They are not just a set of basic skills people are taught at school. Writing and reading are an integral part of each educated individual’s life since they are the basis of written communication. Written communication, in its turn, is another tool for people to express their ideas, and learn about those of others.
The Importance of Effective Reading Skills
Reading skills serve as a foundation for writing. Developed and mastered, effective reading skills give people the opportunity to learn new information about the world, people, events, and places, enrich their vocabularies, and improve their writing skills.
- Reading enriches the inner world of a person, improves grammar and spelling.
- Through reading people learn to understand different ways of thinking and feelings of other people, become more flexible and open-minded.
- Avid readers not only read and write better than those who read less, but also process information faster. The research presented by the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology proves that poor readers have poorer short-memory functions [1].
- As a result, avid readers have a broader outlook, are quicker to analyze facts and find connections between seemingly unrelated ideas.
- A reader has better skills for comprehending, analyzing, understanding, responding, and, finally, learning from what he or she reads.
As a result, it is easier for good readers to get used to new and unfamiliar circumstances or ideas. They are easier to communicate with, and have higher chances to succeed in both professional and personal life.
The Importance of Effective Writing Skills
Application essays, CVs, cover letters, and even e-mails often have to represent an individual. In such cases the person’s writing is to form the reader’s opinion about the individual’s personality and abilities.
- Excellent writing is sure to earn respect. Poor writing will, on the contrary, be difficult to understand, and will leave a bad impression about the individual.
- Writing structures and crystallizes one’s thoughts, improving learning in such a way [2].
- Writing improves the effectiveness of the person’s word usage in both written and oral speech [3].
- A survey conducted among 64 American companies revealed that half of them pay attention to writing when considering a person for employment or promotion [4].
- According to Roger Howe, a former chairman and CEO of U.S. Precision Lens, the majority of the successful people are clear and persuasive in their writing [5].
Developed reading skills lead to the development and improvement of writing skills. Regular readers' comprehension skills (ability to compare and contrast, evaluate and summarize, identify specific features and genres, make analogies) serve as a basis for good writing.
Those, who are interested in learning more about communication skills, may read about Developing Effective Communication Skills. For information on effective communication in corporate environment, see Effective Communication in the Workplace.
References:
[1] Ford, Carol, Pelham, William and Alan Ross. “Selective attention and rehearsal in the auditory short-term memory task performance of poor and normal readers”. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 12(1):127-41. Springer Netherlands, 1984.
[2] Bloomfield, Louis. "The Importance of Writing". Philadelphia Inquirer, 2004.
[3] Kelly, Joe. “The Importance of Writing: Past Present and Future”. The RSCC Online Writing Lab, 1999.
[4] Saxton, Brian. “The Importance of Writing”. AptosJunior High School, 2007.
[5] “The Importance of Writing Well”. Miamian Magazine. Miami University Alumni Association, 2007.
Alla Kondrat - Alla Kondrat+ is a Feng Shui topic editor at Suite101.com, as well as a full time freelance writer and translator (Russian and Ukrainian). ...
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