Reading

Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols or characters especially by sight or touch.

For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving word recognition, orthography, alphabetics, phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency and motivation. Reading is typically an individual activity, done silently although a person reads out loud for other listeners to hear on some occasions; or reads aloud for one’s own use, for better understanding.

Before the reintroduction of separated text (spaces between words) in the late Middle Ages, the ability to read silently was considered rather remarkable and people who were able to do that for long time were greatly admired in society.

Reading is an essential part of literacy. Without being able to read, you lose the ability to understand and evaluate written information on your own.

From a historical perspective, literacy is about having the ability to both read and write.

As a leisure activity, children and adults read because it is pleasant and interesting. In the United States, about half of all adults read one or more books for pleasure each year. About 5% read more than 50 books per year. Majority of the billionaires in the world are form America and they are largely known for their astute learning and reading ability.

Elon Musk, the 2^nd richest man in the world according to Forbes billionaires list 2024, reads daily to help him build confidence, empathy, solid decision-making ability and other skills that are crucial to being a business owner.

According to Speechify, before Elon Musk became the owner of Tesla, he read for 10 hours a day. His brother acknowledged that Elon used to read two books a day. But he probably reads much less now since Tesla, SpaceX and other projects take up most of his time.

Science and motivational books are materials that Elon Musks regularly reads to improve his thinking. Some of his most beloved titles include The Big Picture and Inversions by Iain M. Banks.

Co-founder of Microsoft and centi-billionaire, Bill Gates praises his parents who encouraged him to read from a very young age. According to him, every book teaches him something new or helps him to see things differently. “Reading fuels a sense of curiosity about the world, which I think helped drive me forward in my career and in the work that I do” he said in an interview.

Aside his wealth and fame, Bill Gates is an exceptional reader, covering roughly one book a week. Most of his books are non-fiction dealing with public health, diseases, engineering, business and science.

Oprah Winfrey, the Black-American veteran talk show host is also known for her passion for reading. Since 1996, she has been educating her viewers on reading habits with Oprah’s Book Club. Oprah has called reading “her personal path to freedom”

Reading for pleasure has been linked to increased cognitive progress in vocabulary and mathematics. Sustained high volume lifetime reading has been associated with high levels of academic attainment.

Research suggests that reading can improve stress management, memory, focus, writing skills and imagination. The size and capacity of one’s mind is limitless and reading can drive the mind into wild imagination.

Reading books and writing are among the brain-stimulating activities that can slow down cognitive decline in old people.

Learning to read or reading skills acquisition is the acquisition and practice of the skills necessary to understand the meaning behind printed words. For a skilled reader, the act of reading feels simple, effortless and automatic.

However, the process of learning to read is complex and builds on cognitive, linguistic and social skills developed from a very early age.

As one of the four core language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing), reading is vital to gaining a command of written language.