A study on the impact of reading habit on personality and communication skills of an individual

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)

Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University , Delhi

Guide: (Dr. Sushmita biswal waraich )

Submitted by: ( Leena Sharma) Roll No.: 10490301712

Institute of Innovation In Technology And Management , New Delhi 110058 Batch (2012-2015)

Acknowledgement

I am very thankful to my college staff in supporting me to complete this project report. I am specially thank ful to Ms. samishtha my guide who told me the proper way to express the content.

- Leena Sharma

Content

S.NO 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7 8. 9

CHAPTER NO. Chapter 1 Chapter 2

CHAPTER NAME Introduction objective What is reading Types of reading Why reading is important Why I love reading books Reading books can transport you to a world of your own making 10 reasons why I love reading 10 reasons why non readers dont read

CHAPTER-1: Introduction Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols in order to construct or derive meaning (reading comprehension). It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas. Like all language, it is a complex interaction between the text and the reader which is shaped by the readers prior knowledge, experiences, attitude, and language community which is culturally and socially situated. The reading process requires continuous practice, development, and refinement. From time to time people have wondered why reading is important. There seems so many other things to do with one's time. Reading is important for a variety of reasons. In the last 20 years, reading has declined dramatically: in every age group, race, income group, and region. When people consider whether or not reading is important, they only consider childhood reading. While it is very crucial to read with your children, adults have just as much need to continue reading past schooling age. Adults as well as children should read any chance they get because the ability to read well is essential to function in todays society, it stimulates the human mind, and it develops the imagination and the ability to learn new things. Everything in todays society requires reading, from reading instructions to becoming employed. Imagine trying to do something as simple as reading the directions on a medicine bottle without good reading skills. Someone could misinterpret a crucial step and become very sick or even die. This could happen very easily today considering "46% of American adults cannot understand the label on their prescription medicine" (The Literacy Company). Getting or keeping a job would also prove very difficult. How would you look to a possible employer if you said you didnt have very adequate reading skills? Its likely the job wouldnt be yours. Even something as simple as

walking or driving through the city could become extremely dangerous without sufficient reading and interpretation skills. Sometimes, the capability of reading words is not enough; you must be able to understand what is written and construe them. Reading also stimulates the human mind. It gives us something to do besides watch television. Our brain is a muscle, and just like any other muscle in the body, if you do not exercise it, it turns to mush. Reading uses interpretation and comprehension unlike video games or television shows. When you are reading, you often pause to think about what you just read, or if you dont understand a part, you can go back and read it again. When you watch television or listen to an audio book, even though the option is usually there, typically these are not paused. "The average reader even spends about 1/6th of the time they spend reading actually rereading words" (The Literacy Company). Stopping and thinking about things gives your mind an engaging activity and this helps improve mental health and stamina of our brains. It is actually said that the best reading is often rereading (Gardner 3). When reading to a child, what's a popular thing to do? Many pause and ask "What do you think will happen next?" inviting the child to explore their imagination and the story itself. Whether adults realize it or not, we do this ourselves when we read, always questioning what will happen next. Many people try to disagree with the importance and ability of reading on the human mind. Some people say that reading is a waste of time and we can do better things with our time. Reading is one of the most important aspects of our lives. Even if we dont read books, we still read every day, and reading books only strengthens our reading abilities. Reading is one of the greatest things we can do with our spare time, as Joseph Addison so expertly said. Of all the diversions of life, there is none so proper to fill up its empty spaces as the reading of useful and entertaining authors."

Perhaps one of the most easily defendable arguments is the capability of reading to develop the imagination and the ability to learn new things. Reading can help your imagination take you anywhere or let you do anything. The more your imagination grows, the more able you are to go to new places on your own, without the help of a book. You can use a book to find out about a place, and with your newly expanded imagination, you can visualize the place and go there yourself. You can go anywhere, whether there has been an extensive book written about it or not. Who knows, you may end up coming up with your own world and having to write about it. With a book, you can travel anywhere you want, do anything you want, and talk to anyone you want. With good reading and comprehension skills, you can get good jobs, and function great in today's society. A book has the power to cause our minds to long for more information and want to read more. They grab the readers attention and use their magical abilities to make the reader believe whatever the words may be saying. Reading is one of the most important aspects of our lives, no matter your age. Objective The objective of this project is to study the impact of reading habit on personality and communication skills of an individual.

