Why Read?

We take reading for granted. But what do people with reading difficulties miss out on through not being able to read with ease? Why is reading so important?

Why Read? - Why Those Who Can’t Read Lose Out

For quite some time now, we’ve known that large numbers of people can’t read, or at least not without a struggle. Many people with reading difficulties manage to get through life without anyone ever realizing they can’t read, while others strike a compromise and ask others to read to them when necessary. They may ask for oral instead of written instructions on the job.

What is it these people miss out on by dint of their reading difficulties? Abraham Lincoln had a succinct way of framing the importance of reading: “A capacity and taste for reading gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others.”

A dyslexic may have an intense thirst to read, yet the words refuse to order themselves on the page for his perusal and comprehension. It is clear that without the capacity, the taste for reading cannot be fulfilled.

Academic Success

But reading isn’t just about a thirst for literature. It’s more basic than that. The U.S Department of Education dumbs it down like this: "It is no exaggeration to say that how well children learn to read affects directly not only how successful they are in school but how well they do throughout their lives. When children learn to read, they have the key that opens the door to all the knowledge of the world. Without this key, many children are left behind."

Reading is so indispensible in our lives that we it for granted. But step back a moment and imagine what it would be like if you couldn’t read the instructions that come with your medication. Imagine how the inability to read would tend to limit your job opportunities. Imagine yourself as a child who cannot read, falling behind your peers in school a bit more with each passing day.

Reading keeps the mind active. The brain needs regular exercise to grow and develop and reading is the perfect medium for this purpose. The more we read, the better we comprehend the written word. By making reading a habit, we train our brain to seek out and relate to the written wor