Reading, The Only Tool For Success

Reading is a culture which can be assimilated; yet few parents make reading a habit and teachers perceive it less important for its enforcement. Reading in its natural sense, needs to be encouraged among the young children right from the lower primary. Though teachers treat reading comprehension with pupils in class, they do not promote reading.

The lack of reading interest in the recent generation is becoming alarming, which I suppose could be tackle immediately before it becomes ingrain in our society. Every child is born to read and write, so there is a need to create its awareness right from the early stage of their education?

Research has shown that female students outperform in reading than their males' counterpart. I believe with the introduction of the Literature in English in the Basic School, reading can now be reinforced among the Basic School children.

Some people inherited reading from their family. Others also learnt reading when they entered school, but the idea of acquiring reading skills depends solely on an individual person readiness to read and write. Ghana has very sophisticated libraries throughout the ten regions, but how many of us make time to read just a page of a book, a day?

There might be something wrong somewhere, because the youth value not books. Perhaps, that had made the African writers poor and the writing profession not vibrant. We have very prominent people who can produce reading materials for young children, but the theory of the youth not valuing reading, makes it fruitless. Teachers should play the chief role in the reinforcement of reading, especially in the Basic Schools where pupils read nothing but their comprehensions textbooks.

Reading as it appears can be made attractive, if teachers of English make it a contest. It is a discipline which I believe with time, could see its reputation among the youth just as how people in authority are ready to restructure the Basic School curriculum to suit the reading interest in children. Those who read good books, speak first-class English. Those who do not read, speak the English they hear people speak, which is not good enough. Schools' libraries should be well equipped with interesting books for pupils' reading.

Teachers on their part should recommend a minimum of two books to their pupils to read a term. Students on the other hands should be encouraged to write short reviews on the books they read a term, and the reviews kept as a portfolio for their future reference; (That is Senior High level).Even if there are no prescribed books from the Ghana Education Service, there are many books out there for worth reading. Teachers, especially those in the Basic Schools could make a bit research in order to make good books available for their children. The library periods should be used profitably in all schools.

Reading is the basic tool for academic excellence. Great scholars made it through reading. For one to become a successful academician in life, does not necessarily mean one is to be a university graduate. There are few people out there who made it through their own reading exploration; and there they are with excellent book knowledge.(Jane Austen and Charles Dickson) are just a few to mention.

Book is the most recent property we have. Those in Europe, Asia and America have earlier on identified books as the chief tool for development. Perhaps, every one of us needs a change in life, and the only way this change can manifest is through constant reading. Read anything that comes your way. Don't be selective, but make sure you read and recommend flawless reading materials. Make reading a habit, and the entire nation will experience a rapid development this year 2013.