Six. Reading makes you smarter. Dr. Dean Keith Simonton has studied genius and greatness. He shows that almost all great people are hungry readers, and they read in many areas of fiction and non-fiction. Dr. Keith Stanovich is a scientist who studies reading. He shows that good readers have stronger verbal skills and intelligence. And smarter students are better readers.

Seven. Reading gives you practical knowledge. People who read a lot are not living in another world. They get a lot of practical knowledge from reading. We know this from research. Dr. Stanovich has shown that good readers score high on the practical knowledge test. This means that reading makes you smarter about how to live your daily life.

Eight. Reading improves all your language skills. You might think that reading only helps you improve reading. But reading a lot helps you improve grammar, vocabulary, spelling, writing, listening, and speaking. Reading a lot improves your total language ability.

Nine. Reading helps you get higher scores on tests. Students often say, “Reading sounds good, but I need time to study for a big English test.” This is a common feeling. But here’s the fact. Those who read more do better on the TOEFL and similar tests. Just studying test materials isn’t good enough. To really improve you need to read a lot.

Ten. Reading brings flow, a most enjoyable kind of experience. Most people think that language study is just hard. But reading is a great way to improve your language skills, and it is fun! In fact, reading is famous as a “flow” experience. When you feel “flow,” you focus. You forget about the time. And reading itself feels like a reward.

Most people don’t know about the power of reading, but you do! Start reading today! Go to the library. Choose books and stories that are at just the right level for you (where you know 95%-98% of the words). And experience the power of reading. It can improve your language ability and your life!