With the growing influence of our digitalized lifestyles, the importance of reading books has taken a back seat for most of us. In the hustle-bustle of our everyday lives, we hardly find any scope to read educational or recreational content. Because our leisure time is mostly devoted to the world of mobile videos or we prefer spending our time on social media. Book reading is a lost leisure activity for many of us. However, the benefits of reading books are still the same even in this fast-paced digital age.
Do you know that reading books can increase your lifespan?
Yes!
A study reveals that book readers have a better survival rate than non-book readers. As only 27% of the book readers died in comparison with 33% of the non-book readers. This study shows an almost 20% reduction in the mortality rates of book readers.
So isn’t that fascinating!
Reading activity or habit can be life-changing in many ways. As a result, top traditional/online schools promote supplementary reading over and above their regular reading material.
Here’s more about the utility of this habit in our everyday lives.
Why do We Need Books?
Broadly speaking, reading improves one’s creativity, and imagination, and also reduces our everyday life stress. Other than these advantages, there are many other hidden benefits of reading activities. Let’s explore some incredible dimensions of book reading. And see how it can be more than a soothing leisure activity for both students and adults.
5 Researched-Backed Benefits of Reading Books?
Cognitive Development
A leading journal sums up the importance of books in our life. It states that reading supports a child’s cognitive process by helping him/her to develop language
information processing. This also helps in building abilities like reasoning. And this eventually contributes to the child’s overall intelligence.
Mental Health
Other than the reading comprehension benefits, there are some more astonishing advantages of this habit that can improve one’s mental health. The benefits of reading books are also used to treat patients during their mental health therapies/treatment. This practice is commonly known as bibliotherapy. And the reading activity is followed by a discussion session wherein the patient and the therapists discuss the book together. This practice is believed to have long-term benefits like developing empathy, increasing compassion for others, and building problem-solving abilities.
Isn’t this amazing?
While there are some noteworthy benefits of reading books, the best part is that it does not require a lot of time and energy!
Yes!
Reading for only 6 minutes a day can help in reducing stress levels. And indulging in this activity for more than an hour everyday day can show wonderful results.
Improves Focus
Regular reading (for 20 to 30 minutes) per day also improves one’s concentration. This means that we can make use of the best books for students to help them overcome their concentration problems.
Writing Skills
The next advantage of books for students is that reading gives an idea of different writing styles. When we read we come across the various ways of presenting thoughts through written texts. And these styles can be adopted in our own writing style making it more effective and engaging for others.
Develops Curiosity
A good book not just entertains the reader. But also develops curiosity. There is a direct connection between one’s curiosity and intrinsic motivation to learn.
So this means that good books for students can readily improve their learning. And even their levels of engagement.
After these research-backed facts, let’s discuss some more aspects of book reading before we get down to the best books for students.
Qualities Learned from Good Books
Values-
Reading good books is a wonderful way of imbibing values. Best books for students promote good values. Because they teach the readers about the right ways of handling tough situations in life without compromising on one’s integrity. For instance, students can read autobiographies, biographies, or inspirational content that describes the life journey of great personalities. This can help students to learn the desirable values. And also teach them the ways of handling situations in life.
Compassion-
A good book is also a perfect mentor to teach the importance of being compassionate and empathetic in life. When we read, our mind learns to process information from the writer’s point of view. This also broadens our perspective and teaches us more than one way of analyzing a situation/character/scenario. All this helps in developing qualities like compassion in us.
Loyalty and Relationships-
The magical world of books is also a gateway to knowledge that helps in developing better relationships. We can use books for students to explain complex situations and relationships. This is an excellent way of teaching students the value of togetherness. And also teaches them about individual differences. All in all, reading comprehension is an empowerment to strengthen relationships.
Clearly, books for students are an ultimate source to gain knowledge and extend a set of incredible advantages for the readers. Let’s try to figure out the readership trends in India post the pandemic.
Book Format Reading Trends in India
As per a survey in 2020 (post the Covid lockdown), Indian readers consume all forms of books (Print, electronic, and audio).
Can use this information in bullets for infographics also
Age group 34 or less
- 64% of the readers preferred reading printed books.
- 30% of these liked e-books.
- 6% of the same age group preferred audiobooks.
Age group 35 and above
- 61% of these readers liked printed material.
- 34% of them preferred e-books.
- 6% liked audiobooks.
How Can Books Help Students Learn?
Retention of Information
We have already discussed how books can help students by developing curiosity. Another great benefit of book reading is that it improves the retention of information in the mind. According to cognitive psychologists, books (physical) promote the retention of material. This means that the mind can remember and even recall the material later.
Focus
Do you know that the charm of good books is still alive in our younger generations?
In fact, a survey shows that 69% of students preferred physical books over their electronic versions. This helped them to focus better. And eventually also improved their learning.
Accessibility and cost
Indian students belong to varied backgrounds. And for many of them, it is not possible to purchase the best books for students due to many reasons (financial, location-related, or others). Digital versions of books are a great savior for students. And the trends of reading books on digital devices (including downloading for offline use) are quite promising after the pandemic. A survey (in 2019) shows that 29% of book readers purchased printed books. While 71% of the readers downloaded e-books.
Now that we know enough about book reading and its advantages, here’s a quick look at some suggestions for educational content.
Some Educational Books to Read
Despite the influence of digital devices, the past 10 years have shown an upward trend in reading. Millennials are the greatest contributors to this trend. Because there is a visible growth in reading habits (30 to 35%) because of this generation. Stakeholders and parents can make use of these habits. And the best part is that we can find some great educational content/reading material readily for all age groups.
For students, the options of good educational books can be the bestsellers like Britannica All New Kids Encyclopedia, Moonwalking with Einstein, All the light we cannot see, Alphabet phonics, If I can dream it I can do it, etc.
Final Thoughts
Reading books is much more than a hobby. In fact, it has a diverse range of advantages for all age groups be it students or adults. The importance of reading books is the same and even more in this digitally-driven post-pandemic world. It is a key to lead a long life. And a gateway to build knowledge of the real world.
As stakeholders, we can pass all these advantages to our younger generations by developing good reading habits in our students. It will not just make them effective communicators. But also expand the possibilities of leading a de-stressed life. Let’s bring this change and help our younger generations unleash the magnificent world of imagination through the pages of timeless books- THEIR BEST FRIENDS FOREVER!
Thanks for Reading!
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What are some benefits of reading books?
There are a number of advantages of book reading:- Improves imagination
- Entertainment
- Supports cognitive development
- Develops curiosity and empathy
- Builds good writing styles
- Promotes learning and engagement
- Helps in developing intrinsic motivation
- How can books improve reading comprehension?
Individuals who read more books generally have better reading comprehension. Because they are good at identifying, understanding, and summarizing key points in content.
- How to choose books for students?
To select the right reading material, we must understand the reader’s purpose, preference (like genre, etc.), and ask questions that can clarify the purpose of the activity. Every student is different, therefore the choices should be based on the age group, goal, topic, and the learning needs in general.
- What is the importance of books in our life?
Books are a perfect way to gain knowledge, ignite curiosity, nurture problem-solving, and most importantly appreciate literature in all forms.
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