reading essays in english

Reading is Good Habit for Students and Children

 500+ words essay on reading is good habit.

Reading is a very good habit that one needs to develop in life. Good books can inform you, enlighten you and lead you in the right direction. There is no better companion than a good book. Reading is important because it is good for your overall well-being. Once you start reading, you experience a whole new world. When you start loving the habit of reading you eventually get addicted to it. Reading develops language skills and vocabulary. Reading books is also a way to relax and reduce stress. It is important to read a good book at least for a few minutes each day to stretch the brain muscles for healthy functioning.

Benefits of Reading

Books really are your best friends as you can rely on them when you are bored, upset, depressed, lonely or annoyed. They will accompany you anytime you want them and enhance your mood. They share with you information and knowledge any time you need. Good books always guide you to the correct path in life. Following are the benefits of reading –

Self Improvement: Reading helps you develop positive thinking. Reading is important because it develops your mind and gives you excessive knowledge and lessons of life. It helps you understand the world around you better. It keeps your mind active and enhances your creative ability.

Communication Skills: Reading improves your vocabulary and develops your communication skills. It helps you learn how to use your language creatively. Not only does it improve your communication but it also makes you a better writer. Good communication is important in every aspect of life.

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Increases Knowledge: Books enable you to have a glimpse into cultures, traditions, arts, history, geography, health, psychology and several other subjects and aspects of life. You get an amazing amount of knowledge and information from books.

Reduces Stress: Reading a good book takes you in a new world and helps you relieve your day to day stress. It has several positive effects on your mind, body, and soul. It stimulates your brain muscles and keeps your brain healthy and strong.

Great Pleasure: When I read a book, I read it for pleasure. I just indulge myself in reading and experience a whole new world. Once I start reading a book I get so captivated I never want to leave it until I finish. It always gives a lot of pleasure to read a good book and cherish it for a lifetime.

Boosts your Imagination and Creativity: Reading takes you to the world of imagination and enhances your creativity. Reading helps you explore life from different perspectives. While you read books you are building new and creative thoughts, images and opinions in your mind. It makes you think creatively, fantasize and use your imagination.

Develops your Analytical Skills: By active reading, you explore several aspects of life. It involves questioning what you read. It helps you develop your thoughts and express your opinions. New ideas and thoughts pop up in your mind by active reading. It stimulates and develops your brain and gives you a new perspective.

Reduces Boredom: Journeys for long hours or a long vacation from work can be pretty boring in spite of all the social sites. Books come in handy and release you from boredom.

Read Different Stages of Reading here.

The habit of reading is one of the best qualities that a person can possess. Books are known to be your best friend for a reason. So it is very important to develop a good reading habit. We must all read on a daily basis for at least 30 minutes to enjoy the sweet fruits of reading. It is a great pleasure to sit in a quiet place and enjoy reading. Reading a good book is the most enjoyable experience one can have.

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Essays About Reading: 5 Examples And Topic Ideas

As a writer, you love to read and talk to others about reading books. Check out some examples of essays about reading and topic ideas for your essay.

Many people fall in love with good books at an early age, as experiencing the joy of reading can help transport a child’s imagination to new places. Reading isn’t just for fun, of course—the importance of reading has been shown time and again in educational research studies.

If you love to sit down with a good book, you likely want to share your love of reading with others. Reading can offer a new perspective and transport readers to different worlds, whether you’re into autobiographies, books about positive thinking, or stories that share life lessons.

When explaining your love of reading to others, it’s important to let your passion shine through in your writing. Try not to take a negative view of people who don’t enjoy reading, as reading and writing skills are tougher for some people than others.

Talk about the positive effects of reading and how it’s positively benefitted your life. Offer helpful tips on how people can learn to enjoy reading, even if it’s something that they’ve struggled with for a long time. Remember, your goal when writing essays about reading is to make others interested in exploring the world of books as a source of knowledge and entertainment.

Now, let’s explore some popular essays on reading to help get you inspired and some topics that you can use as a starting point for your essay about how books have positively impacted your life.

For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers

Examples Of Essays About Reading

• 1. The Book That Changed My Life By The New York Times
• 2. I Read 150+ Books in 2 Years. Here’s How It Changed My Life By Anangsha Alammyan
• 3. How My Diagnosis Improved My College Experience By Blair Kenney

4. How ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ Saved Me By Isaac Fitzgerald

5. catcher in the rye: that time a banned book changed my life by pat kelly, topic ideas for essays about reading, 1. how can a high school student improve their reading skills, 2. what’s the best piece of literature ever written, 3. how reading books from authors of varied backgrounds can provide a different perspective, 4. challenging your point of view: how reading essays you disagree with can provide a new perspective, 1.  the book that changed my life  by  the new york times.

“My error the first time around was to read “Middlemarch” as one would a typical novel. But “Middlemarch” isn’t really about plot and dialogue. It’s all about character, as mediated through the wise and compassionate (but sharply astute) voice of the omniscient narrator. The book shows us that we cannot live without other people and that we cannot live with other people unless we recognize their flaws and foibles in ourselves.”  The New York Times

In this collection of reader essays, people share the books that have shaped how they see the world and live their lives. Talking about a life-changing piece of literature can offer a new perspective to people who tend to shy away from reading and can encourage others to pick up your favorite book.

2.  I Read 150+ Books in 2 Years. Here’s How It Changed My Life  By Anangsha Alammyan

“Consistent reading helps you develop your  analytical thinking skills  over time. It stimulates your brain and allows you to think in new ways. When you are  actively engaged  in what you’re reading, you would be able to ask better questions, look at things from a different perspective, identify patterns and make connections.” Anangsha Alammyan

Alammyan shares how she got away from habits that weren’t serving her life (such as scrolling on social media) and instead turned her attention to focus on reading. She shares how she changed her schedule and time management processes to allow herself to devote more time to reading, and she also shares the many ways that she benefited from spending more time on her Kindle and less time on her phone.

