Reading: It's About More than Just Words

By Ashely Arts

We live in a society that bases its major foundations on intelligence and merit. We are privileged to go to a school that requires four years of English. Literature Symposium, an AP Senior class is totally centered around reading 14 books. However, even with all these options in school, most of us still never open a good book. So, my question is, why don't we read?

Why don't we walk around school with our head in a book instead of sleeping in the halls? When we have the option to either turn on the TV or curl up with a good book, why do we always choose the TV?

I like short cuts as much as the next person. I like the CliffUs Notes method: short, sweet, and to the point. But let me tell you that most of that information won't show up on the tests. If we expect to do well on that big Shakespeare test, read the book, cover to cover, before decisions to involve those little yellow and black books.

Besides, reading a good book is a relaxing and stress free experience. You are in a world all your own. No distractions, no interruptions and, best of all, no re-runs. You don't have a chance to miss the next episode because your book will always be waiting for you. When you read a good book, you become the director. It is your turn to cast the characters and create a set that is all your own.

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some to be chewed up and digested. ~Francis Bacon

Not all books are great; they often mean different things to different people. Yet, the characters become your companion for that short period of time, and when you are finished reading, you feel as though you have an emotional attachment to the characters.

Reading also improves your ACT and SAT scores. The only way to improve your knowledge, comprehension and vocabulary is by reading a wide range of material over time. The more that you know and read out of the classroom, the better your standardized test scores become.

Although teachers diversify classes, much of our education and comprehension comes from reading books. Through reading, we gain the knowledge to prepare us for college and life.

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