reading is important thesis

Students’ Reading Proficiency and Academic Performance

Reading proficiency and academic performance are both of paramount importance to a learner’s holistic academic success. These aspects of a student’s journey must not be taken for granted regardless of their locale, cultural context, and academic setting. Consequently, this intellectual endeavor examined the correlation of said factors. It first probed into the students’ profile and determined their reading proficiency level (RPL) and academic performance (AP) in English based on the Phil-IRI result and mean percentage scores. Using descriptive-correlational analysis, the study investigated the significant differences in the RPL of the students when grouped according to their profile variates and the significant relationship between their AP and RPL. Findings revealed that the latter differed in terms of sex, parents’ highest educational attainment, parents’ occupation, and a number of days of attendance in school, but similar along with age, nutritional status, and attitude toward reading. Students showed a favorable AP in reading as depicted in the positive coefficient result, suggesting a direct proportional linear relationship indicating that students with higher RPL manifested higher AP than those whose reading performance was on the average only. Hence, the study inferred that students need an intervention program for their reading skills and in becoming independent readers. Also, as female students were proven to manifest higher RPL, it was recommended that teachers provide enhancement activities for male students to be at par with their female counterparts. Thus, this empirical information would be beneficial to both schools and educators in strengthening every learner's reading proficiency and academic performance.

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Reading Strategies Used in Reading Academic Texts by Students of High and Intermediate Reading Proficiency Levels

In this study, the reading strategies used by students of high and intermediate reading proficiency levels were qualitatively examined. Reading strategies are important factors that affect someone's reading proficiency. In the development of education, reading strategies are continuously carried out to facilitate the learning process and sharpen students' reading skills. The purpose of this study is to discover the reading strategies used by the English Department students with high and intermediate reading proficiency levels in reading academic texts. This study uses reading strategies theory by Grabe (2009) combined with the interview questions by Mokhtari and Reichard (2002) to examine the reading strategies of ten participants consisting of five people with high reading proficiency level and five other people with intermediate reading proficiency level. This study showed that students of high reading proficiency levels tend to use more reading strategies than students with intermediate reading proficiency level. The biggest difference is in the use of text-structure awareness and inferencing strategies. It indicates that the mastery of text structure is directly related to reading effectiveness. Without text structure awareness, other reading strategies such as summarizing, inferencing, and elaborative interrogation will be seriously disrupted. Keywords:  Reading Strategies, Academic Text, High Reading Proficiency Level, Intermediate Reading Proficiency Level

Sleep Deprivation and Academic Performance of Nursing Students in a Tertiary Institution in Cross River State, Nigeria

This study investigated sleep deprivation and academic performance on nursing students of University of Calabar. A self-structured instrument was administered to a sample of 109 students. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Most, 55(50.5. %) of the respondents start depriving themselves of sleep immediately after resumption. On school days, most 53 (48.6%) respondents sleep for 1–3 hours on average; while 40(36.7%) respondents sleep for 4–6 hours on average. During weekends most, 69(63.3%) respondents sleep for 4-6 hours on average, however, during examinations, majority 73(67. %), sleep for 1–3 hours on average. 64(58.6%) take different substances to keep awake. More male 69(63.3%) respondents start depriving themselves of sleep immediately after resumption, as against 50(46%) female respondents. Male students have an average sleep of 5.02 hours during schools days; 5.07 hours during weekends, and 2.39 hours during examinations, while female students have an average sleep of 5.25 hours during schools days, 5.43 hours during weekends, and 4.77 hours during examinations. Male students have a lower mean (SD) hours of sleep of (4.16±.35) compared to female students mean (SD) hours of (5.15±.49). The result further showed a statistically significant relationship between sleep deprivation and academic performance, also, a statistically significant influence of sleep deprivation on academic performance of male and female nursing students. Recommendations: nursing students should be properly counseled on the importance of adequate sleep to their academic performance. They should only deprive themselves of sleep during school days and less during examination.

The Influence of Bullying Behaviours on Sense of School Connectedness, Motivation and Self-Esteem

AbstractThe aim of the current study was to examine how bullying by peers relates to self-esteem, school connectedness and motivation for academic success in an Australian high school. Questionnaires were completed by 975 students across years 7 to 12. As predicted, male students were subjected to more direct forms of bullying than female students. However, contrary to expectations, there were no significant differences between males and females in their reported experience of indirect forms of bullying. Also, students in the lower year levels of high school reported being bullied more frequently than students in high year levels. Findings supported predictions that students who were bullied by their peers at school tended to report having lower levels of self-esteem, feeling less connected to their peers, teachers and school, and being less motivated to perform well at school. These results may have implications for school-based intervention programs that are designed to reduce bullying behaviours.

Penerapan Teknik Cantol Roudhoh Dalam Pembelajaran Membaca Suku Kata

The ability to read in the Raudhotul Atfal (RA) education unit makes the study interesting especially in terms of Arabic reading skills. This study aims to improve the reading ability of RA Mambaul Barokah's children syllables using the Cantol Roudhoh Technique. The subjects were group B children in RA Mambaul Barokah with 20 students consisting of 8 male students and 12 female students. The type of research used is Classroom Action Research (CAR), which was carried out using 2 cycles. Each cycle consists of four stages, namely planning, implementing actions, observing, and reflecting. Data collection methods used are descriptive and qualitative analysis. The results of preliminary observations before the action showed that children who had mastery reading ability of syllables reached 55%, in the implementation of learning with cantol roudhoh technique in the first cycle rose to 57% and in the second cycle to 95%. Based on these results it can be concluded that the cantol roudhoh method is able to improve syllable reading in RA Mambaul Barokah students in the 2018/2019 school year.

The Investigation of the Relation between Physical Activity and Academic Success

The purpose of the study is to investigate the interaction among Physical Activity Levels (PAL), academic successes, perceived academic competency and Motor Skills (MS) of male and female students at the age of 14-17 in terms of gender variable. The PALs, perceived academic competency and academic successes were determined through International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Academic Competency Scale and General Academic Averages respectively. MS were tested by sit-and-reach flexibility, vertical jump, hand grip strenght and back and leg strength tests. After the data were entered into the SPSS 16,0 program, paired t-test was done in order to determine the difference between genders. Also, the interaction among PAL, academic success, academic competency and MS of male and female students were analysed through Pearson correlation analysis. As a result, it was found out that parameters related to the PAL and strength of male students are higher than those of female ones while female students’ academic success levels are better than those of male students. In addition, while no significant relation between academic success and PAL was found, a positive relation was determined the academic success and perceived academic competency of both genders.

Motivational Media and Academic Success

Motivating students to do well in courses that fail to interest them can be challenging. The current study was designed to assess the potential impact of priming motivational media on academic performance. Students in six sections of introductory psychology courses (n = 128) completed a quiz after watching a 4 minute inspirational video (experimental group, n = 63), or without watching the video (control group, n = 65). The video selected showed scenes of individuals pushing their limits in all aspects of life and a commentary of a motivational commencement speech by Arnold Schwarzenegger given to college graduates. After completing the quiz participants were given a survey with questions pertaining to their motivation, positive and negative emotions, demographics, and their reactions to the video. Students who were primed by the video reported greater academic motivation and planned to study more for the next quiz than students who did not watch the video. Females reported lower GPA and lower positive emotions in the experimental condition. While there was not an overall effect of the video on quiz scores, male students who watched the video performed 10% better on the quiz than males in the control condition. Implications of these findings suggest that motivational information may be beneficial in inspiring academic performance in certain circumstances.

