Did you grow up reading?

[Aditi Sapate]

I did grow up reading. I grandfather is an obsessive reader and I grew up watching him and that's how i started reading. And then I myself fell in love with reading.

[sharonearly]

Yes from the time that I learned to read (age 4) I have been an avid reader. I can read a 250 page book in a single day if I am not very busy with other things. When I was in Junior High school I learned how to read a book while walking to or from school. As an adult it is even easier with my Kindle readers. Kindle reduces every book no matter how large or small to 8 ounces and the pages don't flutter and ruffle when there is a breeze!

Keep the printed word alive by reading books!

Kisses,
Sharon

[owachtel]

I actually didn’t enjoy reading until high school. I was surrounded by books growing up because my mum was an English major, so I definitely did read, just not avidly. My issue with reading was that I was both a slow reader and an impatient kid, so I just never read very much outside of school.

Honestly, what helped me was a Great Books class in 9th grade. I had to read about 100 pgs a week of ancient Greek literature, which at the time was such a challenge for me. Despite all my complaints at the time, being forced to read regularly really strengthened my reading speed, and now I’m completely in love with reading! I’m even a Literature major like my mum.

[bradybunch84]

I grew up reading but in spurts. Sometimes reading many books in a row but then go through periods of no books. Then we would make a trip to the library and I was back at it.

[DD129]

Definitely! As soon as I could manage it, I had a picture book in my hands. Then, as I grew up, those picture books quickly became longer and with more advanced language. Reading also helps to stave off my boredom.

[pengy86]

I have loved to read since I was a kid.

[bespectacledpetal]

Reading is what helped me skip ahead in school. I was reading at an advanced level for the class I was in. This resulted in me getting into a lot of trouble because I was always bored. Eventually, the principal called in my mother and told her I would be going up to the next class as a result. I never stopped reading since

[CHewitt1811]

I grew up generally hating school, and everything about it, including reading. I finally got interested in college after being required to read The Odyssey by Homer in a literature class. I haven't stopped reading since.

[Mrs-a-ellsworth]

This is a great question! I grew up a reader, but my dad didn't. He said he didn't read much, but his mom was always reading out loud to the kids. She set an example by reading her own books whenever she could. Eventually my dad became a reader as an adult, because he had such a positive experience with literature in childhood.

I loved my childhood reading. My dad was a big part of that, as he and my mom made a point to have books in every room of the house, and to always say yes to a story. One thing that made a difference for me was reading abridged/ children's editions of Classic Books, like Little Women or Black Beauty. I was able to fall in love with the characters and their own little worlds. Then as I got older I was able to read these timeless stories and also fall in love with the author's style of writing.

[Nalence]

My family reads a lot, so I was introduced to books in early age, for which I'm so grateful. I still have some of the books I read when I was young.

[Reynaa]

I was not read to as a child. The only books I had read to me we're at school. I became a reading enthusiast in middle school due to required reading.

I read to my kids every night and hope to continue that. I hope it creates a love of reading within them.

[Jennashby_87]

When I was a kid I definitely lived a the library in my hometown. I even used to volunteer there in the summers because I loved being there so much. Definitely have always been a reader.

[L1th3rl+and]

Both my parents, and my sister, were readers, occasional rather than regular, so it was pretty much in my blood if not my genes. I remember, in my early years, going from school to the local library and collecting a supply of books which I would devour. I can still bring back the musty, polished-wood smell of that library. Reading under the bed covers with a torch on cold nights (no central heating and single glazed windows) is another early memory. Geoffrey Trease, Henry Treece were favourites as well as the ubiquitous Enid Blyton. I guess the hook was in early and stayed fixed. English Literature at University, 50+ books a year ever since. And now I write.

[L1th3rl+and]

Just a further thought - I spent my working career in primary education and it was always my aim to get as many children as possible 'hooked on books.' I won't bore you with the variety of strategies I used but, needless to say, books were at the heart of my work. Later in my career I was head of a larger primary school in an area of deprivation. In a survey, I discovered that over 50% of the children lived in a home where there was not one single book. 70-80% had less than ten. There will be schools where the statistics are worse. I leave you to ponder the implications of these figures for the children themselves, their future children, the people who taught them and society as a whole.

[Nikolas Farmakis]

I also grew up reading. I remember that I always liked reading even when I was a child.