Student Number: 61373796

Module Code: ENG2613

Unique Number: 661897
Assignment Number: 03
ASSIGNMENT 03

Reading books is how humans transmit ideas and information which is how humans
have been able to make advances in fields of technology, medicine and engineering.
Reading is good for the body, mind and soul in general because it activates different
parts of your brain and allows you to relate to experiences that you have never
witnessed and also acquire knowledge that you would not have acquired if you did
not read. Other people may think that reading is not as important since it is deemed
as boring and not so informative because they think books only have fiction which
they perceive as lies. This essay seeks to prove that it is commonly accepted that
reading books improves literacy and general knowledge and similarly having good
grasp can lead to greater success in other subjects by looking at the benefits of
reading, looking at general knowledge and language skills as factors in learning
other subjects and lastly looks at the recent world which requires one to be
multiliterate and multimodal.
The most proficient way to pass down knowledge from generations to generations is
through writing and most of the things that we know from the past we know because
they have been documented, however the information in books remains futile if not
read and put into good use and as much as reading is not the only way of acquiring
information, it remains highly relevant. Reading ensures that we are aware of our
surroundings and where we come from which one can view as general knowledge,
but it is not limited to only general knowledge is also a contributing factor to
academic, emotional and verbal intelligence. (Cunningham,1991) views reading
ability as a driving factor to print exposure which boosts bases of children and also
contributes to verbal intelligence in her journal where she researches the unique
effects of print exposure in children (Print exposure is the amount of time a person
spends being aware of written words).
It is a known factor that people do not only read for academic reasons but also read
for entertainment which is mostly novels and fictions which triggers emotions as one
reads because through reading one gets to live the experiences of the author in their
minds so the sensory neurons gets triggered as the author explains the different
feelings in writing and by so doing reading improves emotional health. When people
read for entertainment, there is no deadline to meet or pressure to finish the book
which means that they get to read at their own pace and take out any lesson from
the book without being limited as they would be if reading for academic reasons,
however this requires discipline which means that people who read books are more
likely to have self-discipline. In addition for reading to yield the desired results it
requires one to be fully focused in order to understand the logic and content of what
they are reading and hence reading improves concentration and cognitive
development.
All subjects taught in school cannot be isolated from language skills and general
knowledge which are a result of reading because learners are not regarded as
empty slates when they step into the classroom, they have knowledge from other
agents of socialisation such as home, church and their peers and they also have
knowledge from the media which they, might have seen (in magazines, billboards or
social media), read (on books, newspapers, journals and also social media)or heard
(most probably from the radio or podcasts). The knowledge that the learners bring
into the classroom about a certain topic acts as a determining factor on what
learners the learners know and hence what the teacher should teach and how it
must be taught in order to take the learners from what they know to what they should
know and by so doing achieve the lesson objectives.
According to (Bizzo,2020) learning can be paired with available knowledge on what
learning is and how it occurs and also when the learning environment encourages
self-motivated and self-driven learning the lesson outcomes are likely to be positive
and this is because learners get to use the knowledge that they have acquired from
reading and other sources to understand the subject matter that they are learning
and this makes them feel familiar rather than estranged to the subject content. The
language skills that learners acquire through reading also plays a pivotal role as it
allows learners to be able to understand what is being learned and what is required
from them through written and spoken language command. Basically, using learner’s
knowledge and language skills yields more fruitful lessons as the lesson is centred
on what they know and this keeps them engaged and also makes them feel
important in the lesson since they can engage and probe questions since they are
not just clueless on what is being taught, so the more they read is the more they
become interested in lessons and are likely to pass most subjects not just
languages.

“Multi-literacy includes two ‘multies’ together with literacy: The ‘multi’ of context
differences and communication patterns and ‘multi’of multimodality” (Pyoria,2020)
and so reading enhances both multi-literacy and multimodality because we cannot
isolate it from learning since all forms of learning need a strong language command
whether it is a home language or an additional language. The world has revolved
over the years and particularly in South Africa we are living in a multi-cultural country
where English is the medium of instruction so as much as it is important for one to
know their home language, it is just as important to know English and academics are
mostly done in English so knowing how to read and write English means one will be
able to grasp content and pass assessments. Also, since we live in a multi-cultural
country representation matters and in order to understand each other we need to
learn each other’s cultures through reading books and articles about cultural
diversity. As reading enhances language command, it comes in handy in the recent
world because for one to be multi-literate and multimodal they need to master both
written and spoken language command which is a result of reading. Basically,
reading books prepares one to be a prominent member of the modern society that is
not limited to one way of thinking and doing things.
This essay has proven beyond reasonable doubt that reading books improves
literacy and language skills by looking at how reading assists one in acquiring
knowledge and how reading triggers different emotions and by so doing increasing
verbal intelligence and improves emotional health. The essay also proved that
having a good grasp of language can lead to success in other subjects by outlining
the importance of general knowledge and language skills in lessons where the
lesson is self-driven and self-motivated for the learners which ensures that the
learners enjoy the lessons and hence grasp subject content more effectively. Lastly,
the essay proved that in the multi-racial world that we live in it is very important to be
multi-literate and multi-modal which can be achieved through proficient language
command which is achieved by thorough reading. In overall we cannot isolate
reading from academic intelligence and general knowledge because it is a way of
acquiring knowledge which has been documented in books for people from different
walks of life to read and put into good use for academics and also enjoyment.
REFERENCES
Cunningham, A. E., & Stanovich, K. E. (1991). Tracking the unique effects of print
exposure in children: Associations with vocabulary, general knowledge, and spelling.
Journal of educational psychology, 83(2), 264.
Bizzo, N., Kawasaki, C. S., Ferracioli, L., & Leyser da Rosa, V. (2002). Rethinking
Science and Technology Education To Meet the Demands of Future Generations in
a Changing World. International Organization for Science and Technology Education
(IOSTE) Symposium Proceedings (10th, Foz do Iguacu, Parana, Brazil, July
28August 2, 2002). Volumes I [and] II.

 Pyöriä, J. (2020). Improving students’ critical reading and multiliteracy skills: a

material package.