The wonderful world of books!

Very often we hear students complain, “I read the lesson but I don’t remember a thing about it!” In reading we use our eyes. What else do we use to read, understand and remember? Parents and teachers encourage children to read. Some children read and remember, but others simply run their eyes over the printed words without understanding anything.

Our literacy has helped us to read street maps, bill boards, newspapers, magazines and books. If we did not have the ability to read, somebody else would have to read them to us. If a person is unable to read, he will miss his favourite radio and television programs published in newspapers. Most of the cartoons and comic books would puzzle such a person.

Unknown to most of us, we read for different purposes. Sometimes we read for fun. We read comics, leisure and fashion magazines pretty fast because they are written in a very simple language. At times we skim a whole page of a newspaper to find some definite information. A jobless man will skim the employment pages to find a suitable job. When we come across an unfamiliar word, we skim the dictionary. You run your eyes quickly down the page, stopping only to find the meaning.

Bad habits

College students read books slowly and carefully to get all the information they need. Although some of them have been reading books for years, they may have some bad habits that need correcting. For instance, some students point to the words as they read. This slows down the reading speed. They must always read groups of words together rather than single words.

In public libraries and trains sometimes, we see people moving their lips or throat muscles as they read. This again slows down the reading speed and prevents grasping facts quickly. In fact, only small children and those who have had no formal education resort to this practice. Even if we have not been trained properly, we should read with our eyes and mind. In other words, we should read while thinking about the meaning of what our eyes come across on the printed page.

While reading, we must look for the central thought of the sentences that go to make a paragraph. Usually, a paragraph is a unit of writing that is built around one main idea which is known as the “central thought.” Very often, the central thought is expressed in one sentence which is known as the “topic sentence” or “topic statement.”

Topic sentence

Most writers use the topic sentence at the beginning of a paragraph. However, the topic sentence can come towards the end of the paragraph as well. Some writers use the topic sentence in the middle of a paragraph. Strangely, some paragraphs may not have a topic sentence at all. This happens mostly in fiction. In such a situation, the reader has to find the key words in the paragraph. Key words unlock the meaning of the paragraph. They also help us to read the passage meaningfully.

When we do not know the meaning of a word, our reading speed suffers. Sometimes we may not have access to a dictionary. In such a situation, we have to guess the meaning in relation to the context. Many words in English come from Greek and Latin. Some knowledge of Greek and Latin root words, prefixes and suffixes will help us to unlock many difficult English words. For instance, “anti” is a prefix meaning “against” (anti-malaria campaign) and “aud” means “hear” (auditorium).

A standard dictionary will always help us unlock the meaning of difficult words. Once Mark Twain, the author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, sat in the United States Senate listening to a friend making a long speech. Mark Twain met him the following day.

“Do you know, Senator,” he said, “I was surprised at your speech yesterday. You may not believe it, but I own a very old book which has every word of that speech in it!”

The senator was indignant. “That speech,” he shouted, “was entirely my own! I’d like to see the book, old or new, that contains it!”

A few days later, the Senator received a copy of a dog-eared dictionary!

Reading

All literate people can read. However, some of them are poor readers because they have not developed their reading skills. Reading, no doubt, helps them to pass examinations and get jobs. In addition, it opens the door to the wonderful world of books, a world in which you can live many lives! Those who visited the Logos Hope ship and the International Book Fair at the BMICH will realise that we just cannot live without books.

From the day you start reading with your eyes and brain, you are on the royal road to success. The business of your eyes is to send rapid signals to the brain. If the brain is well focused, the signals will be turned into thoughts. Your reading ability depends largely upon your eyes and the brain working together. When this happens, reading becomes a pleasurable activity. What is more, only competent readers can roam the wonderful world of books!