“If you want to become a better writer, read more.”
Since childhood I have heard this statement from those closest to me, from my grandfather, a huge book lover, to my high school English teachers that assigned various required readings. My love for reading has always been a defining force in my life, but after coming to college, it became more difficult to find time to read leisurely. It is all too common that college students do not read for pleasure as much, as seen in the American Time Use Survey’s data showcasing declining leisure reading among all Americans, dropping over 30 percent since 2004. The age group of 15-24-year-olds was the lowest in 2017 with only about 10% saying that they read on a typical day for “personal interest,” (Ingraham). With this information in mind as tutors at the Writing Center, advocating for reading is more important than ever. Below are the ways in which reading can impact the role of a tutor in helping others to become ‘better writers’ themselves.
Read ‘Outside’
No, I do not mean sitting down in the quad on the first sunny April day of the year, making your way through your newest fiction pick (although reading outside is very lovely!) Instead, I am referring to the practice of choosing novels that interest you, but also are about people, places, or practices with which you are unfamiliar. Reading ‘outside’ of yourself is a fantastic way to garner empathy! In reading books that you might otherwise thing of as too ‘strange’ or ‘different’ from yourself, you’ll find that there are stories worth hearing, stories which might just change how you see the world and yourself.
Become a ‘Better Writer’
This idea of becoming a ‘better writer’ is a very individualistic notion. Some may argue that they do read a lot, but only for academic purposes, such as with journal articles or discussion posts, and so are unsure of how this impacts their writing. What they may not know is that reading creative fiction actually provides something that other forms of writing do not. As Mike Hanski with the Huffington Post puts it, “harder to teach” elements like inspiration, expansion of knowledge on how a certain genre may operate (mystery, romance, thriller, etc.), and vocabulary are all elements that come with reading nonfiction. He argues that one can be taught (or in the case of the tutor, teach) as much as possible regarding grammar, structure, and writing technique.
Facilitate Discussion
In order to understand the oftentimes complex nature of a text, it is vital for readers to understand the varied interpretations others hold. In a study titled Reading Alone, Talking Together, it was found that participants developed their response to literature largely on what came of discussions about the text they responded to, with ideas, insights, opinions, and interpretations as the main factors that influenced them. Fiction specifically allows us to shape our worldview based on what we have read, on interpretive texts that lead to reflection and important discussion. As peer tutors, reading a novel and discussing it with fellow tutors could be an effective way to gather great insights on a novel that could apply to work at the University Center for Writing-based Learning (UCWbL).
Broaden Vocabulary
Imagine reading a crime novel, and you come to care for the main character: Lucas. If the author uses a word to describe Lucas’ emotions that you as the reader have never heard before, you would likely be more inclined to research what the word’s meaning is as it is in context. By keeping a running list of words that one finds when reading fiction, it will be helpful in collecting a strong pool of vocabulary for not only analytical and argumentative pieces, but also for imagery in creative ones. In a CNBC article, psychologist Keith Stanovich writes for the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health that “[i]f ‘smarter’ means having a larger vocabulary and more world knowledge…then reading may well make people smarter.” Simply put, effective vocabulary is crucial in a host of genres, from enhancing imagery to providing a credible voice in research. Reading is not only a passive act, but an active one.
Moving Forward
In general, reading is a treasured hobby for many. Through the research and detail above, however, it can be seen that reading is vital in the act of writing, and, in turn, the act of peer tutoring. The next time you pick up a book, think of all of the potential good it holds for you as a reader, writer, and peer tutor.
Sources
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/06/29/leisure-reading-in-the-u-s-is-at-an-all-time-low/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/read-more_b_5192754
https://www.jstor.org/stable/20201704
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/28/how-reading-fiction-makes-you-smarter.html