There’s nothing wrong with having an insatiable desire to read. To get your hands on anything and everything having to do with the printed word. Since the mid-20th century, scholars have viewed reading as a facet of language. Once eclipsed by the practice of silent reading, oral reading has regained the place of importance it held in previous decades when people gathered in public places to hear a spokesperson recite the latest news.
Seeking wider knowledge
Two separate studies, one done in 1978 and another in 1983, looked at the value of repeated readings to improve fluency. The readings were conducted by teachers who could help with the pronunciation of difficult words. The studies revealed that repeated readings lessened mispronunciations and improved reading rates. Another study in 1986 revealed that while a middle school student might only read 100,000 words in a year’s time, the average reader might easily read 10 times that many. A large volume reflects greater vocabulary exposure and therefore a greater grasp of global knowledge.
Which brings us to the Founders
Thomas Jefferson had a passion for books that was shared by his peers. These were men who read widely, studied the precepts of government and learned all they could about the meaning of freedom. The framework for building our country evolved because of their passion for reading. Their personal libraries were large and contained a diversity of reading material. When the fifty-five delegates met to draft our Constitution in 1787, James Madison’s library, already expansive, boasted an additional 200 volumes that Jefferson had purchased for him in Paris.
Privileged colonial women read as widely as their husbands. They enjoyed the classics, studied history and soaked up current events. Many of the books in their libraries came through circulating libraries that brought novels from England.
Still an essential skill
Today, we often think of the fruits of reading in connection with the education of our children. A busy life often interferes with the time an adult would otherwise set aside for reading. But here’s the thing: Reading boosts brain power, which can help sustain memory and brain function as we age. Even a work of fiction can provide helpful information and make an adult more open-minded.
Thomas Jefferson knew that the knowledge contained in books was vital to the successful emergence of the new country. To him, reading was as essential as breathing. “I cannot live without books,” he once wrote to John Adams. He and his cohorts were the ultimate bookworms. And if reading can help shape a nation, think what it can do in your life.
James River Writing 