Measuring Academic Performance and Emotional Maturity of Graduate Students: Gender and Locality

Academic performance is an outcome of learning in any set of course. It is of immense relevance to enhance the progress of a learner’s life holistically. Emotional maturity is the application of emotional cognizance and experiences to deal with inner and outer situations. The present study was carried out on a sample of 209 graduate students. A standardised tool (EMS; Singh & Bhargava, 2012) was used to assess emotional maturity while academic performance was measured by the aggregate percentage at graduation level. The investigator used parametric statistics; Pearson product moment correlation (r) and two-way ANOVA to analyse the findings. The study is an earnest attempt to recognise the association between academic performance and emotional maturity. It also tried to identify the effect of gender and locality on academic performance and emotional maturity of graduate students. The findings uncovered that there was a significant positive coefficient of correlation (r = .520, p < 0.01) between academic performance and emotional maturity of graduate students. There was a significant main effect of gender on academic performance and emotional maturity. Female students had a higher level of academic performance than male students while male students had a greater level of emotional maturity than female students. However, the interaction effect of gender and locality on academic performance and emotional maturity was found non-significant.

Computer science students' perceived needs for support and their academic performance by gender and residency

PurposeThis study investigates computer science (CS) students' perceived needs for support in an array of academic and nonacademic areas prior to entering college and relates these findings to their subsequent performance in the core CS curriculum. This study specifically explored how students' perceived needs vary by gender and residency and how these perceived needs relate to students' academic performance in CS courses.Design/methodology/approachData included survey responses and academic performance measures from 718 CS students. Approximately 14 percent of the participants were female students, and 86 percent were male students. Also, 24 percent of students were international, 46 percent out-of-state, and 30 percent were in-state students. To address research questions, multiple regressions and analysis of covariance were conducted. For all analyses, students' ACT scores were used as covariates.FindingsResults show significant main effects for both gender and residency, but interaction is not significant. Female students, on average, selected more perceived needs compared to male students. Also, international students selected more needs compared to domestic students. Also, the number of perceived needs for different categories is unique across students of different residency and gender. Results also indicate that the perceived need for assistance with STEM content is associated with lower CS academic performance. In contrast, perceived needs for professional skills and support services are not related to CS performance. Finally, students' ACT score is a good predictor of their academic performance.Originality/valueThis study provides important contributions to higher education and CS education literature. This is the first study with CS students focusing on their perceived needs. Also, this study includes an almost complete data set (94.6 percent survey completion rate) from CS students.

Assessment outcome is weakly correlated with lecture attendance: influence of learning style and use of alternative materials

The relation between lecture attendance and learning is surprisingly weak, and the role of learning styles in this is poorly understood. We hypothesized that 1) academic performance is related to lecture attendance and 2) learning style influences lecture attendance and, consequently, affects performance. We also speculated that the availability of alternative resources would affect this relationship. Second-year Bachelor of Science physiology students ( n = 120) self-reported their lecture attendance in a block of 21 lectures (attendance not compulsory) and use of alternative resources. Overall self-reported lecture attendance was 73 ± 2%. Female students ( n = 71) attended more lectures (16.4 ± 0.6) than male students (14.3 ± 0.08, n = 49) and achieved a higher composite mark in all assessments (73.6% vs. 69.3%, P < 0.02). Marks in the final exam were not statistically different between the sexes and correlated only weakly with lecture attendance ( r = 0.29, n = 49, P < 0.04 for male students; r = 0.10, n = 71, P = not significant for female students; and r =0.21, n = 120, P < 0.02 for the whole class). Of the students who passed the exam, poor attenders (<11 lectures) reported significantly more use of lecture recordings (37 ± 8%, n = 15, vs. 10 ± 1%, n = 85, P < 0.001). In a VARK learning style assessment (where V is visual, A is auditory, R is reading/writing, and K is kinesthetic), students were multimodal, although female students had a slightly higher average percentage of the R learning style (preferred read/write) compared with male students (28.9 ± 0.9%, n = 63, vs. 25.3 ± 1.3%, n = 32, P < 0.03). Lecture attendance was not correlated with measured learning style. We concluded that lecture attendance is only weakly correlated with academic performance and is not related to learning style. The substitution of alternative materials for lecture attendance appears to have a greater role than learning style in determining academic outcomes.

ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SCHOOLCHILDREN OF NEPAL

Background. There is growing interest in the association between physical activity (PA) and academic performance (AP) in children, especially in the developing world. However, no in-depth study of such kind has yet been undertaken in Nepal. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine if there is correlation between PA and AP in secondary schoolchildren in Nepal. Methods. A crosssectional study was carried in four schools of Nepal. Two schools (one private and one public) were randomly selected from two different districts. Physical activity and academic performance levels of students were obtained via questionnaires and Pearson’s correlation was done to determine any association. Results. Our study showed a significant correlation between physical activity and academic performance in the study population. The correlation was significant for male students, students from rural and urban areas and from public schools. However, there was no significant correlation in the female population and students of private schools. We also observed a significant difference in the physical activity performed by male versus female students (male > female), along with a significant difference in their academic performance (male > female). Further analysis of correlation on the basis of gender showed that physical activity of male students was significantly correlated with the academic performance irrespective of the location and type of school. However there was no such correlation in the female students. Conclusion. Our study found that male students who were physically active showed positive correlation between physical activity and academic performance while no such correlation was found in the female students.

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While Sandel argues that pursuing perfection through genetic engineering would decrease our sense of humility, he claims that the sense of solidarity we would lose is also important.

This thesis summarizes several points in Sandel’s argument, but it does not make a claim about how we should understand his argument. A reader who read Sandel’s argument would not also need to read an essay based on this descriptive thesis.  

Broad thesis (arguable, but difficult to support with evidence) 

Michael Sandel’s arguments about genetic engineering do not take into consideration all the relevant issues.

This is an arguable claim because it would be possible to argue against it by saying that Michael Sandel’s arguments do take all of the relevant issues into consideration. But the claim is too broad. Because the thesis does not specify which “issues” it is focused on—or why it matters if they are considered—readers won’t know what the rest of the essay will argue, and the writer won’t know what to focus on. If there is a particular issue that Sandel does not address, then a more specific version of the thesis would include that issue—hand an explanation of why it is important.  

Arguable thesis with analytical claim 

While Sandel argues persuasively that our instinct to “remake” (54) ourselves into something ever more perfect is a problem, his belief that we can always draw a line between what is medically necessary and what makes us simply “better than well” (51) is less convincing.

This is an arguable analytical claim. To argue for this claim, the essay writer will need to show how evidence from the article itself points to this interpretation. It’s also a reasonable scope for a thesis because it can be supported with evidence available in the text and is neither too broad nor too narrow.  

Arguable thesis with normative claim 

Given Sandel’s argument against genetic enhancement, we should not allow parents to decide on using Human Growth Hormone for their children.

