According to statisticbrain.com only 56% of young people say they have read more than ten books in a year. “When we hear that reading is “good for us” we can assume that this is due to the fact that it helps our education. But reading anything for pleasure can also lift your spirits, offer an escape from everyday stress, help you empathize with other people, AND keep your brain functioning. Picking up your favorite magazine or book could be good for your health” (Appleby). Reading has many benefits. The three main benefits include; health benefits, knowledge benefits and life benefits. Parents should encourage their children to read because of the many benefits. First of all, reading has many health benefits. Reading not only helps children's brain development, but it can also be very therapeutic. “It is not just what we read, but thinking about it rigorously that has value, and literary study provides truly valuable exercise for people's brains” (Phillips). Stanford researchers conducted research on people who read. They put people in an MRI machine and had them read a book while they were in the machine. Researchers have found that reading increases blood flow to certain parts of the brain. Furthermore, researchers have discovered that some parts of the brain are used that are not usually used in everyday life. It is also a proven fact that reading can reduce stress. Reading is a healthy and useful way to reduce stress. “No matter what book you read, by losing yourself in a truly compelling book you can escape the worries and stresses of the everyday world and spend some time exploring the domain of the author's imagination” (Lewis). In 2009 a study at the University of Sus......middle of paper......communication skills in the future.In conclusion, reading is beneficial for a person because it has health benefits, benefits for knowledge and life-long benefits. Finally, http://www.k12reader.com/the-importance-of-reading-comprehension states that “Nearly 2/3 of students who reach fourth grade without proficient reading skills end up on welfare or in prison ". As a result, people who read can achieve better results in life and for this reason parents should encourage their children to read because it will not only help them in school but also help them later in life to acquire the skills they have learned by reading. . Reading really makes a difference in people's lives and in today's society reading is starting to become a thing of the past, as a result the benefits that come from reading are also being overlooked. To change this, people can encourage children and others to read.