Reading is a major component to life. Everyday millions of words are read, but sometimes I wonder does reading even matter? It may help with expanding your vocabulary and advancing your literacy but why must we always read and work to get better?

            Reading is always enforced in school and a certain number of books and the certain level of reading are also enforced for each class. But why must we read? Reading challenges oneself if the reading level is more challenging then what has been read before. It helps the brain make connections to things and you become smarter and learn more. Reading teaches you a skill that is always need. Reading is such a common thing to do. It is also entertaining and helps with the imagination. By reading different genres of books one may come to realize there is something they may enjoy and pick it up as a hobby such as volunteering or playing an instrument. It allows for one to escape from the real world and escape into a fantasy world of dragons and spells or aliens and spaceships.

            On the flip side, one may feel that reading is pointless and a waste of time. Reading may be considered more of a chore instead of an enjoyment. Also one may question why reading more challenging books should be a requirement if they can already read the things that are necessary such as menus or directions.

            I personally like to read. I love losing myself in a book and just blocking out the world. But I don’t usually read books that necessarily challenge me; I mostly just read books that interest me. I’m not opposed to challenging myself though. I occasionally read a book I might not normally choose just to mix it up. I think that reading gives you the power to express yourself in a certain genre and people are able to learn more about your interests from a genre. If you read a lot of sci-fi fantasy or maybe historical fiction, people may stop and realize this and have a common interest in you. I think reading is necessary to expand ones way of thinking and improve their literacy.

            Literacy has always been a part of my life. I have grown up in a house that encouraged reading and writing and a little competition always kept that spark of getting interest in it.

            As the youngest sibling I always looked up to my brother. I always strived to be better then him at something. Also being a girl always curbed that determination since I was always looked down upon for being “weaker” or “not as smart.” Being younger I was at a different reading level then my brother but I always wanted to read the same books as him. I would read almost everyday trying to get better so I could read like him. He also would read so much faster than me so I would try and read more to get better so I could read just as fast. He would purposely tell me how he was reading harder books then me and how he could read so much faster and better.  I was always envious of him and wanted to be just like him. I would push myself and began reading more challenging books than the ones I was reading.

            One day my brother announced that he was going to start writing a book. I, of course being my competitive self, decided I was also going to write a book. He was big on reading, that’s pretty much all he did in his free time. He had such creative ideas for books because he read so many different kinds he had many different themes in his imagination that he could put together. I was always jealous of that too. By having an older brother, it helped my literacy by pushing me to improve my reading skills and pushing me to read more challenging books then I normally would. It helped me in school because I was in the advanced reading group in my classes. This was beneficial to me because I didn’t have to be tied down with readers who weren’t as good and I could develop my literacy skills even more.

            My brother was the one who impacted my literacy the most. He always made me strive to get better and improve. I looked up to him a lot and always hoped I could eventually read the same kind of books as him.  My mom also impacted me because she always encouraged reading. She enrolled us in the reading group at the library and always took us there to get new books. Reading was a big part of my childhood.