Remember back in elementary school when teachers used to give out homework, which was reading at home for 20 minutes? 

Sometimes we felt forced to do so, and it wasn’t much fun. The reason behind why teachers assigned this kind of homework was to reinforce literacy skills, such as being able to comprehend text, drawing inferences from what is read, and so on.

For some people, this is where the love for reading started or the dislike of it started. For most it was mainly because they didn’t like the genre, but others who just never liked reading from the start.

However, reading in general is very beneficial besides enforcing literacy skills. The benefits from reading are stress reduction, boosting memory and focus, fostering emotional intelligence, and improving sleep. All of those things can help have a healthy mental health, especially with improving sleep since it can help to wine down before bed.

Lauryn Parcon, a senior, said “I personally don’t read many books but it definitely increases a person’s vocabulary and depending on the book you read it can help with creativity or knowledge about the world.”

Daphne Linn, a senior, said “I think reading allows you to experience things that you would never have the chance to otherwise. Reading is a form of entertainment that is also educational so it’s a great way to spend your time!”