Blog
The Importance of a Reading Community
- July 17, 2021
- Posted by: Angelina Tracey
- Category: News
It’s common to hear the numerous benefits of reading for pleasure:
- Readers have higher self-esteem and confidence
- Readers score higher on academic tests
- Reading increases vocabulary, comprehension, and concentration
- Reading helps us live in the present moment
In addition to these benefits, one of the essential values of reading is the aspect of a community. When we read as a community, we become part of something bigger than ourselves.
Reading teaches and opens our minds to learning valuable life lessons. A virtuous aspect of reading is learning about the people whom we read about in a book. We become more aware of how different situations affect people, helping us to empathize with others. When we connect to our reading community, the empathy grows as we have discussions about our books. The experiences of connecting with others about our reading help us become a better version of ourselves, and positivity impacts those in our life.
Having a reading community leads to these additional benefits:
- A higher willingness to participate in our community
- More likely to participate in athletic, cultural, and political activities
- Participate in volunteer opportunities
- Develop critical thinking skills, deepening our understanding about situations and relationships from a book and how it applies to our lives
- Become better problem solvers and collaborators
Let’s all get connected to a reading community. It will help us become more educated, engaged, and empathetic individuals. Together we can make better friendships, relationships, communities, and a better world.
Community is a significant value we have at Book Summer. We support individuals and guide them to pursue a lifelong love of reading. And importantly, we offer the opportunity where readers can connect to others, a unique community that will improve their lives for years to come.
Angelina Tracey
Book Summer Reading Guide
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