CHAPTER-2 What is reading "Reading" is the process of looking at a series of written symbols and getting meaning from them. When we read, we use our eyes to receive written symbols (letters, punctuation marks and spaces) and we use our brain to convert them into words, sentences and paragraphs that communicate something to us. Reading can be silent (in our head) or aloud (so that other people can hear). Reading has made me who I am. To read is to learn and grow, to experience, to empathise, to understand, to marvel, to wonder, to laugh and to cry. I learn things that help me in my daily life and I experience joy, sorrow and relaxation when I read. Im reading when I check my email, Im reading while I download songs, Im reading when I sort my bills from the ones I must pay now to the ones that can wait a little longer. The act of reading is an everyday activity. Reading is like breathing it is so integral to our lives that we dont even realise we are doing it.

Types of reading
Intensive reading Extensive reading Scanning Skimming

Intensive reading Intensive reading "calls attention to grammatical forms, discourse markers, and other surface structure details for the purpose of understanding literal meaning, implications, rhetorical relationships, and the like." Characteristics: Usually classroom based Reader is intensely involved in looking inside the text Students focus on linguistic or semantic details of a reading students may draw pictures to aid them (such as in problem solving) Texts are read carefully and thoroughly, again and again Aim is to build more language knowledge rather than simply practice the skill of reading Seen more commonly than extensive reading in classrooms Advantages It provides a base to study structure, vocabulary and idioms. It provides a base for students to develop a greater control of language It provides for a check on the degree of comprehension for individual student

Disadvantages There is little actual practice of reading because of the small amount of text. In a class with multi-reading abilities, students may not be able to read at their own level because everyone in the class is reading the same material. The text may or may not interest the reader because it was chosen by the teacher. There is little chance to learn language patterns due to the small amount of text. Because exercises and assessment usually follow intensive reading, students may come to associate reading with testing and not pleasure. Extensive reading Extensive reading is carried out "to achieve a general understanding of a text."And as "occurring when students read large amounts of high interest material, usually out of class, concentrating on meaning, "reading for gist" and skipping unknown words." The aims of extensive reading are to build reader confidence and enjoyment. Extensive reading is always done for the comprehension of main ideas, not for specific details. Characteristics: Students read as much as possible. A variety of materials on a range of topics is available. Students select what they want to read . The purposes of reading are usually related to pleasure, information and general understanding. Reading is its own reward.

 Reading is individual and silent. Reading speed is usually faster than slower. Teachers orient students to the goals of the program. The teacher is a role model of a reader for the students. Advantages The students may: develop a "reading habit" Gain more confidence in reading Improve their attitude towards reading and become more motivated to read Feel more autonomous over their own learning and more likely to take more initiative. Become more " independent readers" Become more aware of what's available to them to read and how to access materials Expand sight vocabulary -build background knowledge Increase reading comprehension Improve overall language competence Disadvantages An Extensive Reading program may be costly and time-consuming to set up if materials are not already available It may be difficult to keep students program continues. Students who come from a culture in which literacy is not valued may be unwilling to participate in pleasure reading or may not get support at home. challenged to read more difficult texts as the

 Some teachers prefer a skills based program and do not feel comfortable with Extensive Reading. Some teachers are unaware of how to use Graded Readers and so, provide a limited range of activities for students, limiting their responses.

Skimming Skimming is a quick reading to get: - to know the general meaning of a passage

- to know how the passage is organized, that is, the structure of the text - to get an idea of the intention of the writer. Skimming is used as part of the SQ3R method of reading, often for speed reading. This method involves the student in surveying, questioning, reading, reviewing and reciting. Skimming is used for the initial survey and for review. Skimming is a skill that a student may want to develop if they are planning to continue with academic studies. It is often used in reviewing for a test. Characteristics : To improve skimming, readers should read more and more rapidly, to form appropriate questions and predictions and then read quickly. skimming should not be done competitively. Students should be encouraged individually to better themselves. Skimming is used when reading some some general question in mind.

 Skimming is used in making decisions on how to approach a text such as when determining if a careful reading is deserving. Skimming is used to build student confidence and an understanding that it is possible to gain meaning without reading every word in a text. Scanning Scanning ia a quick reading, focusing on locating specific information. Scanning involves quick eye movements, not necessarily linear in fashion, in which the eyes wander until the reader finds the piece of information needed. Scanning is used when a specific piece of information is required, such as a name, date, symbol, formula, or phrase, is required. The reader knows what the item looks like and so, knows when he has located what he was searching for. It is assumed then, that very little information is processed into long-term memory or even for immediate understanding because the objective is simply matching. Characteristics : Scanning is used often with technical, scientific or professional materials to locate specific information. Scanning is a valuable skill for second language learners to develop because often they do not require a detailed read of a text. There are many everyday uses for scanning, relevant to a purpose, such as reading a schedule. Students use skills of prediction and anticipation. Students may do any of the following: make predictions and guesses

use titles and tables of contents to get an idea of what a passage is about

- activate prior knowledge about the topic of the passage by answering some questions or performing a quiz anticipate what they want to learn about the top . use titles, pictures, and prior knowledge to anticipate the contents of the text .

