Readingisthecognitiveprocessofderivingmeaningfromwrittenorprintedtext.Itisameansoflanguageacquisition,ofcommunication,andofsharinginformationandideas.Effectivereadersusedecodingskillstotranslateprintedtextintothesoundsoflanguage;usemorpheme,semantics,syntaxandcontextcuestoidentifythemeaningofunknowwordsandactivatepriorknowledge(schematatheory);usecomprehensiontodemonstratefluencyduringreading.

　　StudieshaveshownthatAmericanchildrenwholearntoreadbythethirdgradearelesslikelytoendupinprison,dropoutofschool,ortakedrugs.Adultswhoreadliteratureonaregularbasisarenearlythreetimesaslikelytoattendaperformingartsevent,almostfourtimesaslikelytovisitanartmuseum,morethantwo-and-ahalftimesaslikelytodovolunteerorcharitywork,andoverone-and-a-halftimesaslikelytoparticipateinsportingactivities.LiteracyratesintheUnitedStatesarealsomorehighlycorrelatedtoweeklyearningsthanIQ.

　　Agraphshowingthisrelationshipisshownhere.Readingbooksisgenerallyregardedasbeingarelaxingpasttime,whileatthesametimerequiringthebraintoprocesstextsoitcanbestimulated.Becauseofthisitissometimesconsideredtocauseatleastatemporaryincreasinone'smentalfaculties.