2012 The Year of Reading

This year is the year of reading.  Each year, there's a national endeavour of what that year represents, and this is the year of the book and reading books and finding time to read and - most of all - encouraging young people to get in and making it a habit to pick up books and read them.

With the world using the electronic means of entertaining themselves, us humans are turning away from books, musical instruments and other family-orientated things that would keep us more connected with each other.  It's more likely now that each child has a computer or television set in their rooms, an iPod or iPhone plugged into their ears and would go for days without talking to anyone in their homes.  However, when I was growing up - as it was with my parents - we spent time together playing board games, talking about our day over dinner and watching a movie together in the living room (actually, we did the latter because there was only one television in the house and we had only four channels to pick from if we were lucky).  

For me, books were always a passion of mine; and my parents were thankful I wasn't into video games.  Being an avid reader meant that if I received a book for my birthday or Christmas, I'd read it a dozen times and rarely become sick of it.  And if I did, there was a library up the road I could borrow books from.  Even now, a book received as a present is a wonderful thing and I couldn't even think of myself owning an e-reader.  

However, this year, it doesn't matter if you read a book on an e-reader or Kindle, so long you pick up a book and read it, and get some of your family and friends to take up the habit by reading for an hour a week.  Personally, I can knock off an hour a day; but that's me.  There's people I know who say they can't sit and read for hours on end and have never read a book.  However, for every person who doesn't like reading, there is sure to be a great author for them and their interests, no matter who they are.

And so, this year, in August, there is going to be a day where you can read for an hour; and see how far you get through a book.  Work up to it by reading for a few minutes a day.  Be it before you go to bed, or after you wake up, while you're waiting for kettle to boil for a cup of tea or waiting outside the school to pick up the kids, reading at any time is good for your brain; and it's great for a child's growing brain as they're is still learning and they can learn as they read.

There's a fantastic site you can go to for more information about this National Year of Reading and you can join in with this great project; as well as your children and family.  So, what are you waiting for?  Until my next post, happy reading!