Benefits of Reading - Final Speech

[Pages:3]Final Speech: Benefits of Reading

I. Introduction: Books. Who needs them right? They don't actually do me any good. Many Americans

today, especially our youth, have lost sight of the value of books and reading. They think of it as a waste of time when they can simply watch the movie or google the summary. What more do you need than that? Well, today I would like to explain to you why you DO need books by first, discussing the astonishing statistics about reading in America today, and then revealing the various benefits reading a book can have on an individual. Hopefully you will learn something today about the effects those dusty books behind your desk can hold.

II.Americans are reading less (according to 3 studies by National Endowment for the Arts) A.Young adults are reading fewer books 1.Nearly half of all Americans ages 18 to 24 read no books for pleasure. 2.Only 59% of adults between the ages of 25 and 44 read a book not related to work or school 3.The percentage of 17-year-olds who read nothing at all for pleasure has doubled over a 20-year period. B.College attendance no longer guarantees active reading habits 1.Only 67% of college graduates are literary readers 2.65% of college freshmen read for pleasure for less than an hour per week or not at all 3.By the time they become college seniors, one in three students read nothing at all for pleasure in a given week C.Even when reading does occur, it competes with other media, resulting in less focused engagement with the text 1.58% of middle and high school students use other media while reading 2.Students report using media during 35% of their weekly reading time 3.20% of their reading time is shared by TV-watching, video/computer games, instant messaging, emailing, or Web surfing.

III.Benefits of reading (according to different sources such as article on Major Benefits of Reading by Brad Isaac or different blogs from experienced readers) A.Greater brain power 1.Improves vocabulary - "Out-of-school reading habits of students has shown that even 15 minutes a day of independent reading can expose students to more than a million words of text in a year." 2.Encourages thought on your own - "Somebody who reads only newspapers and at best the books of contemporary authors looks to me like an extremely nearsighted person who scorns eyeglasses. He is completely dependent on the prejudices and fashions of his times, since he never gets to see or hear anything else. And what a person thinks on his own without being stimulated by the thoughts and experiences of other people is even in the best case rather paltry and monotonous. There are only a few enlightened people with a lucid mind and style and with good taste within a century. What has been

preserved of their work belongs among the most precious possessions of mankind. Nothing is more needed than to overcome the modernist's snobbishness." 3.Improved memory and concentration- According to Ron White, USA Memory Champion and memory training expert, "The average person reads at a pace of approximately 250 words per minute. A speed reader can absorb from 600-1500 words per minute, or more, without losing any comprehension." This can really help with your studies, making it faster and more efficient. B.Reduces stress 1.Greater tranquility - According to research by consultancy Mindlab International at the University of Sussex: "Subjects only needed to read, silently, for six minutes to slow down the heart rate and ease tension in the muscles. In fact it got subjects to stress levels lower than before they started" 2.Reduces boredom - Reading beat music and video games with reducing stess levels by 68% according to the same study. 3.Removal from outside world - Robin Lakes from Livet Inc. said, "When you curl up with a good book, you put the rest of the world at bay...You are essentially taking a vacation of the mind--but one that can be relatively cost-free, especially if you live near a library." C.More well-rounded 1.Travel around the world - Oprah's list of 20 Books for the Armchair Traveler

a)Dreaming in Chinese b)A Pearl in the Storm c)The Hundred-Foot Journey 2.Something to talk about - When you start to read more and more books, especially classics and popular topic books, you will find more and more conversation topics :) 3.Builds self esteem - 50% of Americans are unable to read an 8th-grade-level book, resulting in some serious self-esteem issues

IV.Conclusion: So, what have we learned today? 1) Americans are reading much less today, and 2) the benefits reading can have on an individual are high and wide. So many Americans today are ignoring the great opportunities the books right under their noses hold for them. I encourage you to take these facts and learn from them. Make your glass ceiling higher by picking up a book. You can join me and my friend here as we continue to pursue one of our favorite hobbies: reading! ...Thank you.

Bibliography To Read or Not to Read: A Question of National Consequence by National Endowment for the

Arts; Research Report #47 "The 26 Major Advantages to Reading More Books and Why 3 in 4 People Are Being Shut Out

of Success" by Brad Isaac "8 Benefits of Reading (or Ways Reading Makes You Better at Life)"; a blog by Celeste "Benefits of Reading"; benefits-of-reading "Reading `can help reduce stress'";

5070874/Reading-can-help-reduce-stress.html "Reading, Literacy, and Education Statistics";

education_stats.asp#readingstatistics "10 Ways to Improve Your Mind by Reading the Classics";

blog/improve-your-mind-by-reading-the-classics/ "Process More Input Speed Reader";

and-concentration/ "Reading - The Great Escape from Stress";

reading_great_escape_from_stress.html Oprah's "20 Books for the Armchair Traveler";

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