This thesis tells us what we should do about a particular issue discussed in Sandel’s article, but it does not tell us how we should understand Sandel’s argument.  

Questions to ask about your thesis 

• Is the thesis truly arguable? Does it speak to a genuine dilemma in the source, or would most readers automatically agree with it?  
• Is the thesis too obvious? Again, would most or all readers agree with it without needing to see your argument?  
• Is the thesis complex enough to require a whole essay's worth of argument?  
• Is the thesis supportable with evidence from the text rather than with generalizations or outside research?  
• Would anyone want to read a paper in which this thesis was developed? That is, can you explain what this paper is adding to our understanding of a problem, question, or topic?
• picture_as_pdf Thesis

Why reading books is good for society, wellbeing and your career

Senior Lecturer with School of Economics, Finance and Marketing and Behavioural Business Lab Member, RMIT University

Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne

Professor of Economics (Health Economist), RMIT University

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The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Melbourne provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU.

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TikTok allows video up to 10 minutes, but says surveys show almost half its users are stressed by anything longer than a minute . An Instagram video can be up to 90 seconds, but experts reckon the ideal time to maximise engagement is less than 15 seconds . Twitter doubled the length of tweets in 2017 to 280 characters , but the typical length is more like 33 characters .

It’s easy to get sucked into short and sensational content. But if you’re worried this may be harming your attention span, you should be . There’s solid evidence that so many demands on our attention make us more stressed , and that the endless social comparison makes us feel worse about ourselves.

For better mental health, read a book.

Studies show a range of psychological benefits from book-reading. Reading fiction can increase your capacity for empathy , through the process of seeing the world through a relatable character. Reading has been found to reduce stress as effectively as yoga . It is being prescribed for depression – a treatment known as bibliotherapy .

Book-reading is also a strong marker of curiosity – a quality prized by employers such as Google. Our research shows reading is as strongly associated with curiosity as interest in science, and more strongly than mathematical ability.

And it’s not just that curious minds are more likely to read because of a thirst for knowledge and understanding. That happens too, but our research has specifically been to investigate the role of reading in the development of curious minds.

Read more: Too many digital distractions are eroding our ability to read deeply, and here's how we can become aware of what's happening — podcast

Tracking reading and curiosity

Our findings come from analysing data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth , which tracks the progress of young Australians from the age of 15 till 25.

Longitudinal surveys provide valuable insights by surveying the same people – in this case a group of about 10,000 young people. Every year for ten years they are asked about their achievements, aspirations, education, employment and life satisfaction.

There have been five survey cohorts since 1998, the most recent starting in 2016. We analysed three of them – those beginning in 2003, 2006 and 2009, looking at the data up to age 20, at which age most have a job or are looking for one.

The survey data is rich enough to develop proxy measures of reading and curiosity levels. It includes participants’ scores in the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment tests for reading, mathematics and science ability. There are survey questions about time spent reading for pleasure, time reading newspapers or magazines, and library use.

To measure curiosity, we used respondents’ answers to questions about their interest in the following:

• learning new things
• thinking about why the world is in the state it is
• finding out more about things you don’t understand
• finding out about a new idea
• finding out how something works.

We used statistical modelling to control for environmental and demographic variables and distinguish the effect of reading activity as a teenager on greater curiosity as a young adult. This modelling gives us confidence that reading is not just correlated with curiosity. Reading books helps build curiosity.

Gloom and doom-scrolling

Does this mean if you’re older that it’s too late to start reading? No. Our results relate to young people because the data was available. No matter what your age, deep reading has benefits over social-media scrolling.

The short-term dopamine rush of scrolling on a device is an elusive promise. It depletes rather than uplifts us. Our limbic brain – the part of the brain associated with our emotional and behavioural responses – remains trapped in a spiral of pleasure-seeking.

Studies show a high correlation between media multitasking and attention problems due to cognitive overload . The effect is most evident among young people, who have grown up with social media overexposure .

US social psychologist Jonathan Haidt is among the researchers warning that high social media use is a major contributor to declining mental health for teenage girls:

Boys are doing badly too, but their rates of depression and anxiety are not as high, and their increases since 2011 are smaller.

Why this “giant, obvious, international, and gendered cause”? Haidt writes:

Instagram was founded in 2010. The iPhone 4 was released then too — the first smartphone with a front-facing camera. In 2012 Facebook bought Instagram, and that’s the year that its user base exploded. By 2015, it was becoming normal for 12-year-old girls to spend hours each day taking selfies, editing selfies, and posting them for friends, enemies, and strangers to comment on, while also spending hours each day scrolling through photos of other girls and fabulously wealthy female celebrities with (seemingly) vastly superior bodies and lives.

In 2020 Haidt published research showing girls are more vulnerable to “fear of missing out” and the aggression that social media tends to amplify. Since then he’s become even more convinced of the correlation.

Social media, by design, is addictive.

With TikTok, for example, videos start automatically, based on what the algorithm already knows about you. But it doesn’t just validate your preferences and feed you opinions that confirm your biases. It also varies the content so you don’t know what is coming next. This is the same trick that keeps gamblers addicted.

Tips to get back into books

If you are having difficulty choosing between your phone and a book, here’s a simple tip proven by behavioural science . To change behaviour it also helps to change your environment.

Try the following:

Carry a book at all times, or leave books around the house in convenient places.

Schedule reading time into your day. 20 minutes is enough . This reinforces the habit and ensures regular immersion in the book world.

If you’re not enjoying a book, try another. Don’t force yourself.

You’ll feel better for it – and be prepared for a future employer asking you what books you’re reading.

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Lecturer / Senior Lecturer - Marketing

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Executive Dean, Faculty of Health

Lecturer/Senior Lecturer, Earth System Science (School of Science)

Writers' Center

Eastern Washington University

Reading and Study Strategies

What is annotating and why do it, annotation explained, steps to annotating a source, annotating strategies.

• Using a Dictionary
• Study Skills

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What is Annotating?

Annotating is any action that deliberately interacts with a text to enhance the reader's understanding of, recall of, and reaction to the text. Sometimes called "close reading," annotating usually involves highlighting or underlining key pieces of text and making notes in the margins of the text. This page will introduce you to several effective strategies for annotating a text that will help you get the most out of your reading.

Why Annotate?

By annotating a text, you will ensure that you understand what is happening in a text after you've read it. As you annotate, you should note the author's main points, shifts in the message or perspective of the text, key areas of focus, and your own thoughts as you read. However, annotating isn't just for people who feel challenged when reading academic texts. Even if you regularly understand and remember what you read, annotating will help you summarize a text, highlight important pieces of information, and ultimately prepare yourself for discussion and writing prompts that your instructor may give you. Annotating means you are doing the hard work while you read, allowing you to reference your previous work and have a clear jumping-off point for future work.

1. Survey : This is your first time through the reading

You can annotate by hand or by using document software. You can also annotate on post-its if you have a text you do not want to mark up. As you annotate, use these strategies to make the most of your efforts:

• Include a key or legend on your paper that indicates what each marking is for, and use a different marking for each type of information. Example: Underline for key points, highlight for vocabulary, and circle for transition points.
• If you use highlighters, consider using different colors for different types of reactions to the text. Example: Yellow for definitions, orange for questions, and blue for disagreement/confusion.
• Dedicate different tasks to each margin: Use one margin to make an outline of the text (thesis statement, description, definition #1, counter argument, etc.) and summarize main ideas, and use the other margin to note your thoughts, questions, and reactions to the text.

