Reading

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Words are all around us, filling book after book on shelves everywhere. And though printing is no longer the only way to read things, modern technology means that reading is just as important as ever. You can read for many reasons: for pleasure, to find out important information and even for your own safety.

A lot of what we read every day is short – often just single words or phrases – in tweets, text messages or other notes. But being able to read, understand and use longer texts is just as important.

But it's also important to engage with what you're reading, to tell the difference between things you should believe and things you probably shouldn't, between facts and fake news; also to work out whether you need to just skim-read something to get the general idea or to go into a bit more detail. Reading is a skill that needs practice. So it's important to take a bit of time out to read something you enjoy. It doesn't have to be fiction.

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Although technology in the world today means there is less and less paper, there seem to be more words than ever and reading remains a vital skill. Words are everywhere. Being able to choose which ones to read, to read and understand them, and to find the information you need are all vital to living, working and studying successfully.

In this session you will develop these skills by looking at different types of written material and their purpose, format and structure.

Much of what you read every day is short and involves single words, phrases and short sentences. But being able to read, understand and use longer texts is just as important. Being able to tell the difference between facts and opinions is also important, particularly in a world of social media and ‘fake news’.

Reading is a skill that needs practice. Although this session concentrates on functional or practical reading for life, work and study, reading for pleasure is a great way to practise. It does not matter what you read but if you can make even a small amount of time every day to read something you enjoy, the benefits are huge. It does not have to be fiction, but it should be something you find interesting, funny or entertaining.