Why reading is important ? Why is Reading so important? Everyone knows reading is important, but have you ever asked yourself why is it so important? Here I list out 8 reasons why reading is important. Hope you can really find out the reason why reading is so important for you, so you got a brand new will to explore the world of reading. 1. Explore Yourself to New Thing Through reading, you explore yourself to new thing, to new information, new ways to solve a problem, new way to achieve one thing. Who knows you might actually explore to one thing you really like and thus it become your career and success in the future? Exploration starts from reading and understanding. 2. Self Improvement Reading does help you form a better you, isnt it? Through reading, you understand the world more; through reading you get to understand more on a topic that interest you, for example: How to build self confidence, how to make a better planning before action; how to memorize things better and more. All these self development start from the reading. 3. Improve Understanding The more you read, the more you understand one thing, the A to Z of a thing. Let me give an example here: reading allows you understand about crocodiles and its habits that you need to beware of places it usually appear, in the purpose of stay away from

being harmed or bitten by it. Or perhaps you can try by real life experience, in approaching the crocodile, to see what happen. Reading also increases the understanding of the rules of life . To play well in a game, you first need to understand the rules well enough. 4. Preparation to Action Before you take action on anything, where do you seek for help and guidance. Read about how to cook a meal; how to play chess; which place is nice for the holiday family trip; read the menu before ordering food, read the manual before using a new gadget. These all can help you become more prepared before really get into it. Read > Learn > Do > Achieve Reading is a starting step of many things, which build a more solid stairs for you to climb up achieving something big out there. 5. Gain Experience from Other People When you are reading, you are actually gaining the knowledge and experience of someone. It can faster up your success towards one thing, as you dont need to repeat the same mistake while focus on the right path in achieving one thing. Life is too short for you to keep repeating the mistakes that had been done by other people in the past, in order for you to reach the results that someone might already reached. There are four thousand plus billionaire and 12 million millionaires today. To become one of them, the first thing is to learn and get to know their past, what they did in the past that makes them where they are today. Reading is a great path to get to know them, and learn from these great people. 6. Tools of Communicating It is the most important tool of communicating, through reading, you communicate, through reading, you understand more, and thus you can communicate better with people. As if a person that know nothing, he hasnt had anything to share, and he probably dont even understand what people are sharing. Through reading, you build a more solid bridge of communication. It is one of the most important tools we use every day to connect with each

other. Whereas if you dont read, you cant even connect with the world and what people ar e talking about . Reading connects you with the world. 7. Connecting Your Brain When reading, youre in full silence, where reading connects directly to your brain. In silence, you seek for more; in silence, your brain is clear and focuses, thus you learn and grow, and therefore you feel and see from the point of view of the author, about everything in life. Hence you shape a better self. Because silence exists with total abandon, it is fearless. Because silence is fearless, it holds the power that can break through any barrier. | On Silence 8. Boost Imagination and Creativity Reading exposes you to a world of imagination, showing you nothing is impossible in this world. By reading, you are exploring a different angle to see a thing youve known, on how different action leads to different results. Books are beyond imagination, its like a huge spider web, where you keep linking to more and more, to things you knew, and things you just learn, structuring a new solution and answers.

Reasons why I love reading books

One of the reasons why I love reading books is because I started early. Truth be told, I have always been a reader for as long as I can remember. As a matter of fact, ever since I was around 2 years old. My mother was the first person who introduced me to my love as she encouraged me to start reading books by bringing home a a different book for me every week. The first book I remember reading on my own was a book about how to tell time. To this day I still tell my mom that she is the reason I love reading books so much .

I remember being fascinated by books even while reading the books that came in the simplest forms, such as one word books. I would pick up a picture book with a few words here and there and from then on up until now, I was hooked on books. As a matter of fact, I used to love reading books so much as a child that I would beg my mom to take me down to the bookstore so we could buy more books !

I think the reason I love reading books so much is because in my opinion, reading is an almost magical thing and to be honest, I find it quite enjoyable as well as relaxing. If you sit down with a good book to read, it is as if you can go to an entirely different world, and be in a world of your own for a few hours. When youre so deeply engrossed in a book, youll notice that books have that amazing ability to transport you, evoking different feelings of sadness, joy , anger e.t.c,- it just all depends on what you are reading.

