Every day there is so much to read, right from storybooks, to study books, journals, magazines, e-magazines, advertising material, newspapers..... and so much to read about - science, art, history, politics, the list goes on. Reading is a source of information and entertainment.

At the most basic level, it is important to know how to read. It will help in your daily life. Reading makes so many simple activities become easier, like buying products, going from one place to another, reading important labels, paying taxes and asking for credit. It helps you function better and contributes to a better job. Those who can read also tend to improve things around them. This is one key reason for developing the literacy levels of any country.

Some read to increase knowledge, some for the sheer joy of it. Some to while away the time, some to look important. Some read to go to sleep, some to stay awake! They may read newspapers, magazines, biographical accounts, travelogues, debates, fiction, whatever.The subjects could be as varied as a person's interest.

With the popularity of television and the Internet, it was felt reading would become obsolete, but today there is more reading material being produced than ever before. Reading opens up the mind, helps one understand people, the environment, the world, the universe. Reading is good as it stimulates the brain. We have to make sense of the words, comprehend their meaning and understand the nuances. We may even have to visualize ideas while reading.

Children should be encouraged to read. It has been found that such children learn to gather information quickly and on their own. They learn languages more efficiently, and often score better in school. Psychiatrists and doctors say that reading helps children learn to think in a logical way. Reading builds up a longer attention span and helps in developing abstract ideas, unbiased truths and constant thinking.

Teach children to read when they are young by exposing them all kinds of books. Picture books, with simple stories shown to them when they are small will help them love books. Read to them as they look at the pictures. Give them a wide choice of books, use library facilities to borrow books to read. Look for books on the Internet, buy books whenever you can, watch out for slashed or discount prices to pick books up. Make reading a part of their lives, and you will be enriching them forever.