ARTICLE

RUBRIC: What is more valuable? knowledge obtained through practice or through books?

Reading or practicing?

We start learning since we are very young: we go to kindergarten, primary school, high school,
college. We can probably affirm that when we finish all those previous stages of life we know all
we need. But, is that true? Are we really prepared or is it anything missing? That’s why I’m asking
myself which the best way to learn is. Is it just by reading or getting some practice is needed? Let´s
take some points into consideration before we make up our minds.

Undoubtedly, books play a really important role when it comes to learning. Whenever we want to
know how to do an activity or we desire to become a professional we need to be informed and it is
in that moment that we resort to books or internet. There all the theory and all the information
about everything in order for us to broaden our knowledge can be found. Take doctors as an
example. They need to study and read as much as possible in order to give an accurate diagnosis
to a patient. If they hadn’t studied so hard, they wouldn´t have been able to do so.

However, the knowledge that is learned through practice is also valuable because If you don’t get
the chance of training, then you will never know if you are able of doing it. In addition to that,
there is a crucial need to face real life situations in order to prove that what you have read actually
works. Continuing with the example of doctors, what gives them the capacity of giving a quick
diagnosis not only is the knowledge they have of the subject matter but also it is the constant
training they receive while working.

To conclude, both, reading and practicing, are extremely necessary in order to acquire knowledge.
These two activities complement each other perfectly that’s why we need them in order to obtain
good results in what we are doing.