Discusson for July 2021 - Reading: Why it Matters.

I think reading expands your mind in the sense of introducing you to new ideas and concepts and vocabulary, all of which is beneficial because when further new ideas come along, it gives you tools to help deal with that.

I also think there's an element of practice makes it easier with reading. I think sometimes people assume that you learn to read when you're little and that that's it. You know how to do it and you don't need to practice. And perhaps at a basic level, you don't, but for the purposes of having the stamina to read a long piece of text, you do.

I have family on both ends of the spectrum, those who are keen readers and those who aren't. I have a close family member who for years only read maybe one novel a year during the summer holiday and that was it. A year or two back, he decided he was interested in reading the books that inspired some of the tv series he particularly enjoyed and has started to get into reading more as a result. What I have seen watching him is that when he started, he struggled. He could read, he read the newspaper cover to cover every day, but reading a whole chapter was hard work and he wasn't used to it. Gradually, he found it easier. He gained stamina. He could read for longer without having to stop to give his brain a break. But even now he can't cope with distractions like music, the television or other people talking for long.

This is no different to getting better at something physical like riding a bike or throwing a ball. But it is something that I think isn't always taken into account, that physicality of reading and the development process involved. You're never too old to start, as my family member showed (he was in his late 60s when he really got into reading), but don't expect to do the reading equivalent of the Tour de France straightaway 😁