3.  How My Diagnosis Improved My College Experience  By Blair Kenney

“When my learning specialist convinced me that I was an intelligent person with a reading disorder, I gradually stopped hiding from what I was most afraid of—the belief that I was a person of mediocre intelligence with overambitious goals for herself. As I slowly let go of this fear, I became much more aware of my learning issues. For the first time, I felt that I could dig below the surface of my unhappiness in school without being ashamed of what I might find.” Blair Kenney

Reading does not come easily to everyone, and dyslexia can make it especially difficult for a person to process words. In this essay, Kenney shares her experience of being diagnosed with dyslexia during her sophomore year of college at Yale. She gave herself more patience, grew in her confidence, and developed techniques that worked to improve her reading and processing skills.

“I took that book home to finish reading it. I’d sit somewhat uncomfortably in a tree or against a stone wall or, more often than not, in my sparsely decorated bedroom with the door closed as my mother had hushed arguments with my father on the phone. There were many things in the book that went over my head during my first time reading it. But a land left with neither Rhyme nor Reason, as I listened to my parents fight, that I understood.” Isaac Fitzgerald

Books can transport a reader to another world. In this essay, Fitzgerald explains how Norton Juster’s novel allowed him to escape a difficult time in his childhood through the magic of his imagination. Writing about a book that had a significant impact on your childhood can help you form an instant connection with your reader, as many people hold a childhood literature favorite near and dear to their hearts.

“From the first paragraph my mind was blown wide open. It not only changed my whole perspective on what literature could be, it changed the way I looked at myself in relation to the world. This was heavy stuff. Of the countless books I had read up to this point, even the ones written in first person, none of them felt like they were speaking directly to me. Not really anyway.” Pat Kelly

Many readers have had the experience of feeling like a book was written specifically for them, and in this essay, Kelly shares that experience with J.D. Salinger’s classic American novel. Writing about a book that felt like it was written specifically for you can give you the chance to share what was happening in your life when you read the book and the lasting impact that the book had on you as a person.

There are several topic options to choose from when you’re writing about reading. You may want to write about how literature you love has changed your life or how others can develop their reading skills to derive similar pleasure from reading.

Middle and high school students who struggle with reading can feel discouraged when, despite their best efforts, their skills do not improve. Research the latest educational techniques for boosting reading skills in high school students (the research often changes) and offer concrete tips (such as using active reading skills) to help students grow.

It’s an excellent persuasive essay topic; it’s fun to write about the piece of literature you believe to be the greatest of all time. Of course, much of this topic is a matter of opinion, and it’s impossible to prove that one piece of literature is “better” than another. Write your essay about how the piece of literature you consider the best positive affected your life and discuss how it’s impacted the world of literature in general.

The world is full of many perspectives and points of view, and it can be hard to imagine the world through someone else’s eyes. Reading books by authors of different gender, race, or socioeconomic status can help open your eyes to the challenges and issues others face. Explain how reading books by authors with different backgrounds has changed your worldview in your essay.

It’s fun to read the information that reinforces viewpoints that you already have, but doing so doesn’t contribute to expanding your mind and helping you see the world from a different perspective. Explain how pushing oneself to see a different point of view can help you better understand your perspective and help open your eyes to ideas you may not have considered.

Tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.

If you’re stuck picking your next essay topic, check out our round-up of essay topics about education .

Amanda has an M.S.Ed degree from the University of Pennsylvania in School and Mental Health Counseling and is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer. She has experience writing magazine articles, newspaper articles, SEO-friendly web copy, and blog posts.

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Academic Reading Strategies

Completing reading assignments is one of the biggest challenges in academia. However, are you managing your reading efficiently? Consider this cooking analogy, noting the differences in process:

Taylor’s process was more efficient because his purpose was clear. Establishing why you are reading something will help you decide how to read it, which saves time and improves comprehension. This guide lists some purposes for reading as well as different strategies to try at different stages of the reading process.

Purposes for reading

People read different kinds of text (e.g., scholarly articles, textbooks, reviews) for different reasons. Some purposes for reading might be

• to scan for specific information
• to skim to get an overview of the text
• to relate new content to existing knowledge
• to write something (often depends on a prompt)
• to critique an argument
• to learn something
• for general comprehension

Strategies differ from reader to reader. The same reader may use different strategies for different contexts because their purpose for reading changes. Ask yourself “why am I reading?” and “what am I reading?” when deciding which strategies to try.

Before reading

• Establish your purpose for reading
• Speculate about the author’s purpose for writing
• Review what you already know and want to learn about the topic (see the guides below)
• Preview the text to get an overview of its structure, looking at headings, figures, tables, glossary, etc.
• Predict the contents of the text and pose questions about it. If the authors have provided discussion questions, read them and write them on a note-taking sheet.
• Note any discussion questions that have been provided (sometimes at the end of the text)
• Sample pre-reading guides – K-W-L guide
• Critical reading questionnaire

During reading

• Annotate and mark (sparingly) sections of the text to easily recall important or interesting ideas
• Check your predictions and find answers to posed questions
• Use headings and transition words to identify relationships in the text
• Create a vocabulary list of other unfamiliar words to define later
• Try to infer unfamiliar words’ meanings by identifying their relationship to the main idea
• Connect the text to what you already know about the topic
• Take breaks (split the text into segments if necessary)
• Sample annotated texts – Journal article · Book chapter excerpt

After reading

• Summarize the text in your own words (note what you learned, impressions, and reactions) in an outline, concept map, or matrix (for several texts)
• Talk to someone about the author’s ideas to check your comprehension
• Identify and reread difficult parts of the text
• Define words on your vocabulary list (try a learner’s dictionary ) and practice using them
• Sample graphic organizers – Concept map · Literature review matrix

Works consulted

Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. L. (2002). Teaching and researching reading. Harlow: Longman.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout (just click print) and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

If you enjoy using our handouts, we appreciate contributions of acknowledgement.