Lastly, as you annotate, make sure you are including descriptions of the text as well as your own reactions to the text. This will allow you to skim your notations at a later date to locate key information and quotations, and to recall your thought processes more easily and quickly.

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• Last Updated: Apr 25, 2024 2:50 PM
• URL: https://research.ewu.edu/writers_c_read_study_strategies

Tips for Online Students , Tips for Students

Why is Reading Important for Your Growth?

Updated: November 22, 2022

Published: September 8, 2019

Want to escape without traveling anywhere? Looking to learn about a specific subject? Interested in knowing what it was like to live in the past? Reading can provide all of this and more for you! For anyone who wonders, “why is reading important?” we’re here to share the many reasons.

Yet, there are also some people who read because they are told they must for school. If you fit into that last categorization, then it may be useful to understand the many benefits of reading, which we will uncover here. We’ll also share why people read and what makes it so important.

Now all you have to do is….keep reading!

The Many Benefits of Reading

Beyond reading, because you have to, the importance of reading cannot go unnoticed. Reading is of great value because it provides the means by which you get to:

Strengthens Brain Activity

Reading gets your mind working across different areas. For starters, it involves comprehension to process the words you read. Beyond that, you can use your analytical abilities, stimulate memories, and even broaden your imagination by reading words off a page.

Reading is a neurobiological process that works out your brain muscles. As you do so, you can help to slow down cognitive decline and even decrease the rate at which memory fades. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have even found that reading reduces the level of beta-amyloid, which is a protein in the brain that is connected to Alzheimer’s. Who knew that reading could have physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits?

Boosts communication skills

Both reading and writing work to improve one’s communication skills. That’s why if you’re looking to become a better writer, many of the suggestions that you come across will include reading more. Reading can open your eyes, literally and figuratively, to new words. Try this next time you read: if you come across any words you read that you don’t know, take a moment to look them up and write them down. Then, remember to use your new words in your speech so you don’t forget them!

Helps Self-Exploration

Books can be both an escape and an adventure. When you are reading, you have the opportunity to think about things in new ways, learn about cultures, events, and people you may have never otherwise heard of, and can adopt methods of thinking that help to reshape or enhance your identity. For example, you might read a mystery novel and learn that you have a knack and interest in solving cases and paying attention to clues.

Makes One Intellectually Sound

When you read a lot, you undoubtedly learn a lot. The more you read, you can make it to the level of being considered “well-read.” This tends to mean that you know a little (or a lot) about a lot. Having a diverse set of knowledge will make you a more engaging conversationalist and can empower you to speak to more people from different backgrounds and experiences because you can connect based on shared information. Some people may argue that “ignorance is bliss,” but the truth is “knowledge is power.” And, the more you read, the more you get to know! That’s why you can bet that any educational degree you choose to obtain will involve some forms of reading (yes, even math and computer science) .

It’s no wonder why you may see people reading by the pool, on the beach, or even on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Reading is a form of entertainment that can take you to fictional worlds or past points in time.

Imparts Good Values

Reading can teach values. Whether you read from a religious text or secular text, you can learn and teach the difference between right and wrong and explore various cultural perspectives and ways of life.

Enhances creativity

Reading has the potential to boost your levels of creativity. Whether you read about a specific craft or skill to boost it or you are reading randomly for fun, the words could spark new ideas or images in your mind. You may also start to find connections between seemingly disparate things, which can make for even more creative outputs and expressions.

Lowers Stress

If you don’t think that strengthening your brain is enough of a benefit, there’s even more good news. Reading has also been proven to lower stress as it increases relaxation. When the brain is fully focused on a single task, like reading, the reader gets to benefit from meditative qualities that reduce stress levels. 

A Look at the Most Popular Books

As we celebrate World Book Day, take a look at some of the most popular books of all time. These should give you an idea of what book to pick up next time you’re at a library, in a bookstore, or ordering your next read online.

• The Harry Potter Series
• The Little Prince
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
• The Da Vinci Code 
• The Alchemist 

The Gift of Reading

Whether you had to work hard to learn to read or it came naturally, reading can be considered both a gift and a privilege. In fact, we can even bet that you read something every single day ( this blog, for instance), even if it’s not a book. From text messages to signs, emails to business documents, and everything in between, it’s hard to escape the need to read.

Reading opens up doors to new worlds, provides entertainment, boosts the imagination, and has positive neurological and psychological benefits. So, if anyone ever asks or you stop to think, “why is reading important” you’re now well-read on the subject to provide a detailed response and share your own purpose of reading!

Related Articles

The Importance Of Reading

Reading is an exercise for the mind. It helps kids calm down and relax, opening doors of new knowledge to enlighten their minds. Kids who read grow up to have better cognitive skills. Reading is good for everyone, not only children or young adults. On the internet you will find many lists with up to 30 reasons why reading is important. Here I limit myself to 15 thoroughly substantiated reasons.

Reading improves vocabulary

Even as adults, when we read, we come across many new words we never really heard of. And we learn from this. As you read, you come across new words, phrases and writing styles. This is even more so for young people. Children sometimes stumble over their words, do not know how to pronounce them or what they mean. By reading, young people encounter new words more frequently and sometimes repetitively and therefore can see them better in their context. If you then pay attention to the pronunciation as a parent, these children will be better prepared for school.

Better comprehension

Kids who are encouraged to read at an early age have better comprehension of things around them. They develop smart thinking abilities and are more receptive to creativity and ideas that other kids their age lack. As a result, they grow up to be a good deal more intelligent and aware of their surroundings than kids who don’t read. The more you read, the more imaginative you become. Whenever you read a fiction book, it takes you another world. In the new world, your imagination works at its best as you try to see things in your own mind.

Develops critical thinking skills

One of the primary benefits of reading books is its ability to develop critical thinking skills. For example, reading a mystery novel sharpens your mind. What elements are there in a story to make this or that conclusion. Or if a book is non-fiction you will sometimes ask yourself if the author is right. Critical thinking skills are crucial when it comes to making important day to day decisions. Reading requires an individual to think and process information in a way that watching television can’t. The more you read, the deeper your understanding becomes about what you’re reading and its application.

Improves memory

Every time you read a book, you have to remember the setting of the book, the characters, their backgrounds, their history, their personalities, the sub-plots and so much more. As your brain learns to remember all this, your memory becomes better. What’s more, with every new memory you create, you create new pathways and this strengthens the existing ones.

Improves results at school

Kids who indulge in reading book and learning new things do better at school. They are more creative, open to new ideas, and develop empathy for others. For instance, kids who read about heroes idolize them, kids who love reading anatomy books dream of becoming a doctor, etc. They learn to empathize with characters in the books and want to be like them. Not only that, they learn valuable life lessons such as helping others and being kind. Moral codes such as goods things will be appreciated and evils punished take root in their minds too, as a result of which they learn to stay away from trouble.

Improves analytical skills

Figuring out how the story was going to end before finishing the book means you utilized your analytical skills. Reading allows your thinking skills to become more developed in the sense that you consider all aspects.

