Reading is a vital part of school. Everyone remembers those classic days of having a “readathon” at school. Everyone would bring in their favorite blanket wear their favorite pjs and read the whole day. For some children it was their nightmare but for many others it was a dream. Reading was such a big part of elementary and middle school for so many children whether it be picture books or novels, so many children live for the stories that they love to read. There are hardly any downsides to reading as well. Reading has been proven to make us more empathetic, improves writing, and reduces stress. High school teachers pile up so much work that many students that were once advent readers no longer have any time to read. I believe firmly that once a month we should have a “Readathon” day where students can relax and submerge themselves in their favorite stories.
Reading has been proven to increase empathy. When a reader connects with a character they travel on their adventure. The reader feels what the protagonist feels. The reader shares the character’s dreams, adventures, joy, frustrations, heartbreaks and everything else the character may experience. 
Reading books puts the reader in a variety of situations that they have never experienced and so they can learn from what the protagonist goes through. This makes them more aware that their peers may be feeling what they read about in the story. They will be able to recognize what that person may be going through based on what they read and be more empathetic and kind.
Reading has also been proven to improve one’s writing. Students who read are more likely to be better at writing than those who do not. Reading more advanced and challenging books can indirectly teach new words, increasing vocabulary and improving writing. Advent readers also can begin to recognize different writing styles which they can expand upon and try for themselves. Learning to write in a variety in ways can open up a variety of doors they the writer may walk down. One way of writing may speak to one writer more than another and thus they will excel in that area of writing. Being able to write well is instrumental to succeeding in school and so opening more opportunities to different writers from different backgrounds can only open their window of success.
Reading has also been proven to reduce stress. It is not uncommon for a high schooler to, go to school for eight hours of school a day, have mastered an instrument, are learning a new language, and play sports or participate in some other club as well as hours of homework on top of that. This is a crazy amount of stress for any adult to handle let alone a growing developing teenager but they do it. It is hard for many of them to find an appropriate outlet for their stress or even the time to outlet their stress. But reading is the perfect outlet for almost any situation and has been proven to reduce stress and instill a sense of tranquility in the reader.
These students have no time to release all this stress that is just building up, and adding to itself creating a ticking time bomb. If there is a designated day at least once a month dedicated to reading, it can increase empathy, improve writing capabilities, and reduce stress, creating a better environment for the students themselves.
Work Sited
Hermes. “Why Reading Should Be a Compulsory Subject in School.” The Straits Times, 24 May 2016, www.straitstimes.com/opinion/why-reading-should-be-a-compulsory-subject-in-school.
Winter-Hébert, Lana. “10 Benefits of Reading: Why You Should Read Every Day.” Lifehack, Lifehack, 18 Oct. 2018, www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-benefits-reading-why-you-should-read-everyday.html.
WOJNO, REBECCA. “5 Positive Effects Reading Has on Your Brain.” Goodnet, 19 Oct. 2017, www.goodnet.org/articles/5-positive-effects-reading-has-on-your-brain.