The Balancing Act

To me, reading means many things, not only the reading of text on a page but actions of others and myself as well. Most other people may not say that they will think of baseball games when thinking of how they read in real life, but I view the game of baseball that way and I like to share about how I can read in many different ways in life. Reading books is definitely not one of my favorite hobbies to do, but every once in a while I will find a good book that will catch my interest for the next couple of months. My learning experience from reading on the field has taught me another meaning of literacy that I would not have realized if I had not thought about what reading really meant to me. I can now understand how I use reading in all different aspects of my life better, and not just in the classroom but throughout my everyday activities, like baseball.

Literacy has the power to transform us. By reading we learn new things and we are more likely to express ourselves to others. We can understand another’s language, other cultures, and know the way others way of thought.

Books are some of the best teachers we have “they teach us vocabulary social skills and new ways of thinking”(leigh). It’s also true that textbooks could teach a child this, but not in the way they would learn from a story. When a child is really engaged in a story they will learn a lot more than they think. “Books teach us history ”(leigh). and many books are based on certain time periods or cover certain events. When a child reads these stories, they will retain the

“The Lonely, Good Company of Books” by Richard Rodriguez, is an expressive narration about the importance of learning through reading. The essay is a narration of his life from his early school years to high school and how he struggled with the general belief that reading books are the main source of education. “Open the doors of your mind with books” (172) he quotes from a poster over his teacher’s desk. He learned early on that books were the key to academic success. Even though his bilingual parents never read for pleasure, they instilled in him the value of books. This idea was repeated by his teachers that reading was the main activity of learning.

Today, in our society, reading is a crucial part of us growing, and learning. It can cause us to expand our minds, and our thought process. Books can take you anywhere in the world. When we read a book, our mind is in control, and no one can take that away from us. If there were no books, we would not be free.

Reading is the beginning of every child’s learning. The basis of education begins with learning to read. Short (2010) explained that literature acts as “an inquiry to life” and a “way of knowing” (p. 50). However, in order to support children’s learning, it is essential to show children that learning is interesting from a young age. When Short first began teaching using worksheets and a basal reading program, she wrote, “I often felt that children were learning to read in spite of me” (p. 49). The students were not learning to think critically. However, when she began introducing literature circles to her students, she saw them “critically exploring their understandings with each other” (p. 49).

Before we divulge into the topic of this essay, let me begin by stating that neither the author of the main source, Steven Johnson, nor I intend to devalue books or look down upon them. In his book, Everything Bad Is Good For You, he starts off talking about the importance of books. He says, “We should all encourage our kids to read more, to develop a comfort with and an appetite for reading” (Johnson 21). Reading provides many different benefits, some including “concentration, the ability to make sense of words, to follow narrative threads, to sculpt imagined worlds out of mere sentences on pages” (Johnson 23). As an avid reader myself, I have always had an interest in books.

Through the course, I learned that there are many benefits of reading books to children. Children would improve their communicative skills by talking about their favorite part of the story. Children would respect each other by taking turns. They would improve their cognitive skills by predicting the events of a story. Moreover, reading books would expand children’s vocabularies by introducing new words.

For example, students and colleagues are able to learn the principles of manners such as kindness and politeness through the characters they’re reading about. They are also able to learn about political views, historical events, world religions, LGBTQ community, racism, and sexism. This is fundamental in order to accept the people around the world, and to be prepared for what comes next. According to time.com many parents believe that they are educating their students to make the right choices by censoring books, but instead they are denying them the access to the materials they need. Books give the ability to expand the mindset of any person so that they are prepared and educated for the

He made children believe in themselves; they were able to read his books and feel as if they were in another world. “You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book” this encourages kids to read which can help expand their vocabulary (Seuss). Children reading his books helps them with going through the basics of word transitioning into elementary. Theodor Seuss Geisel’s effective writing has assisted children read, be creative and become imaginative.

Throughout elementary school, we have always been told to read books. Some books for enjoyment, but the majority solely for educational purposes. The one question that I continually asked myself was, “Does reading really make me smarter?” Within hours of reading my textbooks, I find myself downing another cup of coffee, struggling to get through the tedious lines of ink. Not only was I uninterested in what I was reading, but I felt disconnected from the true meaning of the material.

We are taught at a young age that books are full of lessons. The reader just needs to read between the lines. There is an Irish proverb that states, “You cannot open a book without learning something”. Books are full of information whether they are textbooks or children’s books.

a) Hook Books have had the power to start or end wars, free or enslave people, or change the course of history for better or for worse. Throughout history, books have served as means for people to communicate their experiences and knowledge. Literacy skill begins at a very early age when children are most vulnerable. Children’s literature is crucial in the development of vocabulary, comprehension, and knowledge building skills, but most importantly, it shapes the mind and the cognitive process of young children. b)

Throughout all of time, literature has played an important role in people’s lives. Books are more than just stories to laugh at, cry with, or fall asleep to, but books can teach. Literature

Success can represent many different aspects of your life. Everyone wants to be able to say when they are old, they were once successful. “So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life 's A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) Kid, you 'll move mountains” (Seuss). A person can define their success in their education. Having an education is a privilege to many. “In 2012, the global adult literacy rate was 85 percent, compared to 91 percent for youth aged 15 to 24” (Compass 32). Education is most will work hard to complete. Also, having the privilege to have any type of education, including college can cost thousands of dollars from personal experience. Along with the cost of an education, a college graduate will be required to pay back the loans they have taken out for college. Being a sophomore in college going to a technical college, I am in almost 10 thousand dollars in debt. It is important to work hard while going to college and have a degree. Many jobs now are requiring at least an associate’s degree in your choice of major. What aspect of your education will make you be successful?