Reading Makes Us Better

Of course, as English teachers we would love for all of our students to become "life-long lovers of reading."  In a perfect world, everyone would become as lost as we do in the pages of great fiction.  Yet, at this point we are kidding ourselves if we think that is a remote possibility.  Some people simply do not connect with reading novels the way others do.  However, in this STEM-oriented world of education reform, an argument must be made for the reading of literature; and there is a clear argument that "Reading Novels Makes Us Better Thinkers."

A group of Canadian scholars and researchers is supporting the cause of fiction by arguing that readers of fiction are more comfortable with ambiguity and less stressed about a need for closure.  Both these qualities pave the way for easier higher level thinking.  In fact, the "need for cognitive closure" creates less than optimum levels of of information process which in turn causes "decreased creativity and rationality."

Just what embattled English teachers need to hear.