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• Reading is a Good Habit Essay

An Essay On Reading Is A Good Habit

Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing (L-S-R-W) are the four skills of language learning. These are the set of four capabilities that allow an individual to comprehend and use a spoken language for proper and effective interpersonal communication. Reading is considered as one of the best habits anyone can possess. Reading helps a great deal in building our confidence, reduces stress and puts us in a better mood. It also develops our imagination and provides us with a fortune of knowledge. It is rightly said that books are our best friend as reading helps build up our wisdom and thinking capabilities. By developing the habit of reading, one can gain confidence in learning any language. The interest in reading, like any other habit, comes with time. Once a person starts reading, it becomes a part of habit and he/she starts to explore a whole new world.

Reading good books has a plethora of advantages. The habit of reading broadens our horizons and helps us become a better person in life. It also helps in developing a fresh viewpoint of life. The more we read, the more we fall in love with reading. It helps to develop vocabulary and language abilities. Reading is also one of the best ways to reduce anxiety as it provides relaxation and recreation. A book puts us in a better mood and allows us to have a strong imagination. At the end of a hectic and stressful day, all we need is a good book to help us rejuvenate and momentarily escape from the realities of life. 

The habit of reading must be inculcated in children from a young age. Reading is a great habit from the learning point of view as it boosts the understanding of language, improves vocabulary, helps in improving speaking and writing skills, etc. While reading a book, the plot and its characters hover in our imagination. It is said that reading builds imagination power more than any other form of activity. Anyone who has good reading skills shows indication of higher intelligence as reading helps to broaden our wisdom and knowledge to a great extent. It not only boosts our confidence but personality too. 

One of the most beneficial habits one can have is reading. It expands your creativity and provides you with a wealth of information. Reading helps you create confidence and improve your attitude, thus books are your best friend or partner. When you start reading every day, you'll discover a whole new world of information.

When you make it a practice to read every day, you will become addicted to it. Reading can help you develop cognitively and offer you a fresh perspective on life. Good novels can have a great impact on people and lead you down the correct path in life. The more time you spend reading, the more you will fall in love with it. The more time you spend reading, the more you will fall in love with it. Reading can help you improve your vocabulary and linguistic skills. Reading can help you unwind and de-stress.

Reading boosts your creativity and gives you a greater grasp of life. Reading also encourages you to write, and if you do so, you will undoubtedly fall in love with the craft. If you want to create excellent habits in your life, reading should be at the top of your list because it is essential to a person's general growth and development.

Good books will always point you in the right direction. The following are some of the advantages of reading books:

Self-improvement: Reading can help you think more positively. Reading is important because it molds your thinking and provides you with a wealth of information and life lessons. Books will help you have a better understanding of the world around you from a new perspective. It keeps your mind active, healthy, and helps you be more creative.

Communication Skills: Reading increases your vocabulary, enhances your language skills, and improves your communication skills. It teaches you how to be more creative with your thoughts. It not only improves your communication skills, but it also helps you improve your writing skills. In every element of life, effective communication is essential.

Increases your Understanding: Books provide you a foundational understanding of civilizations, customs, the arts, history, geography, health, psychology, and a variety of other topics and elements of life. Books provide an unlimited amount of information and wisdom. 

Reduces Stress: Reading a good book transports you to another world and helps you escape the stresses of everyday life. There are a number of beneficial impacts on your mind, body, and soul that aid with stress relief. It keeps your mind healthy and powerful by stimulating your brain muscles to perform efficiently.

Great Pleasure: Anyone who reads a book for pleasure does so. They delight in reading and gain access to a whole new universe. When you begin reading a book, you will become so engrossed in it that you will not want to put it down until you have finished it.

Enhances your Imagination and Creativity: Reading enhances your imagination and creativity by transporting you to a realm of imagination and, in some ways, increasing your creativity. Reading allows you to examine life from several perspectives. You generate inventive and creative thoughts, visions, and opinions in your mind while reading books. It encourages you to think outside of the box, imagine, and use your imagination.

Enhances your Analytical Abilities: Active reading allows you to gain access to a variety of viewpoints on life. It aids in the analysis of your thoughts and the expression of your opinions. Active reading brings new ideas and thoughts to mind. It activates and alters your brain, allowing you to see things from a different perspective.

Boredom is Lessened: Despite all the other social activities, long-distance travel or a protracted vacation from work can be tedious. In such instances, books come in handy and keep you from being bored.

Reading books adds knowledge and plays a great role in education. Whether it is fiction or nonfiction, we get to learn a great deal from books. It exposes us to the outer world which helps acquire sensibility and understanding of different social subjects. It is therefore very important to develop a good reading habit. We should all read daily for at least 30 minutes to enjoy the wonderful beneficial perks of reading. It is a great happiness to live in a calm place and to enjoy the moments of reading. Reading a good and informative book is one of the most rejuvenating and enthusiastic experiences a person can have. 

One must inculcate the habit of reading. Reading is said to be a great mental exercise. Reading also helps us release boredom. Reading allows us to sleep better. Hence, we must develop the habit of reading books before bedtime. Even in this digital age where any information is just a click away, reading has its own charm. The benefits of reading are irreplaceable as the detailed knowledge it provides is unmatched to anything we read on the internet. Happy reading!

FAQs on Reading is a Good Habit Essay

1. Why is the habit of reading so important?

Reading is important as it develops our thinking capacity and gives important life lessons. Reading molds our personality and makes us a better person. It also enhances our creativity and keeps our minds healthy and active. Reading improves communication and vocabulary skills. Whenever you try to speak in front of everyone, you are unable to speak proper English. This habit of speaking fluent English can only be corrected with the help of reading books regularly and speaking in English with your peers.