Builds confidence

In a world where competition in every walk of life prevails, we need to build a child’s personality as to have considerable confidence in themselves. Kids who lack confidence in their early stages often grow up to be shy, and at times suicidal, since they develop a victim mentality owing to the lack of confidence in their own self. They find it hard to face even the smallest of challenges life throws at them, instead simply giving up. Reading books sharpens many skills and all together they’ll build confidence.

Helps you socialize

We can always share whatever we have read with our family, friends and colleagues. All this increases our ability to socialize. Humans are social beings and in the world of smartphones, we are losing our ability to socialize. However, reading had led to the formation of book clubs and other forums where we get a chance to share and interact with others.

Broadens horizons

By reading books, you get a glimpse of other cultures and places. Books expand your horizons, letting you see other countries, other people and so many other things you have never seen or imagined. It’s the perfect way to visit a strange country in your mind. When we open a book while sitting in the comfort of our rooms, like time travelling, we transport our imaginations to a world purely based on the imaginations of the author. We learn about everything they wants u to know, see the world through their eyes and their perspective, learn about new people, discover their traditions, cultures and all that makes them unique and unforgettable.

Improves writing skills

Reading a well-written book affects your ability to become a better writer. Just like artists influence others, so do writers. Many successful authors gained their expertise by reading the works of others. Kids who learn to read also tend to develop better writing skills. The reason: they have been introduced to a world where words are their main weapon and they are free to shoot out. Literally! Parents must try to develop an interest for writing. Kids with good writing skills don’t fall victim to cramming and can express themselves more candidly through their words.

Improves focus and concentration

In our internet-crazed world, attention is drawn in a million different directions at once as we multi-task through every day. In a single 5-minute span, the average person will divide their time between working on a task, checking email, chatting with a couple of people (via gchat, skype, etc.), keeping an eye on twitter, monitoring their smartphone, and interacting with co-workers. This type of ADD-like behavior causes stress levels to rise, and lowers our productivity. When you read a book, all of your attention is focused on the story—the rest of the world just falls away, and you can immerse yourself in every fine detail you’re absorbing. Try reading for 15-20 minutes before work (i.e. on your morning commute, if you take public transit), and you’ll be surprised at how much more focused you are once you get to the office or school.

Makes you more empathetic

According to studies, losing yourself in books, especially fiction, might increase your empathy. In a study conducted in the Netherlands, researchers showed that people who were “emotionally transported” by a work of fiction experienced a boost in empathy. By reading a book, you become part of the story and feel the pain and other emotions of the characters. This in turn allows your mind to become more aware of how different things affect other people. Eventually, this improves your ability to emphasize with other people.

It develops emotions

When you read a book, you are on the receiving end of knowledge. The sender, the writer is delivering a message, imparting something of value, a fact, an opinion, a view or at the very least an emotion. They are inviting you into their own psyche and hoping that you will care enough to listen and respond to it. So it won’t be wrong to say that reading actually flexes emotions. It builds a connection between the reader and the writer you have never met or known before. Even if you disagree with what they are delivering, you get to know them, and you connect to them on an emotional level.

Readers are leaders

Although not definitively proved, but almost all great leaders were readers. One reason they are respected and known for their wisdom is because they develop a healthy reading habit. For centuries, reading has been the source of inspiration, growth and new ideas. It is a valuable investment in one’s own personality with uncountable and long-lasting benefits. If you want your child to become one, you need to encourage him to read. It will keep his mind healthy and productive. Only then they will be able to impact the world in a better way.

Learn at your own pace

Another benefit of reading a book is that you learn at your own pace. Since you have the book all the time, you can always go back to a section you feel you don’t understand. You can re-read a chapter as many times as you wish, without worry that you will miss out a section. If it’s a self-help book, you can tackle one issue at a time. Once you handle one problem, then you can move to the next issue whenever you feel you’re ready. Everything is done at your own pace and most importantly, your mind is free to interpret things the way you feel.

Reading books also reduces stress, helps you sleep better, improves health, develops your imagination and above all: it is just fun to do. Reading has a tremendous effect in fueling all aspects of our personality and enhancing our linguistic prowess. In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the entirety of human life depends on it. Whatever we grow up to become in our lives, no matter where we stand, reading has somehow shaped it.

source listings: 23 Reasons Why You Need To Encourage Kids To Read by Serious Reading https://seriousreading.com/blog/1001-23-reasons-why-you-need-to-encourage-kids-to-read.html 30 Reasons to Read Books by Serious Reading https://seriousreading.com/blog/283-30-reasons-to-read-books.html 12 Reasons Why You Should Read More Books by Georgette Rivera https://www.theodysseyonline.com/12-reasons-should-read 10 Benefits of Reading: Why You Should Read Every Day by Lana Winter-Hébert https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-benefits-reading-why-you-should-read-everyday.html

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• Importance Of Reading Essay

Importance of Reading Essay

500+ words essay on reading.

Reading is a key to learning. It’s a skill that everyone should develop in their life. The ability to read enables us to discover new facts and opens the door to a new world of ideas, stories and opportunities. We can gather ample information and use it in the right direction to perform various tasks in our life. The habit of reading also increases our knowledge and makes us more intellectual and sensible. With the help of this essay on the Importance of Reading, we will help you know the benefits of reading and its various advantages in our life. Students must go through this essay in detail, as it will help them to create their own essay based on this topic.

Importance of Reading

Reading is one of the best hobbies that one can have. It’s fun to read different types of books. By reading the books, we get to know the people of different areas around the world, different cultures, traditions and much more. There is so much to explore by reading different books. They are the abundance of knowledge and are best friends of human beings. We get to know about every field and area by reading books related to it. There are various types of books available in the market, such as science and technology books, fictitious books, cultural books, historical events and wars related books etc. Also, there are many magazines and novels which people can read anytime and anywhere while travelling to utilise their time effectively.

Benefits of Reading for Students

Reading plays an important role in academics and has an impactful influence on learning. Researchers have highlighted the value of developing reading skills and the benefits of reading to children at an early age. Children who cannot read well at the end of primary school are less likely to succeed in secondary school and, in adulthood, are likely to earn less than their peers. Therefore, the focus is given to encouraging students to develop reading habits.

Reading is an indispensable skill. It is fundamentally interrelated to the process of education and to students achieving educational success. Reading helps students to learn how to use language to make sense of words. It improves their vocabulary, information-processing skills and comprehension. Discussions generated by reading in the classroom can be used to encourage students to construct meanings and connect ideas and experiences across texts. They can use their knowledge to clear their doubts and understand the topic in a better way. The development of good reading habits and skills improves students’ ability to write.

In today’s world of the modern age and digital era, people can easily access resources online for reading. The online books and availability of ebooks in the form of pdf have made reading much easier. So, everyone should build this habit of reading and devote at least 30 minutes daily. If someone is a beginner, then they can start reading the books based on the area of their interest. By doing so, they will gradually build up a habit of reading and start enjoying it.

Frequently Asked Questions on the Importance of Reading Essay

What is the importance of reading.

1. Improves general knowledge 2. Expands attention span/vocabulary 3. Helps in focusing better 4. Enhances language proficiency

What is the power of reading?

