Reading as Thinking

When we interact with the world, there are thousands of stimuli we are exposed to everyday. Our brain processes which stimuli to pay more attention to, which to respond to, and which to ignore, Our minds are forced to do this because of the proliferation of technology into every facet of life. If we truly thought about every stimulus in our environment, we would constantly have sensory overload, and well, be constantly overwhelmed.

The beauty of reading is that we can put up blinders and charge through a text sitting before us. We have more of a choice as to how much stimuli to be exposed to based off of where or how we choose to read. Why is this important? Well, we have the choice to think solely on what we are reading which allows us to slow down and comprehend the text. The difference between reading and watching a movie is that we are can slow down and process what is happening in a book rather than simply react to stimuli that is being thrown in our faces at the movies. I don't intend to disparage movies, but I am coming off strong because I am saddened to see how little I read and how much more I watch.

Reading is edifying because it sharpens our minds to think and process what is being introduced to us in a deeper way. We need time to think while reading. We control the pace of a book through the rate by which we read. We can control the pace of our thinking while reading.

Many students struggle with comprehension. In primary schooling, recognizing words is greatly emphasized. In secondary schooling, students need to be equipped with comprehension strategies that go beyond an English class. In education, I am in the realm of science, but I firmly believe that I am also a literacy teacher. Regardless of what "subject" we teach, we are all reading teachers and it is of paramount importance that we help students achieve success by providing them with tools to attack any text with an inquisitive mind.