2. Why is the habit of reading declining?

The habit of reading is gradually declining. The advent of the internet is often described as the reason behind the changing habits of reading. Nowadays, most people go to the internet for information rather than reading books. The deterioration in reading habits can also lead to a decline in the world’s cultural development. Hence, people should give reading the importance it deserves. Accordingly, people are becoming lazier and not wanting to read as they find it a waste of time. The students nowadays find newspapers to be boring and they perceive mobile applications of new channels to be the ultimate source of news information.

3. What are the difficulties you will face if you don’t read?

If a student is unwilling to read and speak English or any other languages they intend to learn, then he or she will never be able to be creative and innovative in their approach to any other aspect of life. Reading opens up with the mind of the people and leads them to understand the concept of vocabulary and innovation. A lot of students struggle with their vocabulary and grammar. All of this is just done to help the students improve their speaking ability and experience. If you don't read then you won't be able to write good English literature answers in school as you won't be able to manage the content well.

• Importance Of Reading Essay

Importance of Reading Essay

500+ words essay on reading.

Reading is a key to learning. It’s a skill that everyone should develop in their life. The ability to read enables us to discover new facts and opens the door to a new world of ideas, stories and opportunities. We can gather ample information and use it in the right direction to perform various tasks in our life. The habit of reading also increases our knowledge and makes us more intellectual and sensible. With the help of this essay on the Importance of Reading, we will help you know the benefits of reading and its various advantages in our life. Students must go through this essay in detail, as it will help them to create their own essay based on this topic.

Importance of Reading

Reading is one of the best hobbies that one can have. It’s fun to read different types of books. By reading the books, we get to know the people of different areas around the world, different cultures, traditions and much more. There is so much to explore by reading different books. They are the abundance of knowledge and are best friends of human beings. We get to know about every field and area by reading books related to it. There are various types of books available in the market, such as science and technology books, fictitious books, cultural books, historical events and wars related books etc. Also, there are many magazines and novels which people can read anytime and anywhere while travelling to utilise their time effectively.

Benefits of Reading for Students

Reading plays an important role in academics and has an impactful influence on learning. Researchers have highlighted the value of developing reading skills and the benefits of reading to children at an early age. Children who cannot read well at the end of primary school are less likely to succeed in secondary school and, in adulthood, are likely to earn less than their peers. Therefore, the focus is given to encouraging students to develop reading habits.

Reading is an indispensable skill. It is fundamentally interrelated to the process of education and to students achieving educational success. Reading helps students to learn how to use language to make sense of words. It improves their vocabulary, information-processing skills and comprehension. Discussions generated by reading in the classroom can be used to encourage students to construct meanings and connect ideas and experiences across texts. They can use their knowledge to clear their doubts and understand the topic in a better way. The development of good reading habits and skills improves students’ ability to write.

In today’s world of the modern age and digital era, people can easily access resources online for reading. The online books and availability of ebooks in the form of pdf have made reading much easier. So, everyone should build this habit of reading and devote at least 30 minutes daily. If someone is a beginner, then they can start reading the books based on the area of their interest. By doing so, they will gradually build up a habit of reading and start enjoying it.

Frequently Asked Questions on the Importance of Reading Essay

What is the importance of reading.

1. Improves general knowledge 2. Expands attention span/vocabulary 3. Helps in focusing better 4. Enhances language proficiency

What is the power of reading?

1. Develop inference 2. Improves comprehension skills 3. Cohesive learning 4. Broadens knowledge of various topics

How can reading change a student’s life?

1. Empathy towards others 2. Acquisition of qualities like kindness, courtesy

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Do you want to communicate with English speakers fluently? Welcome to our course. The course consists of 6 units with different topics: feelings, staying healthy, learning, university, cultural differences, and cities. From this course, you will have a good knowledge of primary English reading and writing skills in your daily life. We invite you to learn with our teachers and friends from different countries in the videos, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and Columbia. Are you ready? Let’s go!

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9 videos 6 quizzes 1 discussion prompt

9 videos • Total 66 minutes

• 1. Introduction • 1 minute • Preview module
• 2. Text: Sharing Your Feelings • 6 minutes
• 3. Explore and Discuss Feelings and Emotions • 9 minutes
• 4. Letting off Steam • 7 minutes
• 5. Emotion Management • 10 minutes
• 6. Cultural Focus: Students' Stress • 3 minutes
• 7. Office Hour • 11 minutes
• 8. Talk Show (Glenn and Conor) • 14 minutes
• 9. Summary • 1 minute

6 quizzes • Total 28 minutes

• Test 1-4 • 5 minutes
• Test 1-5 • 8 minutes
• Test 1-6 • 4 minutes
• Test 1-7 • 3 minutes
• Test 1-10 • 5 minutes
• Test 1-3 • 3 minutes

1 discussion prompt • Total 3 minutes

• Discussion question for unit 1 • 3 minutes

Staying Healthy

How to keep healthy?

8 videos 5 quizzes 1 discussion prompt

8 videos • Total 52 minutes

• 2. Text: Keep Healthy • 8 minutes
• 3. Talking about One's Health • 5 minutes
• 4. A Healthy Lifestyle • 8 minutes
• 5. How to Stay Healthy • 11 minutes
• 6. Cultural Focus: Ways of Keeping Healthy • 5 minutes
• 7. Office Hour • 10 minutes
• 8. Summary • 1 minute

5 quizzes • Total 25 minutes

• Test 2-4 • 5 minutes
• Test 2-5 • 7 minutes
• Test 2-6 • 3 minutes
• Test 2-9 • 5 minutes
• Test 2-3 • 5 minutes
• Discussion question for Unit 2 • 3 minutes

How to be a learning master?

