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The Power of Reading on World Literacy Day

Writer's picture: Laura Hope GoldstoneLaura Hope Goldstone

On this World Literacy Day, I want to reflect on the power of reading.


Reading is one of my favorite things to do. Sometimes I count how many books I read in a year (I just finished number 43 and I'm in the middle of 3 more right now!); sometimes I let go of the metric and just enjoy whatever books I happen to come by. I love both participating in book clubs - where we can analyze and discuss and explore themes and characters and worlds together and share varying opinions and insights - and reading alone, making sense of the story in my head and letting that color my lens as I make sense of the world around me thereafter. Sometimes I read nonfiction to learn and grow, while other times I read fiction to get lost in a good story. I have my favorite genres and authors, but sometimes I'll challenge myself to read something different, something I wouldn't normally gravitate towards, so I can try something new and appreciate new styles and stories. On all accounts, reading teaches me lesson after lesson and enriches my life in more ways than I can express.


Reading can be both a security blanket and a magic carpet ride.

Reading can be both a refuge and a risk; both a security blanket and a magic carpet ride. Reading can be a way to retreat into ourselves, and it can also be a way to expand our horizons and broaden our perspectives. When we read, we think and feel, the words on the page tapping into both our logic and our emotion, encouraging us to discern and interpret and anticipate and enjoy. Each book is a roller coaster ride, a journey from point A to point B, leaving us in a different place than where we started, giving us a more well-rounded view of the world.


George R. R. Martin is quoted as saying that a reader lives a thousand lives. Each book we read, each page we soak in, each character we meet and place we go to and plot point we experience teaches us empathy and perspective. Reading engages our curiosity and expands our vocabulary. Reading unlocks opportunities we wouldn't have had otherwise. When we read, we travel, we adventure, we transport. We transform. And that makes all of us better for it. 



literacy


Editing to add: In this post, I didn't even touch on the transformative power of writing - catharsis, critical thinking, making sense of the world, understanding our thoughts, channeling our beliefs and values and feelings into words that mean something, words that matter. I didn't even mention how writing is a core part of my being and how writing is the way I think, the way I understand, the way I relate. I didn't get to talk about how writing is connection, how writing is empathy, how writing is imagination. How writing can inform, question, intrigue, excite, calm, resonate, and teach; how writing can make us feel heard, and how it can make us feel understood. But hopefully those sentiments shine through on their own! =)



Questions for reflection:

  • What does reading mean to you?

  • What do your favorite books say about you?

  • When in your writing do you feel flow? Do you enter a flow state when writing about certain topics or writing certain ideas down? Or do you need to write (or read) in a certain location in order to feel most optimized?

  • How do reading and writing help you make sense of the world?



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