THE PLEASURE OF READING

READING, in the first place is the surest way to get knowledge. JOSÉ MARTÍ, a writer and Cuban politician- XIX Century- discovered that to be cultured is the only way to get freedom, simply because ignorance has to be the worst prison and the greatest blindness.

SPAIN IN THE 60 s Knowledge was very limited. There were man illiterate people and receiving a letter was a problem that had to be resolved by another person, who knew how to read and to write. In this picture one old man is reading a letter to a young man. This letter said that his land would be expropriated.

JOSÉ SARAMAGO, said that: “ There is nothing more dear than an old book…” You can cry over the pages of a book… but you can’t drop even one tear over the hard disk of a computer.

ROA BASTOS, a paraguayan writer, who received Cervantes award in 1989, knew how to discover in literature a way to win battles with no arms other than letters and spirit, with no more power that imagination and language.And furthermore he found in literature the way of influencing reality and transforming it.

This explains why in dictatorships the intellectuals are the first ones to be persecuted. In Spain the majority of writers from the 27 th generation, had to go into exile in the civil war, due to the Lack of liberty to express their ideas. We would like to highlight the figure of Lorca, who was assassinated in Granada in 1936,due to his poems, his ideas and his sexuality.

In conclusion, according to Elías Argudín Sánchez: “Books are faithful and close friends, pools or oceans where we can submerge ourselves without running the risk of losing ourselves.

And José Martí said: “Books console us, calm us, prepare us, enrich our lives and redeem us.” Now you can reach your own conclusions.

The habit of reading is got at a very early age or it is never got.Therefore it is so important not to miss the opportunity of inculcating this in children.

HOW TO CREATE READING HABITS 1.-Establish a fixed reading time. Between minutes per day, so this becomes a normal habit and they see it is an important aspect of their lives. If we read to them or we read together they will enjoy that precious moment.

2.- Teach by example. They will not learn how to enjoy reading if they don`t see us doing it. Therefore it is not correct to say:“Do what I say, not what I do”. For that reason,it is important to create a habit in which we read together.

3.-Have interesting books to read at home, which can be on hand all the time and especially, books which they can choose.

4.- Reading should not be an obligation for children,but a door to a new world of fantasy and Knowledge.

5.-Look for variety. For example take them to the library so they can choose books. In libraries today there are different methods to promote reading such as storytelling, theatres etc…

6.-Learn to read, not only to recognise words, but to understand what they read and have their own opinion.

DISADVANTAGES The only thing to highlight is that you have to look for time to devote to reading, this can be got by cutting down the hours of watching television.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH Virginia Dueñas Pérez Isabel Ponce Fuentes