11 videos 5 quizzes 1 discussion prompt

11 videos • Total 84 minutes

• 1.Introduction • 1 minute • Preview module
• 2.Text A：Successful English Learner • 5 minutes
• 3.Key Words • 12 minutes
• 4.Sentences • 6 minutes
• 5.Text B：Our Crazy Language • 12 minutes
• 6.Reading Skills • 6 minutes
• 7.Cultural Focus • 9 minutes
• 8.Writing Doctor • 14 minutes
• 9.Study Guide • 6 minutes
• 10.Literature Tutor • 6 minutes
• 11.Summary • 1 minute

5 quizzes • Total 16 minutes

• Test 3-5 • 5 minutes
• Test 3-7 • 2 minutes
• Test 3-9 • 3 minutes
• Test 3-10 • 3 minutes
• Test 3-2 • 3 minutes
• Discussion question for Unit 3 • 3 minutes

How to describe university life?

12 videos 6 quizzes 1 discussion prompt

12 videos • Total 94 minutes

• 2.Text A：Cambridge– the University Town • 6 minutes
• 4.Sentences • 4 minutes
• 5.Text B：Oxford • 9 minutes
• 6.Reading Skills • 5 minutes
• 7.Cultural Focus 1 • 13 minutes
• 7.Cultural Focus 2 • 12 minutes
• 8.Writing Doctor • 10 minutes
• 9.Study Guide • 9 minutes
• 10.Literature Tutor • 5 minutes

6 quizzes • Total 19 minutes

• Test 4-5 • 4 minutes
• Test 4-7-1 • 3 minutes
• Test 4-7-2 • 3 minutes
• Test 4-9 • 3 minutes
• Test 4-10 • 3 minutes
• Test 4-2 • 3 minutes
• Discussion question for Unit 4 • 3 minutes

Cultural Differences

Cultures in different countries

11 videos • Total 81 minutes

• 2.Text A: Space • 7 minutes
• 3.Key Words • 10 minutes
• 4.Sentences • 5 minutes
• 5.Text B: Getting Along Verbally and Nonverbally • 14 minutes
• 7.Cultural Focus • 13 minutes
• 8.Writing Doctor • 8 minutes
• 9.Study Guide • 7 minutes

5 quizzes • Total 10 minutes

• Test 5-5 • 3 minutes
• Test 5-7 • 2 minutes
• Test 5-9 • 2 minutes
• Test 5-10 • 2 minutes
• Test 5-2 • 1 minute
• Discussion question for Unit 5 • 3 minutes

Cities around the world

• 2.Text A：New York City • 6 minutes
• 3.Key Words • 11 minutes
• 5.Text B：London • 14 minutes
• 8.Writing Doctor • 11 minutes

5 quizzes • Total 14 minutes

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English Paragraphs for Reading: 10 Easy Resources

My uncle once told me I should always carry a book in my back pocket.

“If you have a spare moment (free time),” he would say, “read!”

He was right. It’s wise advice for anyone.

And the only thing you need to get started are some effective English resources for reading practice.

1. Learn English By Stories

2. news in levels, 3. breaking news english, 4. a1 reading by learnenglish (british council), 5. really learn english, 7. usa learns, 8. “the curious incident of the dog in the night-time” by mark haddon, 9. “the old man and the sea” by ernest hemingway, 10. “little house on the prairie” series by laura ingalls wilder, a quick introduction to reading techniques, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

This app offers perfect bite-sized (short) reading.

There’s tons of helpful content here. You can choose from seven different levels with hundreds of paragraphs in each. Every paragraph comes with audio to help with your pronunciation . You can choose to hide the script so you can listen before or after reading it.

The app is free (with in-app purchases), and you can download it from the App Store or Google Play .

News in Levels takes news stories and writes them at three different language levels. In each level, the difficult words are defined in simpler terms so you can learn what they mean.

Each lesson has a voice recording reading the story, which allows you to learn proper pronunciation. The story is always read at a speed that lets you read along if you choose.

In case you want to practice reading the news on your phone , you can also download the free News in Levels app to your iOS or Android device.

From apps, let’s move on to websites! Similar to News in Levels, Breaking News English also groups their lessons into seven levels. The “Easier” lessons are from Levels 0 to 3, while the “Harder” ones are from Levels 4 to 6.

It’s not the prettiest website out there, but it more than makes up for that with the sheer number of lessons (over 3,300 free articles as I’m writing this) and how easy it is to use the site. You can click through the levels on the right side of your screen, or scroll through the home page and click on any article tagged with the level you’re at.

For example, the article “Mystery of radioactivity of Germany’s wild boars” is suitable for Levels 4 to 6. If Level 6 is a bit too tough for you at the moment, you can scroll down the article and click on the version that’s written for Levels 4 and/or 5 readers.

After reading each article, you can scroll further down and have fun with exercises like vocabulary matching, true or false, fill-in-the-blanks, reading comprehension questions, multiple-choice quizzes and more.

When it comes to English reading materials for learners, there are few better resources than LearnEnglish from the British Council.

If you’re a beginner, you can start with the A1 reading section. You can learn to decipher (understand) common English materials ranging from simple messages to friends to job adverts (short for “advertisements” or materials designed to get you to do a specific action).

Each topic contains instructions on how you can best learn from the material, the text itself and a couple of interactive tasks you can complete near the end. You can also download and print out each page if you prefer to do the exercises using pen and paper.

Once you’re done, you can advance (move on or move forward) to the A2 , B1 , B2 and C1 levels in that order.

Really Learn English is packed with articles on topics ranging from countries around the world to human rights . Each article comes with a video followed by a short text you can read and one exercise related to the topic.

Aside from exercises for reading practice, you can also check out their sections on short stories   and  comprehension exercises to really hone (improve) your English skills. (Hey, they’re called “ Really Learn English” for a reason!)

Currently, Lingua has 42 free texts available to learners across all levels and 178 premium texts (meaning you have to pay to use these additional materials).

