Active Reading Essay

Reading is very important in the process of learning. Moreover, it may influence a personality, traits of character and the development of an individual. It is particularly important to teach children to learn, to be active readers so that they could have larger prospects of personal development.

In order to better understand the necessity and the importance of reading, it is necessary to briefly define what active readers are and discuss their particular features and the prospects they have in the future as a part of the society. First of all, it should be said that active readers are extremely involved in reading and are very attentive to this process. As a rule they are “engaged in the text, they become intrigued by it, and work to discover its secret” (Crowder 1992:256).

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Traditionally, active readers are contrasting to passive readers due to significant differences in the main characteristics of active readers. One of the basic characteristic of active readers is the fact that they read ideas and not simply read the text superficially because the main goal of their reading is to learn something. On reading any text, active readers traditionally are very interested in the text, its ideas and as a rule they are “engaged with the characters and the story” (Singer & Robert 1995:316).

Furthermore, active readers view the text as a whole they put all clues together that contributes to their better understanding of the text and of the author’s message. Quite a remarkable characteristic of active readers is their critical attitude to what they read that stimulates the development of critical thinking that is very important in the reading process. They read actively that means that they “ask questions and read on, searching for answers” (Crowder 1992:298).

Moreover, reading develops imagination and creative thinking of active readers and as a rule they tend to “make hypotheses about what’s going to happen next” (Singer & Robert 1995:283). At the same time, active readers attempt to understand the characters and their motivation that help them better understand human nature, motives, logic and other important constituents of an individual’s personality.

What is probably more important is the fact that active readers often refer what they read to the real life or their personal experience in such a way they develop their analytical skills and abilities. They are also self-motivated and interested in reading and often they “take responsibility for arousing and maintaining their own interest in an author’s topic” (Crowder 1992:426). As a result such high interest in reading leads to their higher attention and remembering of what they read.

Thus, taking into considerations the basic characteristics of active readers, it is possible to conclude that the qualities, skills and abilities they possess and naturally develop in the process of active reading contribute to their formation as perspective community leaders because such characteristics, skills and abilities as critical thinking, analytical abilities, involvement and high attention to what they do, creativity and others are essential characteristics any successful community leader has to possess.

Bibliography:

Crowder, Robert G. 1992. The Psychology Of Reading: An Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.
Singer, Harry & Robert B. Ruddell (Eds.) 1995. Theoretical Models And Processes Of Reading (3rd edn.). Newark, DW: International Reading Association/Lawrence Erlbaum.