Why We Should Read

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was right.  Reading fairytales and fantasy stories stimulates the imagination.  You can travel into a magical world filled with princesses, wizards, unicorns and dragons, or sail the high-seas in a pirate ship!  You can be transported to another place or another time where excitement exists at the turn of every page and nothing is impossible.

Everything begins with reading. The wisdom of the ages is to be found in books.

Reading stimulates our imagination and our thinking.  If we can focus and develop our children's imagination and curiosity about the world around them, we will have set them on a path that will lead them to their own discoveries. 

We need our children to learn to think for themselves, not simply to follow what everybody else is doing or saying.  This can be difficult as they become teenagers and the desire to "fit in" becomes paramount, but I firmly believe that if a child has been encouraged to and has indeed developed the habit of thinking for themselves from a young age, their path to adulthood can be less hazardous. In the words of Margaret Mead "children must be taught HOW to think, not WHAT to think".

Reading builds language skills, spelling skills and concentration skills.  It expands children's horizons. Let's not forget though that reading is fun!  It provides a quiet time, where they can rest, relax and dream.  What can beat curling up with a good book?  It is a pleasure that will go with them their entire lives.

"So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,
go throw your TV set away,
and in its place you can install
a lovely bookshelf on the wall." - Roald Dahl