Why You Should Read Non Fiction – Here Are 3 Reasons Why!

Hi everyone! I am Ms Velvet and I am a teacher at Lil’ but Mighty. Let me start by asking – are you a seeker of knowledge? Do you like reading about facts on the things around you?

I guess for most of us, it depends on whether the topic is on something we like. For me, I loved reading about space and the galaxy when I was young. Then, I progressed to read about horoscopes, volcanoes and biographies about amazing people. What about you? Do you like to read about space, dinosaurs or the human body? Or is it about something else entirely?

When you read work that is made up of facts and real events, you are reading non-fiction. This is different from fiction as fiction includes writing that has been created from the imagination and is usually based on imaginary characters and events. Short stories, novels, legends, myths and fairy tales are all examples of fictional writing.

Non-fiction can cover just about any topic, including biography, business, cooking, health and fitness, pets, crafts, home decorating, languages, travel, home improvement, religion, art and music, history, self-help, true crime, science and humour. Other than in books, you can find non-fiction writing in newspapers, magazines, websites and even videos.

Most people, especially children, prefer to read fiction because each story opens up a new world where they can explore exciting adventures and meet interesting characters without even leaving their homes. However, there are many benefits to reading non-fiction too. In this post, I am going to share with you three important reasons why you should start reading non-fiction. Let’s get started!

1. Learn Valuable Life Lessons

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2. Improve Concentration Level

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Reading requires focus, and by making a habit of concentrating, you will find it easier to be more present and more productive if you read regularly. Just fifteen

minutes reading or listening to non-fiction on your way to school will put you in a more focused mindset by the time you reach your destination. Why is this so?

Reading non-fiction requires an even higher level of focus than reading fiction because a non-fiction text can be more complex and demanding. As such, you will need a more active and analytical approach, such as being able to identify the main ideas and supporting details or stopping periodically in your reading to check your understanding. Over time, the more you expose yourself to non- fiction texts, the better you find your concentration level will be!

3. Become A Better Communicator

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By exposing yourself to more non-fiction, your vocabulary will expand, giving you more words to work into everyday conversations. Some of these words might be technical terms related to the subject you are learning about, and which you might never come across in works of fiction. For example, in a book on crime you might learn words like heist, espionage and forgery.

Not only that, you might also pick up different patterns of language from a non- fiction work. For instance, you get to learn more about the use of the passive voice, a pattern of language that is more commonly found in non-fiction texts. Learning such patterns of language will help you when you need them in your own writing, especially in more formal types of writing. Just like for fiction, you might also pick up on the style of accomplished non-fiction authors, helping you sharpen your own writing skills as a student.

Reading non-fiction is definitely a worthwhile endeavour. Have I convinced you to pick up a non-fiction book? I certainly hope so! Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!