Importance of reading

Verbal behavior, B F Skinner

The objective of this article is to highlight the importance of reading and is aimed at those who want to improve on their writing skills. 

Introduction

As a child, learning to read is a sequential process. For example, first you learn to break down words into sounds and then you start putting meanings into those words and then in sentences. Reading has a deep impact in building an individual as a professional, a sensible netizen of the world and also as a writer; you will see in this article, it is the raw material, your ingredients with which you write. Reading also helps you introspect and has a very positive impact on the body and mind. Most successful men and women the world is proud of are essentially good readers. It is one of the most important skills in communication.

Four skills of communication

Burrhus Frederic Skinner (March 20, 1904 – August 18, 1990), commonly known as B. F. Skinner, was an American psychologist, behaviorist, author, inventor, and social philosopher. He was the Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology at Harvard University from 1958 until his retirement in 1974. He was also a famous linguist who had postulated something called four skills of communication. This later formed the basis of all teachings that concerned communication, in schools, colleges or in training institutions. (Source: Wikipedia)

Communication, broadly speaking is of two types, viz. oral and written which are sub-divided into two, viz. comprehension and competence. Each of these skills has a name, e.g. oral comprehension is called listen, competence is called speak; written comprehension is called read, and competence write. So LSRW are the four skills of communication. It is important for us to know these skills because if we have to be effective in communication, we have to practise each of these four skills. Let us know why is it important to read.

Why is it important to read

It has been observed that these four skills function as any batch jobs (input-output) we have designed for computers. For instance, listening is the input and speaking the output, reading is the input, writing the output. It follows therefore, that if we need to hone our speaking skills, we have to listen and if we have to hone our writing skills, the surest way to improve is by reading.

Developing the habit of reading is also a skill, it does not come overnight. I have seen people getting irritated if they are made to read a long article. When you slowly develop the art of reading, you will see your span of concentration slowly increasing. If you have made writing your passion, there is no other way. Start reading, because it is important to read; however, the next question that comes is what to read.

What to read

In this forum, let us start sharing the books we are currently reading. This needs to be initiated by the senior writers and also by the junior writers who have the habit of reading. Please understand that reading anything is better than not reading. Beginners may not be able to engage in Harry Potter series or A suitable boy at the outset, you can start with something lighter, a Chetan Bhagat, for example. Whenever writers are sharing the book they are currently reading, build that into your reading list and read whenever you have time. We all need to be members of a good library because it may not always be feasible to buy books. About buying books we are not so generous, but for buying branded outfits, we probably are, but that’s a different issue altogether. Let’s not get into that domain now.

Strongly recommend e journals, especially Muse India

I do not know how many of you read e journals. Start reading them because this way you will be exposed to good and sincere writing very easily. Check your own pace and read accordingly. The reason I strongly recommend e journals is because it is readily available to us free of cost. You could also read the articles that are available to you on a daily basis. Check if you are wanting to read something long, or abruptly browsing; it is a psychological process my friends and we need to conquer our inertia towards reading, if we want to become writers ourselves. Most of the time, while reading you can catch hold of your own reading disability. Strongly recommend Muse India because it is a UGC approved journal. (http://www.museindia.com/viewrep.asp?id=66025)

Reading disability

This is like a virus. I have seen many writers who do not want to read anything beyond a certain length. Why should this happen to us writers I wonder; if you have reading disability it will be revealed from the responses you make about long writing. You may be a techie or an engineer, you might have a science background, but here you have one identity, which is that of a writer and a good writer is not expected to have reading disability. Check all the time if you are attacked by that virus and slowly and steadily let the virus rest in peace!

Who can help and how

Most anybody, from writers to readers to friends to strangers can help you in forming a substantial reading list.

Fostering an atmosphere of collective learning

If all of us practise this, we will slowly learn how to learn together, it is a fascinating process recommended by many writers and also by systems scientists.

Conclusion

Summary

Reading is the key to improving writing skills. There is no other way.

What to read

Most anything, from newspapers to magazines to e journals to books, novels; anything is good to start with. However, when you are reading as a writer, be conscious of how an idea is developed and various ways in which the text is written, the aspects of writing that appealed and those that didn’t.

Be careful

Be careful of people who don’t want to read. Do not get influenced by them. I have seen many people making catchy comments to gain cheap popularity. For instance, ‘you convert a micro poem into a mega poem’; such cheap comments gain tremendous popularity among others, especially those who are beginning to write, and distract young writers from their road-map to success. These people are essentially good, but their intention is to get non-approval from people about lengthy writing, and trust me it is easy to get acquiescence because people are generally averse to reading. If you are not aware, you will miss out on the pleasures of reading and delay your success. So stay away from such wrong influences.

Disclaimer

This article is not for those who are seasoned readers and writers. It is for those who are just beginning to write or have been with it for some time, want to hone their skills, but do not know how to go about it. However, it is relevant for all because those who are readers themselves can help.

Selected references:

- Bushell D, Wrobel PA, Michaelis ML. Applying "group" contingencies to the classroom study behavior of preschool children. J Appl Behav Anal. 1968 Spring;1(1):55–61. [PMC free article] [PubMed]

- Catania A Charles. B. F. Skinner's Science and Human Behavior: its antecedents and its consequences. J Exp Anal Behav. 2003 Nov;80(3):313–320. [PMC free article] [PubMed]

- Catania A, Laties V. Pavlov And Skinner: Two Lives In Science (An Introduction To B. F. Skinner's "Some Responses To The Stimulus 'Pavlov' "). J Exp Anal Behav. 1999 Nov;72(3):455–461. [PMC free article] [PubMed]

- Verbal Behavior, B.F.Skinner 1957. ISBN 1-58390-021-7.