Each text comes with an audio reading and multiple-choice questions that will instantly give you a score once you’re done with the exercise. You can also download a PDF file of each text and the questions—the difference is that the PDF version doesn’t have audio and has the answers to the questions printed at the bottom of the page.

As you can guess from the website’s name, USA Learns is a treasure trove for learners who want to pick up American English specifically.

Unlike many of the resources listed so far, this site includes images along with each English paragraph to help you understand the text further. You can also click “Listen” to hear the words and phrases said out loud. Then, click “Next” to answer the reading comprehension questions for the text.

You have to sign up to use the free resources, but I think that extra step is worth it!

This is a brilliant novel for English learners. It’s thrilling (exciting), funny and a moderately easy read.

Told from the perspective (view) of an autistic boy, this book follows his investigation of a murder of a neighbor’s dog. He uses images to explain certain parts of the case and he mostly uses very basic sentence structure . Most English students will be able to follow the story without much assistance.

It’s told in chronological order (the order in which things or events actually happened) and keeps the reader in suspense about what happened.

I’ve used this book with a book club of intermediate English speakers and they really enjoyed it. It was challenging enough for them to learn something new, but easy enough to allow them to get through the book without too much time spent translating.

If the idea of 20th century novels makes you think of books written in hard-to-understand language, this work by Ernest Hemingway might just change your mind.

The book is written in Hemingway’s trademark (distinctive) beige prose, meaning prose that uses simple language and is straight to the point. It’s about an old Cuban fisherman who keeps trying and failing to catch a fish called a marlin .

I can’t say any more than that, because I’ll end up spoiling (giving away or revealing) the parts of the plot that you’ll want to enjoy for yourself. After reading this, you’ll understand why this book is considered one of Hemingway’s best works and won the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for fiction .

This series is aimed at children, but adults can also enjoy the more complex storylines in these books.

True to their name, the books revolve around a family that lives on a prairie (a large, flat area covered in grasses that is common in the United States). The events are based on the author’s real-world experiences, making the stories and the world described in these books feel like they could actually happen.

Through “Little House on the Prairie,” you can learn more about American culture in the late 19th century. If your English teacher allows it (and a good teacher should  allow it), you can use these to start discussions on the similarities and differences in U.S. culture then and now. 

By the way, if you’re looking for more books with simple English paragraphs, check out this list of easy English books for beginners . You can also pick up any book that’s labeled “middle grade” or “young adult”—they often use language that’s simple enough for learners to understand, yet have characters and plots that are interesting enough for adults. (In case you’re wondering what “middle grade” and “young adult” mean, here’s a short article about them.)

The problem with reading is that we often look at it as a big project when it doesn’t need to be.

We don’t eat a pizza in one bite. We eat it in slices.

The first time we go for a run, we don’t run a marathon. We start with a 10-minute jog and work our way to longer runs over time.

That leads me to the best way for English learners to start reading: bite-sized reading.

Take little bites of reading in your second language. Take your time, start small and try to make reading a habit.

Going big isn’t always effective.

In most cases, you’ll be your own English teacher when reading.

Read a sentence and take your time to understand its grammar structure and meaning. Then read a paragraph and take the time to study it—then a page, then a chapter, then a book. Look at reading as just a slice of a bigger thing, not as one giant obstacle (something that gets in your way).

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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As a result, it’s easy to squeeze in (find time for) a few minutes between reading sessions. You’ll be moving quickly towards fluency before you even know it.

The takeaway? Start small. Use those five minutes of free time you get now and then. Take the time to understand the intricacies (details) of a sentence. Then, as your comprehension grows, increase the reading size and level of your books. But don’t take on too many books right away (immediately). Take my uncle’s advice and find something that fits into your back pocket first.

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.

The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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What I’ve Learned From My Students’ College Essays

The genre is often maligned for being formulaic and melodramatic, but it’s more important than you think.

By Nell Freudenberger

Most high school seniors approach the college essay with dread. Either their upbringing hasn’t supplied them with several hundred words of adversity, or worse, they’re afraid that packaging the genuine trauma they’ve experienced is the only way to secure their future. The college counselor at the Brooklyn high school where I’m a writing tutor advises against trauma porn. “Keep it brief , ” she says, “and show how you rose above it.”

I started volunteering in New York City schools in my 20s, before I had kids of my own. At the time, I liked hanging out with teenagers, whom I sometimes had more interesting conversations with than I did my peers. Often I worked with students who spoke English as a second language or who used slang in their writing, and at first I was hung up on grammar. Should I correct any deviation from “standard English” to appeal to some Wizard of Oz behind the curtains of a college admissions office? Or should I encourage students to write the way they speak, in pursuit of an authentic voice, that most elusive of literary qualities?

In fact, I was missing the point. One of many lessons the students have taught me is to let the story dictate the voice of the essay. A few years ago, I worked with a boy who claimed to have nothing to write about. His life had been ordinary, he said; nothing had happened to him. I asked if he wanted to try writing about a family member, his favorite school subject, a summer job? He glanced at his phone, his posture and expression suggesting that he’d rather be anywhere but in front of a computer with me. “Hobbies?” I suggested, without much hope. He gave me a shy glance. “I like to box,” he said.

I’ve had this experience with reluctant writers again and again — when a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously. Of course the primary goal of a college essay is to help its author get an education that leads to a career. Changes in testing policies and financial aid have made applying to college more confusing than ever, but essays have remained basically the same. I would argue that they’re much more than an onerous task or rote exercise, and that unlike standardized tests they are infinitely variable and sometimes beautiful. College essays also provide an opportunity to learn precision, clarity and the process of working toward the truth through multiple revisions.

When a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously.

