4 + 1 ways to read
The many different ways to read make reading a hobby for more and more people and make literature more accessible. Both paper and screens offer their own unique opportunities for understanding what is read and absorbing information. Electronic reading formats may also inspire reading and make reading more accessible in themselves.
In today’s hybrid reading environment, it is important to recognize the benefits of both paper and digital platforms for different purposes and for different age groups. As literacy becomes more diverse and the variety of text worlds increases, we also need more research on the importance of different formats for reading and literacy as well as on the impact of different reading styles on reading.
According to research, paper still retains its place as the most popular format for reading long texts, especially for in-depth reading of informational texts. Long-term reading is irreplaceable in terms of developing concentration, vocabulary and memory. However, the popularity of digital formats is constantly growing, and for this reason, bringing longer texts to digital media should be supported and further developed. Long-term, in-depth reading develops reading skills, which is the basis for critical reading and information evaluation that are vital in digital environments. Reading is continuous, lifelong learning and practice of reading.
- Reading aloud together
- Sustained reading
- Listening to audiobooks
- Easy-language books
+ What is your way of reading?
1. Reading aloud together
Reading aloud is suitable for all ages. Reading a book to someone else is an easy and enjoyable way to enjoy literature and being together. Babies and young children benefit the most from reading aloud.
For babies, the first years of life are the most significant for the development of language and reading. That is why it is worth start reading as soon as the baby is born. Simply listening to audiobooks does not support the baby’s language development. A baby needs genuine interaction to learn language. The rhythmic structure of poems and rhymes and the melody of the parent’s voice support the baby’s language development.
Reading aloud develops the problem-solving skills of babies and young children. For a toddler, stories and fairy tales provide a safe environment to examine their own feelings and fears. Early childhood experiences greatly influence later reading habits, and reading to a child is also linked to a child’s positive attitude towards school.
According to research, a child who is read to regularly is fairer and does better in a group. Of all individual hobbies, reading has the greatest impact on a child’s language skills, equivalent to almost one year of age.
Reading together is a joy for the whole family: it brings the experience of being together, creates interaction between the child and the adult, and helps to learn about the interests of the child and the adolescent. A daily bedtime story time is a good way to make reading a part of everyday life. A book is also a good gift for a child, because in addition to the object, it also gives the gift of being together. According to research, reading aloud benefits the child up to the age of 13, and there is no harm in it later!
The Reading Center’s Read to Children project distributes information about the importance of reading through child welfare clinics and thus aims to reach all Finnish families. The goal of the Reading Gift to Children book bag is to guarantee equal opportunities for reading in all families. Learn more about the project and its results: luelapselle.fi
2. Sustained reading
To develop reading skills, sustained, in-depth reading is needed. Deep reading activates the brain in a different way than reading short text passages. Brain studies conducted on adults who read a lot have shown that large areas of the brain are activated especially when reading long, narrative text.
Sustained, in-depth reading develops basic reading skills, which is also the basis for critical reading and information evaluation, which are vital in digital environments. Good basic reading and writing skills are key skills in many situations, both in everyday life, in learning and at work.
The more digital society we operate in, the better reading skills are expected of us. The ways of reading and writing are changing in new media environments, and at the same time their importance as a skill for the future is increasing even more. Digital technologies offer more and more opportunities for the production, accessibility, storage and transfer of information.
There is no need to contrast digital and paper book reading: the different formats do not replace each other but rather feed each other. It would be more essential to pay attention to the way and content of reading. You also need to practice concentrating on reading, and this is best achieved by reading texts that are genuinely interesting to you. Reading skills do not transfer to digital format as such, but you need to practice reading e-books separately.
In our society, written texts have a special position in the fields of education, administration, justice and healthcare, for example. For this reason, good reading and writing skills in written texts are a prerequisite for social inclusion and making it possible for everyone is a central task of society. Reading skills require continuous, lifelong learning and reading practice.
According to statistics, reading is still one of the most popular ways of spending time for Finns. Printed books remain the most popular reading format: according to the Finland Reads 2023 study, three out of four Finns had read a printed book in the past month.
3. Listening to audiobooks
In 2022, one in five Finns listened to audiobooks. Many people who have never read before have also found their way to audiobooks.
From the perspective of the benefits of literature, it does not matter much whether you enjoy books by reading or listening. Both reading and listening to books improve vocabulary and concentration and can also calm the mind. However, it is still worth reading aloud to babies and young children, as simply listening to audiobooks without interaction does not support the baby’s language development.
Audiobooks, which are suitable also for a busy lifestyle, are consumed differently than printed books. So-called multitasking can reduce the benefits of listening to audiobooks. Concentration suffers if the listener is, for example, loading the dishwasher, cooking or exercising at the same time. Continuous multitasking is hard on the brain, and sometimes it would be good to focus on just listening.
Audiobooks can also attract readers who are not interested in traditional reading. There are often situational reasons behind choosing an audiobook: many people listen to books in places where reading is not possible. Some choose an audiobook because – for variety – they prefer to listen to books rather than read, but some choose to listen simply because they do not enjoy traditional reading. The desire to reduce the number of purchases can also influence the choice to listen to a book on an audiobook service or read on a screen instead of a paper book.
Audiobooks are particularly beneficial for those who have difficulty reading, for example due to a disability, illness or reading difficulty. In Finland, the national Accessibility Library Celia offers audiobooks free of charge to those with reading disabilities. Celia also produces DaisyTrio combination books for schoolchildren and students with reading disabilities, which contain sound, text and images. You can register as a customer of Accessibility Library Celia at your local municipal or city library. Discover the Accessibility Library Celia: www.celia.fi/eng/
4. Easy-language books
Easy-language books are intended for anyone who finds it difficult to read books in standard language. According to Selkokeskus (the Finnish Centre for Easy Language), approximately 650,000–750,000 people in Finland that is more than ten percent of the population, need easy language. Easy language is a form of the Finnish language that has been adapted in content, vocabulary and structure to make it more readable and understandable than standard language.
Easy-language books enable more and more people to enjoy reading and make literature more accessible to everyone. Easy-language books can help children and adolescents with poor reading skills to support their learning. Easy-language books can also act as a gateway to literature: one good experience of reading a book from cover to cover inspires you to pick up a book again. Easy-language books can also help you get to know Finnish literature and culture, and you can learn more Finnish and new words from them. Easy-language books are about equality and everyone’s right to enjoy literature.
The first Finnish easy-language books were published in the 1980s. Today, there are over 500 different domestic easy-language books and up to 30 new easy-language books are published in Finland each year. Some of the easy-language books are written directly in easy language and some are easy-language adaptations based on books in standard language. Easy-language books (Selkokirja) can be identified by their plain language code, which has an arrow in the shape of the letter S.
The National Literacy Strategy 2030 has also been published in easy language (Finnish): Kansallinen lukutaitostrategia 2030 selkokielellä
+ What is your way of reading?
The most important thing is to find the way of reading that suits you best. Reading skills provide the means and tools to express your feelings and strengthen self-awareness and self-confidence. Good self-expression helps you cope in different social environments and situations. Reading skills also develop writing and speaking: reading, language and thinking skills go hand in hand.
In order to arouse children and adolescents’ interest in reading and encourage them to read, it is important that there are diverse options and different texts available. It is crucial that students themselves have the opportunity to influence what kind of texts they are given to read at school. Role models who enjoy reading can also increase children and adolescents’ interest in reading.
Reading skills at all ages are supported by liking reading. A positive attitude creates a circle that supports reading skills: those who have a positive attitude towards reading read more, which strengthens their reading skills. Good reading skills, in turn, increase experiences of success and a positive attitude towards reading.