Crane School Blog: Focus on Learning

Featuring articles written by Crane Staffulty

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A Book is a Present You Can Open Again and Again
Traci Cope

Research shows the more you read, the better reader you become. The more you read, the smarter you get, and the better you do in school. For students who are too young to read, the words that they hear make reading it so much easier once they learn to read for themselves.

Research shows the more you read, the better reader you become. The more you read, the smarter you get, and the better you do in school. For students who are too young to read, the words that they hear make reading it so much easier once they learn to read for themselves.

Those are reasons enough to read, but I would like to offer you “10 Reasons to Befriend a Book” (adapted from Judy Freeman):Books can be beautiful. Have you enjoyed the illustrations in a picture book lately? Many picture books are entertaining for adults and kids alike.

  1. With books you can make new friends who will always be there for you. If friends are unavailable, or you’d simply like to escape for a while, dive into a good story.
  2. Books introduce you to people you’ve never met. Want to meet an astronaut, an activist, or famous people from the past? The possibilities are endless.
  3. Books let us know how other people feel. Laugh, cry, or empathize with a character in your book. It is the best way to learn about other people and cultures.
  4. Books allow you to go places you might never get to visit on your own. Where do you want to go? Read about it and experience the world.
  5. Books let you travel in time and vicariously experience adventures. Have you wanted to see a Roman gladiator or a knight? Do you ever ponder the future and wonder what life will be like? Books can transport you there.
  6. Books help you cope with problems you have in your own life. Answers and comfort are at your fingertips.
  7. Books let us find out facts we never knew before. You never have to stop learning! Feed your mind with new information for the rest of your life.
  8. Books can stave off boredom. Waiting in line or for an appointment? If you’re on a plane, or vacation seems a bit too long, no entertainment is more portable and never requires batteries. With two weeks of vacation upon us, read every day!
  9. Books inspire us to write or tell our own stories. Strong readers make strong writers and communicators. Go for it!

Reading is the perfect activity to do every day of winter vacation. If you are looking for a last minute gift, remember writer Garrison Keillor’s quote: “A book is a present you can open again and again.” May your family enjoy some quiet reading during winter break!

Traci Cope
Librarian

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