Even if writing doesn’t end up being fundamental to their future professions, students learn to choose language carefully and to be suspicious of the first words that come to mind. Especially now, as college students shoulder so much of the country’s ethical responsibility for war with their protest movement, essay writing teaches prospective students an increasingly urgent lesson: that choosing their own words over ready-made phrases is the only reliable way to ensure they’re thinking for themselves.

Teenagers are ideal writers for several reasons. They’re usually free of preconceptions about writing, and they tend not to use self-consciously ‘‘literary’’ language. They’re allergic to hypocrisy and are generally unfiltered: They overshare, ask personal questions and call you out for microaggressions as well as less egregious (but still mortifying) verbal errors, such as referring to weed as ‘‘pot.’’ Most important, they have yet to put down their best stories in a finished form.

I can imagine an essay taking a risk and distinguishing itself formally — a poem or a one-act play — but most kids use a more straightforward model: a hook followed by a narrative built around “small moments” that lead to a concluding lesson or aspiration for the future. I never get tired of working with students on these essays because each one is different, and the short, rigid form sometimes makes an emotional story even more powerful. Before I read Javier Zamora’s wrenching “Solito,” I worked with a student who had been transported by a coyote into the U.S. and was reunited with his mother in the parking lot of a big-box store. I don’t remember whether this essay focused on specific skills or coping mechanisms that he gained from his ordeal. I remember only the bliss of the parent-and-child reunion in that uninspiring setting. If I were making a case to an admissions officer, I would suggest that simply being able to convey that experience demonstrates the kind of resilience that any college should admire.

The essays that have stayed with me over the years don’t follow a pattern. There are some narratives on very predictable topics — living up to the expectations of immigrant parents, or suffering from depression in 2020 — that are moving because of the attention with which the student describes the experience. One girl determined to become an engineer while watching her father build furniture from scraps after work; a boy, grieving for his mother during lockdown, began taking pictures of the sky.

If, as Lorrie Moore said, “a short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage,” what is a college essay? Every once in a while I sit down next to a student and start reading, and I have to suppress my excitement, because there on the Google Doc in front of me is a real writer’s voice. One of the first students I ever worked with wrote about falling in love with another girl in dance class, the absolute magic of watching her move and the terror in the conflict between her feelings and the instruction of her religious middle school. She made me think that college essays are less like love than limerence: one-sided, obsessive, idiosyncratic but profound, the first draft of the most personal story their writers will ever tell.

Nell Freudenberger’s novel “The Limits” was published by Knopf last month. She volunteers through the PEN America Writers in the Schools program.

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Reading essay in English

Reading essay in English , contains all the information you care about the importance of reading and how it develops the mind and enlighten the thought and open the horizons of knowledge in front of the reader and it brings him confidence in himself in all areas. All the information is here in Reading essay in English .

Reading is the primary and most important source of information you want to know, whether in your field or in any other field. Here we will learn about the importance of reading for the individual and society in Reading essay in English.

The importance of reading lies mainly in the fact that it is the only way in which a person can acquire knowledge in a continuous and unbroken manner.

A single book gives the reader a great deal of experience that the author can not gather until he has spent a very long time in earnestness, work and diligence.

Reading was one of the important non-secondary issues that all people should prioritize, so that it has to be an integral part of daily activities.

Reading is not only increasing information; it is increasing the ability to analyze and relate things to each other. Many reading people acquire new skills, such as: the ability to understand faster, and the ability to discuss and debate on any of the different topics.

Reading is the only means to enable man to acquire multiple skills at the same time. It is also the only way that can make anyone gain different things, such that it may gain this man some material gains that may turn his life directly and improve his conditions for better conditions.

It is also possible through reading that a person learns languages ​​other than his native language.  It can also improve and develop the languages he possesses, including his native language.

Reading gives people the ability to write better, by giving them a large number of different and diverse vocabulary that contribute greatly to the development of language of this person, and in the development of his ability to express himself and thoughts in his mind.

Reading is one of the most important skills to achieve success and enjoyment for each person during his life, based on the fact that reading is the complementary part of our personal and practical life and is the key to the doors of science and diverse knowledge.

In this way we have provided you with Reading essay in English, and you can read more about reading through the following link:

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60 Quotes About Reading That’ll Inspire You To Pick Up A Book

Open your heart to these words from authors and celebrities about their favorite pastime

• Quotes On The Magic Of Reading

Quotes For Book Lovers

Quotes about reading that will expand your horizons.

• Reading Quotes For Children

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Few things are better than reading a good book on your porch on a warm summer night, but sometimes it’s nice to get some encouragement from other readers to get those pages turning. That’s why we’ve pulled some quotes about reading that are sure to satisfy every kind of reader. We even have some quotes about reading for the kids and students in your life. 

