Why fiction is irresistible

"How come so many people in the world are drawn towards stories and plots that never even occurred!”

"If we explore this dynamic we will see that each reader is compelled to this genre for different reasons, but of course there are always similarities. It is widely believed that reading fiction is an escapist hobby and this is quite true. The world we live in, the world we adapt to and the life we are bound to may not seem fascinating all the time. We get bored by our daily routines and the repetitive process starts looking like a trap. Now to vent out and feel fabulous many of us choose to pick out a more fantasy version of life. A place where everything is possible, where even for a short time you can live someone else’s life! This doesn’t mean that the person doesn’t have grip on the realities of life. It just shows that all of us are humans and that some magical phenomenon always seems appealing."

"Apart from that, reading fiction is always a treat for your brain. Encouraging you to think beyond the boundaries of society, creatively and filling you with new ideas. So to all those parents who are always chasing their kids to read more of the academic books than fiction, should remember that your kids are doing mind exercises. So instead of scolding, encourage them to read and introduce them to the world of ‘The Books’.”

Sarwat Amin Rattani, in thefrontierpost.com

Reading and writing prerequisites of future leaders

"As a reflection of many adults, many children nowadays prefer everything to be easy and instant. So parents play a big role in encouraging children to love reading. The role of the school curriculum is also equally important. Regretfully, our educational curriculum today also weighs less on reading and writing"...

"reading and writing were two inseparable skills that children needed to develop, as both skills greatly influenced the development of other soft skills needed in adulthood, such as leadership and the ability to express opinion. "Not only will they be instilled with the value of virtues from the stories they read, reading and writing skills prepare children to be ready to face society, to bravely express their opinions and be less [passive]. I believe, those are some of the qualities required for our future leaders"...

More: http://www.thejakartapost.com/bali-daily/2013-05-23/authors-urged-write-better-children-s-books.html



Conspiracy Theory or Truth? Find out in SpyWriter Jack King's:
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Books by Jack King:


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Oxygen for the Mind

"Today our children don’t read works of imagination and the results are what we see today. Children or students who don’t ask questions in class but just take in everything the teachers feed them. Because we don’t learn to think, that is why we have students and workers who just copy and paste everything.

"Reading should not end after class or when the teacher leaves the classroom. Both parents and teachers should encourage children to read. Buying them books to read is one thing and making sure they read them is another.

"It’s high time we parents realised the big mistake we are making by taking our children to school but not encouraging them to read.

"...children and young people need good books, funny books, emotional books, fantasy books, books that enable them to think and see in new ways.

“If you live without oxygen, you suffocate. And books are the oxygen of the mind, even in these days of the internet."

From: http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=56634



SpyWriter Jack King, the author of:
Agents of Change, WikiJustice, The Black Vault, and The Fifth Internationale.
Books by Jack King:


www.SpyWriter.com

Books: Don't mix Work with Pleasure

"Stories are crucial in our lives; we communicate with others using stories all the time. They're what we tell others about ourselves. They teach us how different people handle different circumstances."

"When a parent reads to a child, it is an intimate experience involving a strong emotion" ... "many educated parents are keen to read to their children. However, they tend to force the habit or use it to teach - or sometimes test - the child's English vocabulary."

"This may not be the most ideal and effective strategy to foster a love for reading."

"Experts have agreed that reading for pleasure and for its own sake is the most beneficial for children... If you want your child to be a successful reader, you should read to them for pleasure. Let the school do the teaching. It should be pure pleasure when you and your child read together. You can laugh over a story or cry over it together."

"Another golden rule for parents is to allow their children the freedom to choose books that interest them."

"The worst thing a parent can do is to be critical of a book which means a lot to the child."

"It's OK to let children read a book they love again and again. The important thing is they're free to choose their own books." For children who are not keen readers, it helps to find out what sparks their imagination and use that as a motivation."

FROM: http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1226031/how-parents-can-inspire-love-books-among-children

Read for Pleasure:



WikiJustice, by Jack King

Books never sleep

"Books are the best teachers. They impart knowledge without laughing at our ignorance and stupidity. They never sleep nor do they need food. The onus is on parents and teachers to make youngsters aware of this."

"When taught to read at a young age, children tend to visualise, imagine and conceptualise better. Their ability to concentrate is heightened, along with their ability to write. All these abilities would definitely be affected if a child is not encouraged by the teacher or parent to take up a book and read."

