October, the Reading Month:

Fostering a cultivable habit

By Husna Inayathullah

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one." - George R. R. Martin

Reading is an important part of a person's learning process. Reading is a way for people to make connections between what they already know and what they read about in books. These connections help people understand the world around them. Through books we are exposed to characters and cultures that they may not otherwise interact with in real life.

If a child likes to read, he is off to a great start in life! When a child is interested in reading and enjoys certain types of books such as mysteries, humour or adventure stories, we should encourage children's natural interests in the genres they like as much as possible.

October is considered as the 'reading month' in Sri Lanka. Many people love reading because it is entertaining. Reading books also teaches us about the world and helps us develop empathy, according to Scholastic. Each time you turn a page, your brain lights up and reading is a workout for the mind, body and soul.

D. C. R. A. Goonetilleke, Emeritus Professor of English, University of Kelaniya in his views sounds an alarm seeing the future of a declining trend in reading. He said, "At the moment reading seems to be fighting a losing battle against the lure of television. There are so many channels and such a variety of fare that is more accessible than reading. Of course today reading books refers not only to reading printed books but also to reading materials available on the Internet.

Substitute

"One can read poems, plays and fiction not only in printed books but also on the Internet, but the reading month focuses really on fostering the reading habits and at the moment it refers mainly to reading printed books. There are those who predicted the death of the printed books but this has not happened so far and may never happen.

"For several reasons there is no real substitute for the printed books. Yet whatever the medium the printed book or the Internet, the important factor is to cultivate the reading habit. Literacy is important to keep the brain cells functioning and develops one's personality. A long time ago Francis Bacon said, "Reading maketh a full man" and despite modern developments Bacon's words are still true."

Many children are attracted to one genre or type of book.

They may have a favourite author that they like to read again and again.

Even though children may enjoy reading a single type of literature, you can gently introduce children to other genres.One should never push too hard and run the risk of turning off a child to reading.

There are several benefits that a person can gain from reading books. One should not dedicate only the month of October to read books but the reading habit should be cultivated and books should be read everyday.

The exposure to different authors and genres of books can give insight into other cultures, worldwide locations, and new vocabulary. For instance, science fiction books may have different vocabulary and settings than we find in mystery books.

Reading books can be more than entertainment. There is so much of pleasure in curling up with a good book. Enjoying literature helps strengthen mind-reading abilities. The research published in the Science showed that reading literary works cultivates a skill known as "theory of mind," which is the "ability to 'read' the thoughts and feelings of others."

Stress

Reading can chill a person once he is stressed. Research conducted in 2009 at Mind lab International at the University of Sussex showed that reading was the most effective way to overcome stress, beating out old favourites such as listening to music, enjoying a cup of tea or coffee and even taking a walk.

It really doesn't matter what book you read, by losing yourself in a thoroughly engrossing book you can escape from the worries and stresses of the everyday world and spend a while exploring the domain of the author's imagination.

Reading could help keep your brain sharp. A lifetime of reading might just help keep your brain in shape when you reach old age, according to research. A study which included 294 participants who died at an average age of 89, found that those who engaged in mentally stimulating activities such as reading earlier and later on in life experienced slower memory decline compared to those who didn't.

Menike Sumanasekera, a well known author and public speaker on positive thinking, psychotherapist and a counselor in psychology said, "The month of October is considered important as it is the month of reading. Reading is very important in our society. At present, reading has been forgotten by many due to the busy schedule of adults and children. They should be made aware of the importance of reading this month.

"September is regarded as the literary month and each year the international book fair takes place. There are so many discounts at book stores as well. Many people purchase books during the literary month. People who purchase books during the literary month can read it in this month of October.

"The reading habits, specially in children, youth and women have declined. The younger generation is addicted to the Internet as it is easy to access.

At the same time there are youth who are interested in reading printed books. However, we should accept that reading e-books and books through tablets have lead to the decline of reading printed books today.

Students should not only read the school text books, instead they should read all kinds of books and widen their horizon. Students reading a variety of books will lead them to face their exams successfully."

Decline

In particular, people who exercised their minds later in life had a 32 percent lower rate of mental decline compared to their peers with average mental activity. The rate of decline amongst those with infrequent mental activity, on the other hand, was 48 percent faster than the average group. A study suggests that exercising your brain by taking part in activities such as these across a person's lifetime, from childhood through old age, is important for brain health in old age.

Reading also prevents you from diseases such as Alzheimer's. Some research proves that adults who engage in hobbies that involve the brain such as reading or puzzles are less likely to have Alzheimer's disease.

The brain is an organ just like every other organ in the body.

It ages in regard to how it is used. Just as physical activity strengthens the heart, muscles and bones, intellectual activity strengthens the brain against disease.

Once you read it helps you to sleep better. Many sleep experts recommend that establishing a regular de-stressing routine before bed to calm your mind such as reading a book, is a great way to have a good sleep.

Bright lights, including those from electronic devices, signal to the brain that it's time to wake up, meaning reading your book under a dim light is a better bedside bet than a laptop.

Getting lost in a good book could also make you more empathetic. Putting yourself in a work of fiction might actually increase your empathy.

Researchers in the Netherlands designed two experiments which showed that people who were "emotionally transported" by a work of fiction experienced boosts in empathy.

Self-help books can ease depression. Self-help books might actually help you help yourself.

A study shows that reading self-help books combined with support sessions was linked with lower levels of depression after a year compared to patients who received typical treatments.

Depression gradually weakens people's motivation and makes it hard to believe change is possible. Self-help books could even work in cases of severe depression. People with severe depression can benefit from "low-intensity interventions," including self-help books and interactive websites, as much or more than those who are less severely depressed.

Let's make it a habit to read books and obtain its benefits.