The BC Teacher Librarians’ Association, in conjunction with the BCTF, challenge you to join people all over our province as they “Drop Everything and Read” for at least 15 minutes today.
Put away the phone, turn off the TV, pause the video game or whatever else you are doing. If you are at school put away the textbooks and the homework. Even if you are at work, we challenge your employers to give you 15 minutes to enjoy some silent reading.
People who read for pleasure benefit in so many ways. Obviously, the primary benefit of reading for pleasure, is, wait for it… pleasure. However, there are so many more reasons how reading for pleasure if beneficial for you as an individual, and even for all of us as a society.
Why should schools give you time for reading? Students who read for pleasure do better in school. Why should your work care if you read? People who read for pleasure bring a multitude of skills and abilities to the workplace, including greater capacity for concentration and focus, along with more obvious benefits such as improved reading, writing and other forms of communication. Why should society care if you read? Readers are better prepared for responsible citizenship. Readers of non-fiction are better informed to effectively participate in our democracy, while readers of fiction develop understanding and empathy and a greater sense of our common needs as fellow citizens of our communities, our nations and our world.
These are just some of the reasons why reading for pleasure is good for you and good for all of us. Enjoy some reading today, and every day.
Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School Library 