In our social media-obsessed world, there seems to be less and less time for reading books. Gone are the days when kids would plead with their parents at bedtime for “just one more story,” and when they would hide out under the covers with a flashlight and a book, hoping not to get caught reading … Continue reading “The Need for Reading”
Category: General
The Value of Re-reading Books
While many students are given credit of some sort for reading books during the school year (or completing a summer reading assignment), they are rarely, if ever, given credit for re-reading material. Yet some of the greatest insights into literature can only come about on a second, third, or fourth read. And, some of the … Continue reading “The Value of Re-reading Books”
Literacy Begins Early
A new report from Alberta, Canada indicates that fewer students are entering kindergarten each year with the necessary literacy skills to begin reading. As a result, according to Christie Watson, lead teacher of the Comprehensive Literacy program, only 78% of kindergarteners in the 2015-2016 school year were prepared enough to move on to Grade 1 … Continue reading “Literacy Begins Early”
Physical Exercise and Learning
When you want to make your body fit, you exercise. When you want to make your brain sharper, you also exercise? And we’re not talking about crossword puzzles or mind games here, but actual, physical aerobic exercise. Why should that be? Let’s take a look at what we know so far about the correlation between … Continue reading “Physical Exercise and Learning”
Visualization and its Role in Reading
Visualization is a large part of the learning process. We picture how a word looks or mentally “see” how a character looks as he is described by the author. But what if you weren’t able to visualize? Some people can’t. The condition is called “aphantasia,” and we’re only beginning to understand how this affects the … Continue reading “Visualization and its Role in Reading”
The 9 Inalienable Rights of the Reader
You may not have thought about it before, but as a reader, you do have rights. These rights are just as valid for you as for people who engage in other forms of pleasure, and sometimes more so. Don’t be afraid of the consequences – they’ll take care of themselves for you. Read through the … Continue reading “The 9 Inalienable Rights of the Reader”
Speed Reading vs Reading Efficiency
Some people claim that speed reading is impossible – that’s not exactly true. If by “speed reading” you mean reading at 2,000 or more words per minute (wpm) with 100% comprehension on all types of text, then, no, it’s not possible unless you have a photographic memory with perfect recall. Most of us don’t fall … Continue reading “Speed Reading vs Reading Efficiency”
The Effect of Librarians on Reading Success
If you’ve gone to school, you’ve almost certainly asked a librarian for help finding a book for one of your classes. In my formative years, the librarian at my local library was a staple in my life, recommending books, asking me questions about what I liked and didn’t like, what I thought of the last … Continue reading “The Effect of Librarians on Reading Success”
Sleep’s Role in Memory Formation and Its Effect on Reading
Sleep plays a crucial role in learning in general and reading in specific. WebMD reports that researchers believe sleep affects both learning and memory formation in two ways: 1) An individual’s ability to focus on reading material or lecture presentations to learn efficiently depends on adequate sleep, and 2) Cementing a memory so that it … Continue reading “Sleep’s Role in Memory Formation and Its Effect on Reading”
California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) Students Improve Reading Skills with AceReader
California State University, Sacramento used the AceReader online reading efficiency program for their “Reading for Speed & Efficiency” course during the 2015/2016 school year. Of the students who took both pre and post-course assessment tests, 78% showed an average improvement of 86% with their Effective Reading Rate (ERR) scores. The ERR is determined by taking the … Continue reading “California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) Students Improve Reading Skills with AceReader”