1. Develop inference 2. Improves comprehension skills 3. Cohesive learning 4. Broadens knowledge of various topics

How can reading change a student’s life?

1. Empathy towards others 2. Acquisition of qualities like kindness, courtesy

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Reading between the lines: application essays predict university success

Analysis of more than 40,000 university application essays found that gradual transitions between chunks of text correlated with higher marks. Credit: Dusan Stankovic/Getty

Aspiring students who wrote content-rich university admission essays were more likely to end up with higher grades in their classes 1 .

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Graduate Profile: Kenton Thomas Goldsby, MDiv '24

Favorite Class or Professor 

My favorite class by far was "Lutheran Confessions" with Pr. Alissa Oleson and Pr. Robin Lütjohann. It is so important, in a multifaith institution like HDS, to have access to classes and resources from our own specific traditions. Being able to take a whole course devoted entirely to reading and understanding the Book of Concord (the confession of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) made me a better faith leader in my tradition, helped me to be a more competent preacher, and gave me many more questions to consider as I pursue ordination. And, without this course, I never would have had the idea to write my senior thesis on the topic of chastity in the Lutheran tradition. 

Message of Thanks  

I thank my mom, Cindy, who first sowed the seeds of ministry in my heart, and my dad, Bret, who supported me and my brothers in anything we wanted to do. Even in death, I carry you with me. 

I thank my brothers, Drew and Phil, and my sisters-in-law, Sonia and Megan, for being examples to look up to in this adventure in higher education and for being constant support throughout the challenges of divinity school. 

I thank my many mentors, especially the many pastors in my life, who have helped me over years discern my call to ordained ministry: Pr. Jocelynn Hughes, Pr. Casey Dunsworth, Pr. Carrie Ballenger, Pr. Kari Jo Verhulst, Pr. Elyse Nelson Winger and the late Pr. Tim Stein. 

I thank Professor Ben Dunning and Steve Rizzo for all of their immense help and support throughout the thesis-writing process, which was one of the most personally and spiritually rewarding activities of my time at HDS. 

And I thank my friends of many times and places for providing the emotional support I have needed during these three years at Harvard. I love you all, and I cannot imagine what these three years would have been like without you. 

What I Hope to Be Remembered By 

I hope that at the end of my career, I can look back and say that I have done what God has called me to do: to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, who sets us free to love God, to love our neighbors, and to love ourselves. Too often, the church teaches us either explicitly or implicitly that there is something about us that is not to be loved, when we know that God is Love. It is never what we do for God; it is always about what God does for us. And God forgives us all our sins, sets us free to love ourselves and the neighbor, and commands us to be good stewards of the earth, our fragile island home. 

To quote one of my undergraduate campus ministers, "If there's one thing that I hope you leave this place knowing, it's that God loves you." If I can make people know that, I will have succeeded. 

Future Plans 

This summer, I will complete a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California. Afterward, I will do a year-long internship placement at a Lutheran congregation as I pursue ordination as a minister of word and sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. 

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Other countries have better sunscreens. Here's why we can't get them in the U.S.

Michael Scaturro

In Europe, sunscreens are often made with ingredients that do a better job at protecting against UVA rays. Iana Kunitsa/Getty Images hide caption

In Europe, sunscreens are often made with ingredients that do a better job at protecting against UVA rays.

When dermatologist Adewole "Ade" Adamson sees people spritzing sunscreen as if it's cologne at the pool where he lives in Austin, Texas, he wants to intervene. "My wife says I shouldn't," he said, "even though most people rarely use enough sunscreen."

At issue is not just whether people are using enough sunscreen, but what ingredients are in it.

In countries such as Japan, South Korea, and France, sunscreens include newer chemical filters, some of which have been shown to provide broader protection against UV rays than those used in the U.S.

The Food and Drug Administration's ability to approve such ingredients is hamstrung by a 1938 U.S. law that has required sunscreens to be tested on animals and classified as drugs, rather than as cosmetics as they are in much of the world.

So Americans are not likely to get those other sunscreens — which do a better job of blocking UVA rays that can cause skin cancer and lead to wrinkles — in time for this summer, or even the next.

Sunscreen makers say the U.S. approval standards are unfair because companies, including BASF Corp. and L'Oréal which make the newer sunscreen chemicals, submitted safety data on sunscreen chemicals to the European Union authorities some 20 years ago.

Shots - Health News

Picking the 'right' sunscreen isn't as important as avoiding these 6 mistakes.

Steven Goldberg, a retired vice president of BASF, said companies are wary of the FDA process because of the cost and their fear that additional animal testing could ignite a consumer backlash in the European Union, which bans animal testing of cosmetics, including sunscreen.

The companies are asking Congress to change the testing requirements before they take steps to enter the U.S. marketplace.

In a rare example of bipartisanship last summer, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, thanked Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y., for urging the FDA to speed up approvals of new, more effective sunscreen ingredients. Now a bipartisan bill is pending in the House that would require the FDA to allow non-animal testing.

"It goes back to sunscreens being classified as over-the-counter drugs," said Carl D'Ruiz, a senior manager at DSM-Firmenich, a Switzerland-based maker of sunscreen chemicals. "It's really about giving the U.S. consumer something that the rest of the world has. People aren't dying from using sunscreen. They're dying from melanoma."

Safer sunscreen? Misinformation in the sunscreen debate

Every hour, at least two people die of skin cancer in the United States. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in America, and 6.1 million adults are treated each year for basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . The nation's second-most-common cancer, breast cancer, is diagnosed about 300,000 times annually , though it is far more deadly.

Though skin cancer treatment success rates are excellent, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70. The disease costs the health care system $8.9 billion a year , according to CDC researchers. One study found that the annual cost of treating skin cancer in the United States more than doubled from 2002 to 2011, while the average annual cost for all other cancers increased by just 25%.

Many Common Sunscreens May Harm Coral. Here's What To Use Instead

And unlike many other cancers, most forms of skin cancer can largely be prevented — by using sunscreens and taking other precautions.

But a heavy dose of misinformation has permeated the sunscreen debate, and some people question the safety of common sunscreen ingredients (such as avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, and octocrylene) in the United States, which they deride as "chemical" sunscreens.

These sunscreen opponents prefer "physical" or "mineral" sunscreens, such as zinc oxide, even though all sunscreen ingredients are chemicals.

"It's an artificial categorization," said E. Dennis Bashaw, a retired FDA official who ran the agency's clinical pharmacology division that studies sunscreens.

Still, such concerns were partly fed by the FDA itself after it published a study that said some sunscreen ingredients had been found in trace amounts in human bloodstreams. When the FDA said in 2019 , and then again two years later , that older sunscreen ingredients needed to be studied more to see if they were safe, sunscreen opponents saw an opening, said Nadim Shaath , president of Alpha Research & Development, which imports chemicals used in cosmetics.

"That's why we have extreme groups and people who aren't well informed thinking that something penetrating the skin is the end of the world," Shaath said. "Anything you put on your skin or eat is absorbed."

