You hear that “reading is good for you” all the time, but very often people believe that there is only one “good kind” of reading: reading books. But wait! There are many other types of reading materials, right? What if you read a comic book, a magazine or newspaper article, a recipe, and so on? Does that count as reading?
If you search the Internet for “what should I read?” you will get millions of hits. Many websites recommend literature or literary texts as “something to read this season or “what people are reading this month.” That is why people often think that “reading” means “reading books” even though books are only one type of materials that we read.
Result of a web search: what people are reading
Reading helps your brain
Studies show that reading is good for the brain. It does not matter if you read a book, a magazine, or a recipe. The important part is that reading activates the brain. Reading makes you think and use your imagination. It helps you keep up with the news. It helps you learn about the world around you.
Many ways and reasons to read
I think the purpose of reading is to understand the message writers want to give us. Writers choose to share ideas in many forms, (as fiction and non-fiction). Here are some examples:
- novels and short stories
- poems
- speeches
- newspaper articles and editorials
- recipes and cookbooks
- comics strips and manga
- blog articles on many different subjects
- book, movie, or product reviews
- and much more!
People communicate knowledge in many ways, so it is important to read many types of texts so that you access as much information as possible. If you always read only one type of texts, you might miss out on other useful or interesting ideas. Libraries keep many kinds of materials for that reason; they want to offer as much information as possible.
In addition, people read for different reasons. You can read to study, or you can read because you find a topic interesting and enjoyable. If you choose what you read, you want to know the information and you will probably find it enjoyable. If you only read what someone tells you to read or what you have to read, you may end up losing interest in reading at all.
If you do not enjoy reading, try texts about things that interest you. Skim the material first to decide if you want to read it. Start by reading 15 or 20 minutes every day. Keep doing it consistently. In the end, you may find yourself reading more and more and reading other types of materials and subjects.
So, what counts as reading?
I think many types of materials count as reading. If you read a few minutes (or longer) everyday, learn something new from it, and enjoy what you are reading, does it really matter if it’s a book or something else?
Related Material
Watch this video about the topic (new tab). This video is for intermediate and advanced students. Read the passage on this page first. It will help you understand the video. Don’t worry if you can’t understand everything.
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