"Constant exposure to television, visuals on cellphones and internet could also lead to neurological impairments and dyslexia amongst children..."

More: http://m.timesofindia.com/city/visakhapatnam/Time-to-get-back-to-reading-books/articleshow/19705094.cms



SpyWriter Jack King, the author of:
Agents of Change, WikiJustice, The Black Vault, and The Fifth Internationale.
Books by Jack King:


www.SpyWriter.com

Climbing the social ladder starts with a book

"IF kids can learn to love books when they are young, it can set them up for life.
... books continue to form the cornerstone of childhood education and development ...

Nothing can fire up a child’s vivid imagination more than reading a book, or having one read to them, because it is their imagination that is creating the images from the words they’re reading...

The academic and social benefits that come with enjoying reading have also been well documented. But for kids it is the absolute joy they can find in reading that is so important. ...

Reading aloud and talking about what we’re reading sharpens children’s brains. It helps develop their ability to concentrate at length, to solve problems logically, and to express themselves more easily and clearly.

The benefits of reading have been shown over and over again in research. A German review of 146 international studies and 10,000 students found that children who read a lot end up higher on the social ladder."

From: http://mobile.news.com.au/news/nurturing-a-love-of-reading/story-fnelnuip-1226534903794



SpyWriter Jack King "A new King of thrillers on the horizon" www.SpyWriter.com

Reading is crucial to success

"The hard fact is that either directly or indirectly parents are role models to their children. ... As regards reading, parents need to become readers first since its even easy for children to copy what parents do than hear what parents tell them to do. Therefore, set the example. ...

Reading is very important. It is through reading that we learn to think and write. ...

Even at pre-school age, children that are read to tend to perform better than those that are not read to, because they are exposed to books and new vocabularies which helps their language development.

Latest research studies link reading proficiency with better grades in all subjects. For example at 8 months, when comparing two babies of the same age, it was indicated that a child that was read to had receptive vocabularies (number of words they understand) increase by 40 per cent since baby hood, while the child that was not read to had an increase of only 16 per cent.

Even at pre-school age, children that are read to tend to perform better than those that are not read to because they are exposed to books and new vocabularies which helps their language development.

Children that are read to develop longer attention span which is an important skill for children in order for them to be able to concentrate and it builds listening skills and imagination. Henceforth, reading books is one of the most important activities that make children obtain better grades in their academic endeavors."

More: http://m.allafrica.com/stories/201212040095.html/



SpyWriter Jack King "A new King of thrillers on the horizon" www.SpyWriter.com

The Building Block for Literacy

"Reading aloud is one of the most important -- and enjoyable -- parenting and grandparenting activities we can share with our children. Science tells us it's the first building block for literacy. Babies love the soothing sounds of a familiar voice reading. Even when they prefer "eating" their books, they are beginning to make the mental connection we want. They're associating reading with comfort, security and enjoyment. That link is a great foundation for raising readers. ... it also creates emotional memories that last a lifetime."

More: http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/181275901.html

For more interesting articles on books and reading around the world visit me on Facebook and Twitter

Books make Friends for Life

"Data from the NEA points to a dramatic and accelerating decline in the number of young people reading fiction. Despite their enthusiasm for books in grade school, by high school, most kids are not reading for pleasure at all.  

Statistics don’t bode well for a happy ending: One-third of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives. Over 58 percent of the U.S. adult population never reads another book after high school. Nearly 42 percent of college graduates never read another book. Over 80 percent of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year. Just under 70 percent of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years. There’s more, but you get it. If 4 out of 5 adults aren’t reading, then their kids will never read either.  

And that’s a shame. Because good books, like good friends, stay with you for life, always there when you want or need to draw on them. I can’t imagine life without them.  

No matter what your child does in life, the key to success will be reading skills. You owe it to your children to read with them, as well as to them. You’ll not only be teaching them a critical life-skill, you’ll be giving them the one thing they crave from you the most – your time."

More: http://www.tctimes.com/columnists/if_i_were_king/help-wanted-must-be-able-to-read/article_f77c1fe8-d97b-11e1-95a5-001a4bcf887a.html



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You are what you read

"A new study to be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology has found that if a book is absorbing enough for its reader, the characters on a page can actually change future behaviors of the reader.

But only if the books are good. And only if your reader can identify with the main characters.