Tips for keeping skin safe and healthy

• Stay in the shade during peak sunlight hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daylight time.
• Wear hats and sunglasses.
• Use UV-blocking sun umbrellas and clothing.
• Reapply sunscreen every two hours.
• You can order overseas versions of sunscreens from online pharmacies such as Cocooncenter in France. Keep in mind that the same brands may have different ingredients if sold in U.S. stores. But importing your sunscreen may not be affordable or practical.
• Remember: "The best sunscreen is the one that you will use over and over again," said Jane Yoo , a New York City dermatologist.
• Read more tips for getting the most out of your sunscreen.

Ingredients that work better to block UVA rays

Adamson, the Austin dermatologist, said some sunscreen ingredients already available in the U.S. have been used for 30 years without any population-level evidence that they have harmed anyone.

"The issue for me isn't the safety of the sunscreens we have," he said. "It's that some of the chemical sunscreens aren't as broad spectrum as they could be, meaning they do not block UVA as well. This could be alleviated by the FDA allowing new ingredients."

Ultraviolet radiation falls between X-rays and visible light on the electromagnetic spectrum. Most of the UV rays that people come in contact with are UVA rays that can penetrate the middle layer of the skin and that cause up to 90% of skin aging, along with a smaller amount of UVB rays that are responsible for sunburns .

The sun protection factor, or SPF, rating on American sunscreen bottles denotes only a sunscreen's ability to block UVB rays. Although American sunscreens labeled "broad spectrum" should, in theory, block UVA light, some studies have shown they fail to meet the European Union's higher UVA-blocking standards.

"It looks like a number of these newer chemicals have a better safety profile in addition to better UVA protection," said David Andrews , deputy director of Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit that researches the ingredients in consumer products. "We have asked the FDA to consider allowing market access."

The FDA defends its review process and its call for tests of the sunscreens sold in American stores as a way to ensure the safety of products that many people use daily, rather than just a few times a year at the beach.

"Many Americans today rely on sunscreens as a key part of their skin cancer prevention strategy, which makes satisfactory evidence of both safety and effectiveness of these products critical for public health," Cherie Duvall-Jones, an FDA spokesperson, wrote in an email.

The path to approval for one overseas ingredient: bemotrizinol

D'Ruiz's company, DSM-Firmenich, is the only one currently seeking to have a new over-the-counter sunscreen ingredient approved in the United States. The company has spent the past 20 years trying to gain approval for bemotrizinol , a process D'Ruiz said has cost $18 million and has advanced fitfully, despite attempts by Congress in 2014 and 2020 to speed along applications for new UV filters.

Bemotrizinol is the bedrock ingredient in nearly all European and Asian sunscreens, including those by the South Korean brand Beauty of Joseon and Bioré , a Japanese brand.

D'Ruiz said bemotrizinol could secure FDA approval by the end of 2025. If it does, he said, bemotrizinol would be the most vetted and safest sunscreen ingredient on the market, outperforming even the safety profiles of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

As Congress and the FDA debate, many Americans have taken to importing their own sunscreens from Asia or Europe, despite the risk of fake products .

"The sunscreen issue has gotten people to see that you can be unsafe if you're too slow," said Alex Tabarrok , a professor of economics at George Mason University. "The FDA is just incredibly slow. They've been looking at this now literally for 40 years. Congress has ordered them to do it, and they still haven't done it."

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF .

• skin cancer
• chemical sunscreen
• mineral sunscreen

• Category: Games

The Most Important Moments in Minecraft’s First 15 Years

As Minecraft turns 15 years old, we wanted to take a look back. As one of the most important (and best-selling) games of all time, Minecraft and Mojang’s journey has been incredible to witness – starting as a one-person creation and blossoming into a truly world-changing proposition. 

With that in mind, we thought we’d take you back over the biggest moments in Minecraft’s history, year-by-year: 

2009: Launching Classic Edition  

On May 16, 2009, it all began. Inspired by the likes of Infiniminer and Dungeon Keeper , Markus ‘Notch’ Persson had begun work on what was initially known simply as “Cave Game” a week earlier, before settling on a catchier title: Minecraft: Order of the Stone. Then he was convinced to choose an even catchier title: Minecraft.  What came to be known as the Java Classic Edition lacked much of what we’ve come to know from the game – but the building blocks (pun very much intended) were there. 

Classic would generate a world, and allow you to dig and build freely, creating your own geometric slices of paradise in its technicolor world. Over the course of the year, Classic would split into Creative and Survival modes, ushering us closer and closer to the Minecraft we’ve known for a decade and a half. 

2010: Minecraft Gets Its Crafting System – Plus Minecarts and Multiplayer  

By January of 2010, Minecraft had already amassed over 100,000 players – but some of its most fundamental improvements were still to come – not least making good on that “Craft” part of the title. A crafting system was added late that month, introducing the familiar wood-iron-diamond ‘level’ system for items, and changing, well, everything about how we played the game. Dig-loot-craft-repeat was born. 

But that was far from the only major change. By June, minecarts had appeared in the game, changing how players could travel through their worlds and, in August, the first version of multiplayer in Survival mode popped up. So much of Minecraft ’s popularity is built on playing with your friends, and this was the first time we could see a glimpse of how huge that would be for the game. 

2011: Minecraft 1.0 Released – and the First Port Arrives  

If you want a sense of how fast Minecraft grew, consider this. By January of 2011, the game hit a million players. But July, that had jumped to 10 million. And, to top it all off – all of this came before the game had launched its full 1.0 version. That came on November 18, 2011. What came to be known as Minecraft: Java Edition was released during Minecon 2011, bringing everything millions of players were already loving to an even wider audience – even an “ending” to the game with the Ender Dragon boss fight. 

And we can’t ignore that 2011 also saw the game’s first-ever non-PC ports. Minecraft: Pocket Edition launched exclusively for the Xperia Play smartphone in August, followed quickly by an iOS version – from these small beginnings, Minecraft would spread across practically every modern gaming device over the years, becoming the phenomenon it has been in the process. 

2012: Minecraft Gets Lego-fied, Comes to Xbox 360, and Gets the Pretty Scary Update

If you wanted to pinpoint the moment where Minecraft became more than just a game, look no further than when Lego officially confirmed that Minecraft – in many ways the brick-building hobby’s digital cousin – would become an official set. Lego Minecraft Micro World allowed you to build four cubic vignettes from Minecraft in real-life, complete with Steve and Creeper mini-figs. 

In the world of gaming itself, 2012 was no less important. This year marked the first meeting of Minecraft and Xbox, as Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition launched in May, offering a console version of the game to millions of new players. This console edition became the basis for Minecraft’s off-PC future – from here, we’d see the game appear on almost every new Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo console over the years. 

We also saw a landmark new update: Pretty Scary brought a host of new mobs to fight off, and also brought one of the most important blocks in the game’s history – the Command Block became the basis for some of the most impressive creations in Minecraft , adding a level of programming that would allow magnificent ideas to spring forth. 

2013: The Redstone Update Changes Everything and Horses Ride In  

If 2012’s Command Block was the start of something special, 2013’s Redstone Update was when it got really special. Redstone, a block that allows players to power various elements of the game, had already been introduced, but this update opened up a host of new opportunities. Redstone could now be used to power pressure plates, change how rail blocks worked, detect daylight and much, much more. From here, players began to experiment with how far Redstone could take their creations – all the way up to creating working 8-bit computers inside the game. 

