READING

Reading is the way of getting meaning from printed or written words. It is basic to learning and one of the most important skills in everyday life. Reading provides the key to all kinds of information. It enables us to learn how to build or fix things, to enjoy stories, to discover what other people believe, and to develop ideas and beliefs of our own.

People may read hundreds or thousands of words a day without even looking at a book, newspaper, or magazine. For example, they read their mail, street signs, traffic directions, billboards, the printing on television commercials, package labels, and many other things that contain words.

In the simplest sense, reading means recognizing letters and groups of letters as symbols that stand for particular sounds. The sounds, in turn, form words that express ideas in written or printed form. A broader definition of reading links it more closely with other uses of language and with thinking. According to that definition, reading first depends on a reader's memory and experience to understand what is read. It then involves how well the reader remembers, uses, and reacts to the material.

In most cases, the teaching of reading stresses certain skills, such as word recognition, vocabulary development, and comprehension (understanding of reading matter). However, the best way to learn to read may simply be just to read. Adults, especially parents, teachers, and librarians, can help children become good readers by reading to them and by helping them to read many kinds of materials—and to read often.

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