By Allison Harvey-Benedum, High School English Teacher

With summer here in full swing, some of us have more time, others less. Whether you read in a marathon or for only a few minutes a day, Secondary English Teacher Mrs. Harvey-Benedum gives us some very important reasons to spend time reading this summer!

Reading has always held a special place in my life as a way to learn about the world outside of my little corner of southwestern Pennsylvania. I grew up clutching a book in one hand and a bookmark in the other. I am so thankful to all of the family, friends, and teachers who encouraged my love of reading growing up. Finding time to read as you grow up can be difficult. My reading marathons have been replaced with a 15-minute reading sessions before work each day.

Here are my TOP FIVE evidence-based reasons you should take a moment and read this summer:

5. Reading transports you to far-off places with daring sword fights, magic spells, and even a prince in disguise! Reading stories set in fantastic locations helps you expand your creativity and imagination.

4. While many of us have an e-reading device, we still find ourselves gravitating for a physical book. Especially when our batteries run low. Well, good news! Reading requires no batteries and the act of turning physical pages can help make you smarter, richer, and healthier. Take a page (pun intended) from successful entrepreneurs and get reading (DiPiazza).

3. It makes sense that reading will make you smarter, but studies now show that reading throughout your life can help reduce the development of Alzheimer’s disease (Friedland). As well as, learning to read earlier can help increase verbal intelligence (Ritchie)

2. Feeling stressed? Trying to make a difficult decision? Pick up a book to help you destress and explore your options. Reading allows you to find stories like your own. You can explore life choices through characters facing similar challenges in their lives. Exploring this internal life can be therapeutic and reduce stress (“Reading”).

1. After reflecting inward, a book can help you travel outside Pennsylvania into cultures and countries unknown. By traveling to other countries learn about other’s point of view and build bridges to create understanding. Reading allows you to create a friend from anywhere in the world. Reading has been shown to increase your empathy and compassion for others. So much so that judges have “sentenced” criminals to read to increase their empathy towards their victims. A book can help you lead a thousand lives and make a thousand more friends throughout your own lifetime (Hauser).
   
   

To get you started on your next literary journey, check out the A Good Book Club’s book shelf for some of our favorite books to read. Happy Reading!

Works Cited
DiPiazza, Daniel. "Reading Books Makes You Smarter, Richer and Surprisingly Healthier." Entrepreneur. Entrepreneur Media, Inc., 12 Dec. 2016. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

Friedland, Robert P. "Patients with Alzheimer's Disease Have Reduced Activites in Midlife Compared with Healthy Control-group Members." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 98.6 (2001): n. pag. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

Gambis, Maia. "Why Making Art Is the New Meditation." The Washington Post. WP Company, 25 Aug. 2015. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.

Hauser, Christine. "Teenagers Who Vandalized Historic Black Schoolhouse Are Ordered to Read Books." The New York Times. The New York Times, 08 Feb. 2017. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

"Reading Reduces Stress Levels." Kumon's Blog. Kumon, 14 Aug. 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

Ritchie, Stuart J., Timothy C. Bates, and Robert Plomin. "Does Learning to Read Improve Intelligence? A Longitudinal Multivariate Analysis in Identical Twins From Age 7 to 16." Child Development. The Society for Research in Child Development, 24 July 2014. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.