A short presentation to Sixth Form students giving them facts and figures about how wider reading will give them better grades

1. Why should I read fiction when I
am not studying English AL?
How lack of reading impedes your
ability to achieve in EVERY subject

2. Reading and Mathematics
• The Department of Mathematics in the
University of South Africa undertook a study
where they compared first year
undergraduates reading skills to their ability to
problem solve and understand and decode
mathematics.
• This is what they found..

3. Reading and Mathematics
• ..the findings [of the research] suggest that
whilst reading ability does not guarantee a
pass in mathematics, poor reading ability
constitutes a learning barrier that impedes
access to the proper understanding of
mathematical information.’
• From article: ‘Mathematics and reading ability: are numeracy and literacy siblings
or distant cousins?’ by E.J. Pretorius 2001

4. Reading and University achievement
• Another study at the same university found
that …’academic performance is determined
to a large extent by reading ability’ The
reason for this was, they concluded ‘…reading
not only affords readers independent access
to information, but more importantly is a
powerful learning tool, a means of
constructing meaning and acquiring new
knowledge …. Students need to be good
readers in order to ‘read to learn.’’

5. Coping with life
‘Just as computer simulations can help us get to grips
with complex problems such as flying a plane or
forecasting the weather, so novels, stories and dramas
can help us understand the complexities of social life.’
Dr Oatley, Emiritus Professor of Cognitive Knowledge at the University of Toronto

6. Building Empathy
He goes on to add … ‘reading
produces a vivid simulation
of reality ..novels go beyond
simulating reality to give
readers an experience
unavailable off the page: the
opportunity to enter fully
into other people’s thoughts
and feelings.’
Quoted in article ‘Your Brain on Fiction’ in the
New York Times Sunday Review March 12th
2012

7. Reading has also been shown to
improve your career prospects. A
study undertaken at the University
of Oxford’s Sociology Department
showed a significant improvement
in career chances amongst those
who read regularly against those
who didn’t.
Reading yourself into a better career

8. Reading and your career
• The report goes on to add:
• ‘None of the other activities, such as taking part
in sports or activities, socializing, going to
museums or galleries or to the cinema or
concerts, or practical activities like cooking or
sewing, were found to have a significant effect on
their careers… The positive associations of
reading for pleasure aren’t replicated in any other
extra-curricular activity, regardless of our
expectations’
• http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2011/110804.html

9. Important for cognitive development
The effect of reading for
pleasure ‘..was found to be
more important for
cognitive development
…than [your] parents level
of education.’
Reading regularly gave an
effect ‘…four times greater
than the advantage children
gained from having parents
with a degree’
http://www.ioe.ac.uk/newsEvents/89938.html Report from
Institute of Education quoted on their page

10. In conclusion…
• Read around your subject – ask for help in
finding relevant books
• Read for pleasure
• Read widely – newspapers, informative
magazines like New Scientist,
and specialist blogs.