On the less complicated side of things, we also got the Horse Update, which changed the game in a more adorable way, allowing you to tame and ride the majestic, blocky beasts and travel your world in a new way. Notably, this was a major moment for how Mojang worked with its community – the Horse Update was inspired by a mod, Mo’ Creatures, and shows how the game has been worked on with the fans themselves (many of whom went onto be Mojang developers, too). 

2014: Microsoft Acquires Mojang and The Bountiful Update Blooms  

I might not even be writing this article if it weren’t for 2014 – when Microsoft saw quite how earth-shaking Minecraft had become and acquired Mojang for $2.5 billion. After two years of working closely together, the two companies came together to shape the future of the game, which has only continued to grow in the decade since. 

In the game itself, the Bountiful Update represented an enormous improvement. Built over a full 10 months, Bountiful saw massive changes to the codebase of the game, invisibly improving everything about the experience – but it also brought floating islands, underwater temples, killer rabbits, and much more. 

2015: Minecon Breaks Records, and the HoloLens Demo Wows  

Since humble beginnings in 2010, Minecon had been bringing fans of Minecraft together to celebrate the game – and had subsequently become the home of some of the game’s biggest releases. Come this year, it had become a truly enormous affair – record-breaking, even. Held in London, Minecon 2015 sold 10,000 tickets, earning a Guinness World Record for the largest convention in history for a single game. 

2015 also saw Mojang showing just how creative it could get with its ideas – the Minecraft HoloLens demo became one of the most talked-about E3 presentations of recent years. The mixed-reality headset could effectively create parts of a Minecraft world amid the real world around you, offering a perspective on the game no one could have imagined. While it never became a full product, it’s a brilliant evocation of how restlessly creative Mojang is with its game. 

2016: Hitting 100 Million Sales, and Minecraft: Education Edition Launches  

There was no doubt that Minecraft was already a worldwide concern, but 2016 saw its biggest cultural landmark yet – passing 100 million copies sold. In 2016, 53,000 people were buying Minecraft every day – and four copies were even sold in Antarctica. The game has now passed triple that number, but it was here that Minecraft truly set out its stall as one of the most-loved, most important games of all time. 

Its influence was so strong, in fact, that 2016 also saw the launch of Minecraft: Education Edition (now simply Minecraft Education ). Developed alongside Xbox Game Studios, this version of the game was designed to be used in the classroom, and has allowed kids to build collaboratively, learn from educators inside the game itself, and been updated to include worlds that help learning on Cyber Safety, natural history, and much, much more. 

2017: The Better Together Update Unites Players, Minecraft Marketplace Empowers Them  

For years, players had been able to get Minecraft on their consoles, but 2017’s Better Together helped make that all the more significant. This was the moment that Mojang began to bring platforms together, allowing anyone with the Bedrock Edition of the game to play together, no matter what device they were playing on. It was a gigantic step, and a true piece of Minecraft magic. 

In the same year, Mojang doubled down on its commitment to its community with Minecraft Marketplace – a store that sells curated creator-made skins, texture packs, and maps. Effectively, it offered modders – a huge part of Minecraft ’s success over the years – to make money from their creations, and opened the door to literally millions of more people to access their hard work. 

2018: Update Aquatic Opens Up New Worlds  

70% of Earth is covered with water, and while that ratio may differ in your Minecraft world, that’s still a lot of space you might otherwise not see. Not so after Update Aquatic – the biggest update to Minecraft ’s oceans saw new mobs, blocks, and mysteries added to the game’s underwater realms. 

From dolphins and turtles to the only-slightly-horrifying Drowned enemies, there was a lot to play with under the sea, not to mention buried treasure, shipwrecks, and reefs to explore. 

2019: 10 Years of Minecraft, and the Village & Pillage Update Storms In  

A decade is a very long time in gaming, but it was just the start for Minecraft . The 10-year anniversary of the game went hard , not least with a beautiful map that acted as an interactive museum about the game itself – and a re-release of the Classic Edition of the game to show you just how far the game had come. 

Looking forward, we also saw the Village & Pillage update, which populated your world in new ways. Revamped villages (and their villagers) now sprung up across the biomes, offering trading, jobs, and more ways to interact. But to combat all this loveliness, we also saw the addition of Pillagers, a new faction of bandit mobs who’d roam the map looking to spoil your good time. Also, pandas were added, which is only ever a good thing. 

2020: Nether Update Takes Us Deeper Underground, and Minecraft Dungeons Arrives

The Nether had long been an object of fascination and terror for Minecraft players, offering a whole other dimension to the game. But the Nether Update changed this world of danger forever, adding new biomes and mobs that turned it from a curious, dangerous place into a true realm to explore in itself. 

Meanwhile, Mojang also saw fit to release the biggest Minecraft spin-off yet – Minecraft Dungeons twisted the original game’s basics into an all-new action experience. In partnership with Double Eleven, this game offers a new story-driven approach to the Minecraft universe, transforming familiar items, mobs, and blocks into dungeon crawling essentials. 

2021: Minecraft Passes 1 Trillion Views on YouTube, While Caves and Cliffs Emerges  

YouTube has been an incredibly important part of Minecraft ’s history, with creators across the globe enjoying and sharing the game, and becoming famous in their own right as a result. If you want a sense of quite how intertwined the two became, Minecraft became the first entertainment franchise to break through the 1 trillion views mark on YouTube. As YouTube itself put it: “If each of those one trillion views were just one second long, that would add up to over 30,000 years.” Please, take it from me, don’t try and catch up on all of it. 

Inside the game, we saw an update so massive it had to be split into two parts. Caves & Cliffs was the most ambitious update Mojang had ever put together to this point, not only adding the expected new mobs, items, and blocks, but adding entire new biomes and overhauling how Minecraft worlds themselves were generated. 

2022: New Default Skins Added and The Wild Update Bursts Forth  

Skin-swapping had been easy for a long time, but good old default skins Steve and Alex were probably a little lonely come 2022. Enter Noor, Sunny, Ari, Zuri, Makena, Kai, and Efe – new default skins that let players express themselves more easily than ever while jumping into their world. 

Meanwhile, the Wild Update included even more new biomes on top of 2021’s Caves & Cliffs, including the Deep Dark, a biome only found underground, replete with ancient cities to discover, and the terrifying, blind Warden enemy. Also: frogs! 

2023: Minecraft Legends Offers Another New Adventure, and Trails & Tales Launches

Minecraft Dungeons was only the start. Last year, Minecraft Legends arrived to offer another new look at how Minecraft could be adapted. This action strategy game zoomed way out to offer you a bird’s eye view of the Overworld – and an army of mobs to help you protect it from Piglin hordes. 

In Minecraft itself, the Trails & Tales update offered new means of self-expression in your world, not to mention added new stories underground with the addition of archeology in desert biomes. Count yourself lucky if you find the new, rare Cherry Blossom biome – and maybe find your way there on the new camel mob, which has space for you and a friend on its back. 

2024: Looking to the Future  

And so we reach 2024, as Minecraft turns 15. You might think Mojang might want a bit of a break, but not so – they’ve already released the Armored Paws drop , and announced a massive birthday sale , but there’s so much more still to come. From the upcoming Tricky Trials update to secrets yet to be revealed, this 15th year is, somehow, only the beginning. 

Microsoft Studios