simple question starting with ‘why’, ‘when’, or ‘how’, or it may be more complex. We can inquire why the author expressed a certain idea or why a particular section could be connected to the previous paragraph. Additionally, we can consider whether we agree with the author or not. These questions aid in better understanding the text, enabling us to relate to and even engage in a dialogue with the characters. Asking questions also facilitate the integration of what we are reading into knowledge and experiences we already possess.
My little friends, let’s find answers to our questions by exploring various books, materials, and articles. Even when the final sentence doesn’t provide a clear conclusion, which happens quite often, draw your own conclusion and never hesitate to voice your own opinion. Each time you start a new book and read the introduction, take a moment to ask yourself a general question. After finishing the chapter, summarize it and reflect on it before moving on too quickly.
I am confident that by employing these simple methods, one can achieve surprising results.
- Your average reading speed will increase significantly. You will read at a steadier pace and be more confident in your interpretation.
- The retention of information will improve dramatically, enhancing your reading skills with each new book. This sets you up to succeed in your student years and grow in intelligence, becoming someone who can engage in interesting conversations with others.
- You will discover the best advisor and friend for life.
Dear friend, there’s an indisputable truth about a good book: it becomes more enjoyable as you grow older. You’ll see for yourself. And remember, books are like boats sailing along the waves of time, carefully delivering their precious load from one generation to another.
Melanya Geghamyan
Avedisian School Principal
Candidate of Sciences in Pedagogy
