Published: May 20, 2008 10:44 am            

Our View: A love of reading is a gift forever

How many people can say they read 120 books in the last nine months?

Waltonville eighth-grader Shelby Patterson can. Early during the last school year, she set a goal of obtaining 1,000 Accelerated Reader points — then surpassed her own goal by earning 1,034.9 points.

The Accelerated Reader program has helped thousands of young people discover the enjoyment of reading, increased their vocabulary, helped their spelling and boosted reading comprehension just through the encouragement of reading on a regular basis.

Numerous studies have proven children who read are more successful in all areas of their academic careers. Through reading, students can experience a different culture, a high adventure, or history through the eyes of those making it. They are faced with new opinions and philosophy.

The easiest way to increase the educational experience of the children in our lives is to encourage reading. Picking up a newspaper and talking about the events of the day is one way to encourage reading.

And who knows, one day that child may be writing editorials and stories in the local newspaper.

        

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