Researchers at Ohio State University looked at what happened to those participants in the study who reported that while reading a piece of fiction, they found themselves “feeling the emotions, thoughts, beliefs and internal responses of one of the characters as if they were their own.” The researchers call this particular reaction “experience-taking.” It’s know among avid readers as “losing yourself in a good book.”

http://blogs.babble.com/strollerderby/2012/05/08/better-parenting-through-literature/



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Teenagers who read books will succeed in life

"Should I be alarmed that my teenage son doesn’t pick up a book on his own these days?

The short answer is, yes.

Based on research over the last 20 years teenagers that don’t read books are less likely to attend college, reduced language skills, experience depression more frequently then non-readers and have lower paying jobs. That is a lot to be alarmed about. Research also notes that reading fiction has significant benefits to the brain including increasing attention span, developing empathy, improving overall social cognition and enhancing reasoning ability. Reading books benefit our teenagers in so many ways. ...

The importance of modeling reading to young children and teenagers cannot be understated. Our brain contains mirror neurons and what is referred to as the mirror neuron system. Essentially, neuroscience research is showing that mirror neurons fire in our brain when we observe someone doing an action or when we do the action ourselves. Even just imaging the action can cause the mirror neurons to fire. As children watch us perform actions their mirror neurons replicate what we are doing. If we attach that action to a pleasurable activity such as reading to your child than the dopamine reward system is activated. Dopamine is released in the brain reinforcing the pleasure of that action for our children. Thus, when a parent picks up a book and snuggles up to their child before bedtime this association is reinforced between the mirror neurons and the dopamine reward system.

Research is showing that there is a significant correlation between reading aloud to children and educational advantages. In 1985, a landmark report in the U.S. called “Becoming a Nation of Readers” stated that reading aloud to children is “the single most important activity for building knowledge required for eventual success in reading”. Reading aloud also promotes vocabulary development, listening skills, attention span and other emergent literacy skills. However, if a parent cannot read efficiently how many will even attempt a bedtime story? More importantly, if reading is not modeled to children as a pleasurable activity how many of these children will discover this fact themselves as teenagers?"

More: http://www.vancouverobserver.com/blogs/new-education/2012/01/30/parenting-advice-how-make-teenagers-read-book

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The healing power of books

The "International Conference on Book Therapy seeks to highlight the therapeutic effect of books. Eminent speakers will discuss the global importance of literature as a tool for therapy, present details of successful projects and introduce techniques to calm traumatised minds."

"Book therapy is the art of healing through stories. Books can help readers de-stress, inculcate positive attitudes and inspire hope for the future. Children may suffer from fears, complexes and adjustment problems as a result of natural calamities, man-made disasters and psycho-social traumas both at schools and at home. When parents and teachers are unable to provide the attention that traumatised children require, suitable books can help them cope with their problems,”

More: http://m.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/article2844421.ece/



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How to help children fall in love with books

"Get a library card and plan regular visits. 

Turn off the television and have family reading time.

Buy books as gifts for birthdays and other special occasions.

Participate in your school’s book lending, book fair and book buying programs.

Encourage your child to participate in reading clubs at school and at the public library. 

Attend special events where authors of your child’s favourite books are reading or signing books."

More tips: http://www.cramahe-now.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2378:board-offers-reading-tips-for-families&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=61



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How to turn kids into readers

When I was a kid growing up overseas there were only two channels on TV, and neither went live until sometime in the afternoon, so my parents could not place me in front of the nanny that is the TV, in hope that it would raise me. Instead they gave me books and colored pencils to draw on the pages. I can't claim that this turned me into a writer, but perhaps it did help make me a reader. How do you turn your kids into readers these days? A parenting column offers this advise:

"In her column, D’Arcy asked Meyers how parents should go about instilling a love of books and reading in their children.

Meyers had a lot to say, listing multiple tips for pre- to early readers and even a few for older readers.

One inspired idea is for parents to turn down the sound of the television when a child is watching a program and asking the child to tell the story of what he or she thinks is going on.

Another idea I liked is for a child to have his own bookshelf in his room. A sense of “ownership” is big with kids.

As you might guess, regular trips to the library or bookstore– I choose library for financial and mental-sanity reasons– are key. As is letting kids pick what they want to read.

Another inspired idea is browsing author’s websites.

Meyers also reminds parents not to forget poetry.

For big kids, Meyers urges parents to make reading a family activity."

More: http://blogs.babycenter.com/mom_stories/01172012how-to-raise-a-reader/



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