August 9 is National Book Lovers Day!
This unofficial holiday encourages people to pick up a book (or two) and spend the day reading. Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy promotes literacy and independent reading in our classrooms every day, as we acknowledge reading is an important part of students’ overall health and well-being.
The idea of reading for pleasure is often lost among the various assigned readings and increased emphasis on test preparation. However, strong readers are those who can read and analyze a diverse range of texts. It is important for a student to be able to indulge in independent, self-selected reading both in and out of the classroom. Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy teachers create readers in the class by teaching students how to read, by being a reading role model, and by creating a classroom culture where reading for pleasure is encouraged and supported.
Studies have shown that reading can not only be entertaining but can also have many health benefits. Reading helps reduce stress, keeps the brain sharp, and can help you sleep better. Scientists have also found that those who read are much more likely to be empathic and understanding of others.
Encouraging students to read for pleasure is about more than getting them to pick up a book; it’s equally important for them to appreciate a good story. It’s crucial to bear in mind what the student wants to read. We introduce our Rockets to a wide variety of texts, mediums, and genres – they may surprise themselves once they have faced preconceived ideas about what they consider enjoyable and embrace diversity in what they read. Comics, ebooks, short stories, online articles, and magazines shouldn’t be ignored
Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy students love exploring the details of books and making them come to life. Encouraging students to read for pleasure is about more than getting them to pick up a book; it’s equally important for them to appreciate a good story.
Why we love National Book Lovers Day: Benefits of Reading
1. Reading dares you to grow.
Before you can read, you must learn how. Reading is an exercise in perseverance, in which you constantly challenge yourself to achieve more than you did with your last book.
2. Books connect us to the universe
American novelist James Baldwin said it best: “You think your pain and heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read.” Books help us understand each other, feel less alone, and put our complex emotions into words.
3. Books let us escape the limits of time and space
Books are powerful. They’re the only medium that can transport us through time and space — into the past, present, future, and faraway worlds — galaxies away.
Celebrate Book Lovers Day with us!
What’s your favorite book? What are you reading? Use the hashtag #RocketsRead on social media and tell us what book do you like the most. You can also send us your pictures to scsa@edupix.org, and we’ll be featuring them online! Happy National Book Lovers Day!.
