Why read for 30 minutes a day?
Recently, Mr Bryant, our Head of English, delivered assemblies to Years 7-11 about the benefits of reading. Whilst the academic benefits are well known, it might surprise you to know that 30 minutes of reading for pleasure a day can potentially make a difference to your life in lots of other ways, too!
According to research, reading can potentially have the following impacts:
- Pupils who read more do better in English, but it’s actually Maths which it has one of the biggest impacts upon. By reading regularly, pupils are far more likely to read the demands of the questions effectively. This is also true for Science-based subjects. Ultimately, all subjects benefit from regular reading.
- Pupils who read for 30 minutes a day will, on average, perform better than 90% of others of a similar age and ability.
- Reading has a huge impact upon your mental health. It helps you stop feeling lonely, aids better sleep patterns and can reduce your stress levels by up to 68%.
- Regular reading helps to prevent and alleviate the symptoms of depression and anger.
- Regular reading can help to lessen the symptoms of dementia. In fact, studies show that regular readers are far less likely to develop the condition in the first place.
- Regular reading has been linked to increased life expectancy with those reading 30 minutes a day living up to 2-years longer thanks to the health benefits described.
This year we will be challenging all our pupils to read for 30 minutes a day outside of school. All pupils will also take part in a 10 Minute Book Club once a week.
If you are struggling to pick up a book, have a chat with Mr Bryant or Mrs Mills in the library. They will help you to find books that you want to read.
