At Red Bird we have a fiction lending library which has a fraction of the books for children and teens that we have squirreled away in various places. But why? What’s the point of reading fiction? Let’s find out!
Pleasure
Reading is supposed to be pleasurable and for those of us that read, this seems pretty obvious, but for some it’s a chore. We always say that they just haven’t found the right book yet and for most, this is true. There are a massive range of books available. As we’re about to find out, the benefits are massive to reading fiction, so keep trying to find that book that will hook your child – it’ll be worth it!
Social Empathy
Getting immersed in the lives of a character and entering their world helps us to empathise with others. It allows us to explore the world through the eyes of others and studies show that this has immediate effects on how we treat others. We can walk in the shoes of different genders, in different countries or different worlds, discover the past, explore the world or imagine the future.
As young children learn about the world through play, readers can find out about the world through reading. For teenagers, this can help them navigate the adult world through books before doing it for real. Have a look at this BBC article which explains how reading can make you a better person.
Knowledge
There are so many times that references in books have had me scurrying to Google to find out more and often, a rabbit hole of unknowns have been discovered. My head is full of a lot of knowledge that I attribute to reading. Contextual knowledge, archaic language, social and historical references can all come from reading. It makes you a part of a shared culture that other readers share.
Exams
This is further down the list for a reason, because it is a means to an end. Unfortunately, the study in minute detail of a text can definitely undermine the enjoyment of reading, but it has to be done to move forward, so here we are. There is no doubt in my mind, that reading in KS2 and KS3, greatly affects your chances of getting a pass or above in both the Literature and Language exams and I imagine it has a huge impact on the other reading and writing-based subjects such as History and Psychology.
Wellbeing
Reading before going to bed is part of a bedtime routine for a lot of children and research suggests that reading puts us in the right frame of mind for sleep, allowing us to get a more uninterrupted and refreshing sleep. We are immersed in a text and it allows us to help train and slow down our thoughts. Have a look at this article from Headspace to see how we could all benefit from reading an actual book or listening to audio before bed.
So we should all be reading fiction! Making sure you are a role model for your children is important, buy and borrow books and make them a part of your life. We’ll all be better off 🙂
Here’s a couple more studies to get stuck into. And if you ever need any recommendations for your child, just get in touch!
The Real Life Benefits of Reading Fiction
Why Reading Can be Good for Mental Health
SUE
Owner of Red Bird Tutoring
Sue launched Red Bird Tutoring in 2018, combining her 20+ years experience as a teacher and school leader with her interest in coaching.
Since its launch, Red Bird has helped hundreds of learners achieve success!