Books can also be the source of creating memories in your life and even at whatever stage you may be in your life, reading a good book can help you deal with life quite a bit. The books I love to read normally read consist of novels (specifically dramatic novels and thrillers), inspirational biographies e.t.c, now that I have a Kindle, I read eBooks mostly, but always pick up a pysical paper novel or book from time to time.

Reading books can transport you to a world of your own making VC Andrewss books have that gift of transporting you to an entirely different world (one you want to stay in and see what happens) . I smile and get a bit nostalgic and a bit saddened that this part of my life is long gone and over as looking back, life really was quite simple and it brings a

new meaning that the simple things in life are what matters and bring the most joy. For me, reading books has always been a great refuge and at times a great momentarily escape. Wherever I go, even if Im traveling, I make sure that I have one tucked away; although as mentioned, I own a Kindle now, I still like the feel of a physical paperback from now and then. If you would like to know more about the Kindle, and how you can also start reading books on the go while using an ereader, you can do so at Kindle Depot by Adrian Pantonial

Here are the top 10 reasons why I love reading [in no particular order of importance]:

1.) Personal and Professional Growth - Reading helps me grow as a person, expanding my views about life, affecting my every personal and professional decisions.

2.) Leadership Booster - I believe that great leaders are great readers. 3.) Busts Boredom It sets me free from boredom. 4.) Enhances Communication Skills Widens my expertise as a wordsmith, which I use in writing business correspondence in the office and church, online blogging and in writing encouraging notes to family and friends.

5.) Tool for Success - One of my lifetime goals is to be able to write my own best-selling book/s someday.

6.) Learning from the Best - Through reading, I get to mingle and pick the brains of people whom I may never meet in person like my favorite authors namely: Charles Swindoll, John Maxwell, Max Lucado, Philip Yancey, John Eldredge and locally: Ed Lapiz, Bo Sanchez etc.

7.) Virtual Travelling Reading allows me to travel to places I have never been to and makes me experience, at least in virtuality, situations that I may either desire or loathewhere in both cases, I can gain invaluable learning. 8.) Counseling Aid Through this helpful and healthy habit, Im empowered to give better advice to people, especially when I dont have personal experience about what theyre seeking counsel for. 9.) Brain Enhancer Our mind is the central processing unit of our body, the genesis of all our hopes and dreams which we should invest on. Unlike rubber, our brain, once stretched, may never be reduced to its original size. 10.) Keeps Me Fully Awake and Alive Being a bibliophile is the only positive addiction I know so far which keeps my faith, hope and love alive.

10 Reasons Nonreaders Don't Read Reason 1: Reading Gives Them a Headache or Makes Their Eyes Hurt If you have students who are generally cooperative but start to wiggle and squirm as soon as you ask them to read independently, be alert for signs that reading is uncomfortable. They may squint, frown, rub their eyes, try to shade their books, hold their books far away or very near to their faces, blink rapidly, or lose their place repeatedly when reading. Reason 2: They Cant Read as Fast as Their Peers (and Get Left Behind) One first grader I worked with, Kayla, was in such a hurry to read everything quickly that she wasnt processing anything. When I asked her to slow down and read one sentence, then tell me

what it said, she was fine. But when I let her read without interruption, she began racing along, stumbling over words, and was unable to answer basic questions about what she had read. Why are you reading so fast? I asked her. She sighed. Because I have to go fast. Thats how we do it at school. I dont care how fast everybody reads in school, I said. I want you to slow down and read at your own pace. And one of these days, I promise, youll read as fast as everybody else. Maybe even faster. Kayla wasnt completely convinced, but she agreed to slow down. And her mother agreed to allow Kayla to skip some of her chores on their familys ranch so she could spend more time after school reading. In less than two months, Kayla went from failing grades back to straight As. Reason 3: They Fear Theyll Have to Read Out Loud and Others Will Laugh Dont allow other kids to laugh at the ones who do read, and beware the sneaky snickers. If you ask students to read aloud in your classroom, you owe it to your readers to make sure that nobody shames or humiliates them for trying. And if you have shy or timid students who never volunteer, work with them individually until they develop the confidence to read aloud. (Some kids will never volunteer, but that doesnt mean they arent learning and at least you wont have made them dread reading.) Some teachers call on students to read aloud as a way of keeping them awake or alert in class, but you could call on a willing volunteer who is seated next to your drowsy or daydreaming student instead. When his classmate begins to read, the daydreamer will tune back in without feeling embarrassment or hostility toward you.

