Thinking Reading: What every secondary teacher needs to know about reading

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Trauma absolutely affects cognitive ability, concentration, our ability to learn, and yes, even our ability to read,” says Alyssa Williamson, a psychotherapist specializing in trauma. “I commonly have clients come in thinking they have ADD or ADHD or anxiety, and many times they’re actually dealing with trauma.”

When we sense danger, our body prepares us to go into flight, flight, or freeze mode so we can protect ourselves from danger. At that moment, the prefrontal cortex, which is the part of our brain responsible for reading, math, and other deep-thinking tasks, is put on pause. The answer will always be half the number that you added in Step 3. In algebra, the steps are as follows: But longer training sessions aren’t enough. What’s key is continuity and embedding these within larger structural change. According to Chester Spell, who researches management at Rutgers University, this doesn’t have to be a costly proposition. “I don’t think it’s so much a matter of you have to spend massive amounts of dollars into this, instead of be something that’s ongoing… something that’s part of the company’s way of doing business.” Ifit's a completely newtopic, try to get a basic idea of what it's about beforehand - read an introductoryparagraph from a textbook or encyclopaedia, for instance.

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In other words, if we don’t process trauma, we become so overwhelmed that we struggle to think, analyze, and empathize with the people and emotions we read about.

provides a personal record of what you've learnt (more useful thanyour lecturer's or friends' notes) and records your questions and ideasAnother one of the benefits of reading books is that they can improve our ability to empathize with others. And empathy has many benefits – it can reduce stress , improve our relationships, and inform our moral compasses.

When you read a non-fiction book, you also consume an enormous amount of information on the subject you're reading about. Critical reading goes further than just being satisfied with what a text says, it also involves reflecting on what the text describes, and analysing what the text actually means, in the context of your studies. Why is reading important? As the 17th century English writer Joseph Addison once wrote , "Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body." Think about what you know about the topic already, and what you expect or hope to learn from the lectureAnd unlike a YouTube video or podcast, books provide access to in-depth knowledge. In other words, if you want to become more productive , which do you think you'll learn more from: All in all, when you read every day, you're more likely to retain your mental abilities and live longer! What Should I Read? 4 Top Book Lists One of my friends recommended I try doing this to improve my reading comprehension. I have been reading newspapers and magazines in English now for a couple of months and it has really helped. At first it took me a long time to read even one article, but my reading speed has increased a lot. Also, my vocabulary has improved a lot as I have learned so many new words.

The resource has been written primarily to support guided reading, but could also easily be adapted to use for whole-class reading sessions. In another study , researchers measured how reading a novel affects our brains. The study's participants read the novel "Pompeii" by Robert Harris, and as tension in the story developed, more areas of the brain were activated. There are millions of incredible books out there, and there's a perfect reading genre for everyone – from fantasy novels and classical literature to self-help guides and business books.

Trying to listen, think, readfrom slides,and write notes at the same time is not just difficult - it's plain impossible! So cut down the amount of notes you take in lectures and do more listening: This was happening to me, a lifelong bookworm, a writer, a lover of literature. I felt useless. Awful. Out of touch with the bookish person I always thought I was. It wasn’t just that I struggled to read, it’s that I struggled to enjoy it. Who could enjoy such a monumentally difficult task? But maybe these narratives of decline are misplaced – or, rather, like most narratives, their trajectory is shaped by the place we choose to start them. Comparing our concentration with an idealised recent past misses the fact that our attention has always been structured by the wider context. It’s not just smartphones that have had an impact. Every new technology, from the earliest books to portable timepieces, via reading glasses and trains, has changed our forms of apprehension and engagement with the world. Every generation thinks its own changes are more precipitate or significant than those of its grandparents. So, the next time you're feeling stressed, remember the benefits of reading for pleasure and let the tension melt away. 9. Improve Your Mental Health