Quotes About The Magic Of Books

Southern Living

• “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island.” ― Walt Disney
• “To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.” ― Victor Hugo
• “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! — When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” ― Jane Austen
• “Books are the mirrors of the soul.”― Virginia Woolf
• “Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.” ― John Locke
• “I can survive well enough on my own – if given the proper reading material.” ― Sarah J. Maas
• “Literature is my Utopia” ― Helen Keller
• “If a book is well written, I always find it too short.” ― Jane Austen
• “Some books are so familiar that reading them is like being home again.” ― Louisa May Alcott
• “Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.” ― Anna Quindlen
• “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” ― Stephen King
• “A book is a gift you can open again and again.” ― Garrison Keillor
• “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” ― Harper Lee
• “There is no friend as loyal as a book.”― Ernest Hemingway
• “Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.”― Lemony Snicket
• “The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest (people) of the past centuries.” ― René Descartes
• “A room without books is like a body without a soul.” ― Cicero
• “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” ― C.S. Lewis 
• “Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all.” ― Henry David Thoreau
• “I think books are like people, in the sense that they’ll turn up in your life when you most need them.” ― Emma Thompson
• “I guess there are never enough books.” ― John Steinbeck
• “For my whole life, my favorite activity was reading. It’s not the most social pastime.” ― Audrey Hepburn
• “Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it's a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it's a way of making contact with someone else's imagination after a day that's all too real.” ― Nora Ephron
• “The reason that fiction is more interesting than any other form of literature, to those who really like to study people, is that in fiction the author can really tell the truth without humiliating himself.”― Eleanor Roosevelt
• “You will learn most things by looking, but reading gives understanding. Reading will make you free.” ― Paul Rand
• “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” ― Jane Austen
• “I can feel infinitely alive curled up on the sofa reading a book.” ― Benedict Cumberbatch
• "Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people – people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book." ― E.B. White
• “What I love most about reading: It gives you the ability to reach higher ground. And keep climbing.” ― Oprah
• “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” ― Margaret Fuller
• “If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “I’ve always thought that a good book should be either the entry point inward, to learn about yourself, or a door outward, to open you up to new worlds.” ― Taylor Jenkins Reid
• "I'm reading so much and exposing myself to so many new ideas. It almost feels like the chemistry and the structure of my brain is changing so rapidly sometimes,” ― Emma Watson
• "Books are a form of political action. Books are knowledge. Books are reflection. Books change your mind," ― Toni Morrison
• “I have challenged myself that I will read thousands of books and I will empower myself with knowledge. Pens and books are the weapons that defeat terrorism,” ― Malala Yousafzai
• “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” ― Joseph Addison
• “Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere.”― Mary Schmich
• “Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul.” ― Joyce Carol Oates
• “That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald
• “Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled “This could change your life.”― Helen Exley
• “In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.” ― Mortimer J. Adler
• "One of the many gifts that books give readers is a connection to each other. When we share an affection for a writer, an author or a story, we also have a better understanding of people unlike ourselves. Books cultivate empathy." ― Sarah Jessica Parker 
• "All good books are alike in that they are truer than if they had really happened, and after you are finished reading one, you will feel that all that happened to you and afterwards it all belongs to you; the good and the bad, the ecstasy, the remorse and sorrow, the people and the places and how the weather was." ― Ernest Hemingway 
• "Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." ― Benjamin Franklin

Quotes About Reading For Children And Students

• “There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.” ― Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
• “I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers, to become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn’t be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage.” ― Roald Dahl
• “A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” ― C.S. Lewis
• “Show me a family of readers, and I will show you the people who move the world.” ― Napoléon Bonaparte
• “Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.”― Maya Angelou
• “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” ― Harry Truman
• "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go," ― Dr. Seuss 
• "I wouldn't be a songwriter if it wasn't for books that I loved as a kid. I think that when you can escape into a book it trains your imagination to think big and to think that more can exist than what you see." ― Taylor Swift 
• "Reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible," ― Barack Obama 
• “I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young.” ​​― Maya Angelou
• “Don’t give up reading, the more you practice, the easier it will get.” ― unknown
• “Let children read whatever they want and then talk about it with them.“ ― Judy Blume
• “A child who carries a book with a bookmark in it is in two places at the same time.” ― Tony Abbott
• “When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young” ― Maya Angelou 
• “I kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in.” ― Robert Louis Stevenson

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Bring back the pleasure of reading in classrooms

Ruth Allen says the soul has been knocked out of learning English and maths. Plus letters from Amy Lewis and Mary Smith

I read your editorial in delighted agreement with much of its argument ( The Guardian view on English lessons: make classrooms more creative again, 2 May ). My particular experience is working with the youngest children as they begin learning to read. Since 2021, schools in England have been required to follow the highly prescriptive systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) scheme. The “fully decodable” books approved for SSP schemes must focus on the spelling pattern to be learned, usually at the expense of a good story or any literary merit. Right from the start of school, enjoyment of books is being squeezed out.

However, your contention that the curriculum model of little blocks of tightly controlled content is “more suited to science and maths” must be challenged. My other role is as a maths tutor to teenagers. I find that they have been rushed to learn ever more complicated formulas and procedures without time to investigate ideas, to make links between topics or to develop thinking skills.

Mathematics is a deeply creative subject. Advances are made by finding new ways of thinking rather than by applying known formulae. Just as with English, the current fact-heavy GCSE and A-level maths curriculums squeeze out the joy of learning. A general curriculum review is needed. The soul has been knocked out of the English curriculum, but mathematics has been just as badly served. Ruth Allen Nottingham

It was so cheering to read your call for the pleasure of reading to be restored to the classroom. We all get the joy of sharing a picture book with young children, looking at the pictures, laughing together, perhaps enjoying the rhyme as we talk the words off the page. But for many children, that simple joy of reading gets lost when they learn to read.

They have to work hard to sound words out, and the story can become dull and restricted by what phonic sounds they are able to recognise. Language is stripped down to its component parts, reading becomes a chore, and parents and children get trapped in a reading battle.

Many schools are shifting the tide on this, and classrooms and corridors are beginning to buzz with reading-friendly spaces, brilliant books are positioned to tempt and children are encouraged to chat about their reading choices. But it’s an uphill battle. Let’s support schools, parents and carers to get children back to a place of sharing a book because they really want to. The benefits to all are clear. Amy Lewis Head of Coram Beanstalk

I couldn’t agree more with your editorial. I have taught English at secondary level for almost 50 years. For the first 25 years or so, the text was king. We read, discussed, engaged, argued, talked about life, society, morality, emotion – literally everything writers write about. Then, gradually and insidiously, the assessment objectives and mark schemes usurped the text. Thinking and responding gave way to spotting. It became less important to discuss why Hamlet asks “To be or not to be?” and what that suggests about the human condition, and more important to identify the rhetorical device Shakespeare used.

Teachers became obliged to value what could be measured rather than continuing to teach what is valuable, and the subject became a shadow of its former self. Mary Smith Bearsted, Kent

• English and creative writing
• Curriculums
• Mathematics
• Primary schools

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