Reason 4: They Expect to Be Tested on What They Read and to Fail the Test Try reading a few short things as a class. After each one, open the floor to comments. Ask, So, what do you think about that? Accept every comment as valuable. If nobody comments, say, Well, lets let that one percolate for a while. And move on to the next activity. Let your students see that reading isnt a chore, a competition, or a test. Its a lifelong skill that we use to gain information, find a new perspective, and tickle our brains or our funny bones. As one of my former students wisely pointed out, You dont have to discuss the crap out of everything you read. Some things you just read. Thats it. When you do test students in a more orthodox manner, dont use the same format for every test. Instead of asking them to select the correct answer on a multiple-choice or matching quiz, try open-ended short essay questions or reading journals. Ask them to think of three good adjectives to describe a specific character and give examples of things those characters said or did to support the students choice of adjectives. Ask them to rate the storys conclusion and explain why they give it a thumbs-up or thumbs-down. Reason 5: They Believe They Have to Finish Every Reading Selection, No Matter How Long or Difficult Forcing kids who dont read well to finish material that is far above their ability level or th at has no relevance to them can ruin reading for them. Good readers will tackle anything because they know that they will be rewarded by gaining a new perspective, acquiring new knowledge, or entering a completely new world. Poor readers dont experience those rewards, so its difficult to convince them that reading can be enjoyable.

This may go against your treachery grain, but I urge you to consider it: Tell your students that you will expect them to read half of any article, story, or novel that you give to them. At the halfway point, you will take a class vote to see whether the majority of students want to finish the given selection. If more than half vote against the text, ask your students to write a brief critique of it, and then move on to the next activity. One of the reasons this approach is so successful is that it gives students the feeling that they have a choice in what they read. And once they know that they can vote to stop reading a story or novel, surprisingly, they will often continue reading it! Reason 6: They Fear Their Opinions Will Be Wrong If you ask for an opinion, accept what you get and grade the writing on composition and content. Reward their honest effort and encourage them to develop their ideas logically and completely. If you allow your students to maintain their dignity, they will continue to try and to progress. With maturity and practice, their reading and writing skills will improve and they will be better able to appreciate literature that demands a more sophisticated approach. Once students can intelligently articulate their opinions, they will be ready to learn how to analyze a story on its literary merits. (Boring and stupid is not a literary critique.) Then, you can push students to use specific references to the text to make their point, using vocabulary and terms that you have taught them, such as plot, dialogue, irony, and tone. It may be helpful to teach these two different critical approaches as the personal versus the professional response.

Reason 7: They Always Get Put Into the Slow Group, Which Makes Them Feel Stupid But what I find most interesting is that when I ask those same adults how old they were when they formed their opinions of their own intelligence, nearly all agree that they decided how smart they were during the first few years of school, when they were learning to read. Call them bluebirds and sparrows, stars and stripes, bears and bobcats, children always know who are the fast readers (translation smart kids) and who are the slow readers (translation dumb kids). They know exactly where they fall on the reading-speed spectrum, and they believe this directly correlates to intelligence. Reason 8: They Believe They Are Too Far Behind to Ever Catch Up Encourage students to learn how to derive the meaning of unfamiliar words from the context and to practice reading every day in order to improve their reading rate. One method I have used successfully is to give them a one- to two-page-long magazine article. They read for one full minute until I say, Stop. They circle the last word they read. Then I teach them how to count the words on a page. (Add together the number of words in four individual lines, then divide by four to get the average number of words per line.) Then students count how many lines they read, multiply that by the average, and get their one-minute word count. The next month, we read the same selection and assess their reading rates again. Students will nearly always improve if they have been making an effort in class. Theyll s ee that practice doesnt make perfect, but it certainly makes improvement. Reason 9: They Have No Interest in the Material They Are Required to Read

You may have to abandon textbooks for a bit, even if they do contain interesting stories. Textbooks by definition are not interesting. (I sometimes make copies of a story or poem from the textbook and distribute it to students who enjoy it and they are surprised to learn after the fact that it was in their textbook all along.) Find some compelling magazine articles about people the same age as your students. Check anthologies for essays on controversial subjects such as gun control or immigration; most essay collections come complete with discussion questions and writing prompts. Look online for true adventure, crime, and sports stories and articles on topics of interest to young people how to be popular, find a friend, get into college, or choose a pet, for example. Reason 10: They Get Lost and Cant Remember What They Have Just Read You dont have to be a reading teacher to help students with reading comprehension. First, explain that when we read, we create a mental picture of what we are reading. As we add details, the picture becomes clearer or changes to adjust to new or different information. If you lose the picture when you are reading, you are starting to lose your comprehension. Back up until you can see the picture again, and continue reading.