Reading and writing in schools became linked at the turn of the century, when Harvard and other universities decided that reading literature was essential to learning to write.
Do these four reasons below convince you to encourage your children to amp up their reading?
- Reading Inspires students, introducing them to great ideas and improving their ability to think critically and analytically.
- Reading Gives students something to talk about beyond their own personal experiences.
- Reading Gives students something to write about: as teens, students often lack the experience to come up with sophisticated subjects for their essays; texts provide these ideas.
- Reading Illustrates models of truly excellent writing, thereby offering students instruction in voice, organization, syntax, and language.
Just think about the new words, phrases, and sentence structures that form an imprint in your child’s brain after she reads a new book. Imagine the connections she makes between the characters’ lives and her life as she compares time periods, setting, conflict, and the resolution. Isn’t it time to furnish your home with plenty of reading material to enrich your child’s imagination and give fuel for fabulous writing?
Thank you Dartmouth College Writing Program!!
