There are many people who love reading. But there are still some who say, “Reading is not my cup of tea.” Well, each one has their own likes and dislikes, but according to me, reading books is an essential part of life.
It’s not just a common saying that “Reading increases Vocabulary.” It is true. I have my own small experience for it.
I was a regular reader and used to read many books. But, during my 10th std., my school lessons and homework refused to give me time to read. Gradually, I had to stop reading books. It allowed me some more time for my studies, but then after a few months of no-reading, there was a change in my writing in English. I don’t know how, but most of my written paragraphs had some or the other spelling mistakes (This was something very serious, because I was a National Level SpellBee champion!) , that too, in very commonly used words.
Sometimes, my sentences were not properly structured. I even started conversing too much in Tamil at school, whereas earlier, I was known to talk only in English. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me, until I realized that I had not read any book for the past few months. But even though I wanted to restart my reading practice, my heavy homeworks, school tests and daily dance class practise which brought me home by only 9 or 10 pm, thought the better of it. Hence, I forced myself not to read until the vacations started.
This is why reading is important for reading as well as writing. Reading not only does this. Books are capable of taking you into their worlds. Books are a kind of a healthy drug, you know. When I read in a peaceful, cool atmosphere on my sofa, it’s such a different state of mind. I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but I would have to remind myself at times that I am not in that world of characters of books, but in my normal, ordinary world. It’s such an intoxicating feeling. We live in that world about which the author has written. We start thinking how those characters or people think. We start believing that we are living in their world. It’s funny, isn’t it, how a collection of pages and words can take you to different worlds? If you really like what you’re reading, you see them everywhere. Not literally. Like, you know, you compare it with things or people you see in your everyday life.
You need not waste time by telling that you’re bored. People actually amaze me when they say they’re bored. Of course, only those who don’t read ever feel bored. Reading can never make you bored. But, you must put yourself into it, and read it slowly, understanding each and every word. Only then, can you not bore yourself by reading books. Also, kids must read books that are meant for their age, or else they wouldn’t understand most of the words and end up not liking the book which is actually good. Here is my experience on this thought:
When I was in my 4th std., my mom handed me the first Harry Potter book: The Philosopher’s Stone. I actually don’t know the ages Harry Potter is meant for, but the thing is, I started reading it, but I was not so intrigued by it. My mom had guaranteed that I would definitely love it, but I didn’t find it that interesting. I finally stopped after the first chapter, ‘The Boy Who Lived’ and handed the book back to my mom, shaking my head disappointingly. My mom was nonplussed, since the Harry Potter books never failed to fascinate any young reader. Then she decided it was not for my age, and left the issue. Who knew that I would later on become a die-hard fan of J.K Rowling’s masterpiece series, when I read it just after 3 years, in my 7th grade?
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