Kids learn by taking in different pieces of information collected from all sources and categorising them. Throughout their school years, their minds store different things. When they get to their teen years, their minds start processing this information, sort it, and think critically with it. 

Sadly, many children these days don’t have the solid information that is actually useful in life. Why? They spend a lot of time reading super hero comic books and reading supernatural stories and all they can talk about is how Thor is way cooler than Captain America!

Just last week I took my little brother to his friend’s birthday party and I noticed something; one of his friends was telling others to brush their teeth after having cake. He later warned some kids about playing too close to metal that was on the floor as they could hurt themselves. On the other hand, most of the other children were too busy talking about Ben10. 

It wasn’t that this child was older than his peers but correct me if I’m wrong, wouldn’t you be impressed by a child concerned about the safety of his friends and the dangers of tooth cavities? My guess is that he surrounds himself with this useful information, and I understand that they are just kids but you are never too young to learn something useful.

A study by Robert J. Marzano, a speaker, trainer, and educational researcher in the United States, nonfiction reading helps kids develop background knowledge. You might think, "so what”? Well, that same study shows that background knowledge actually accounts for 33% of the variance in student achievement.

Educators now commonly assert that reading more nonfiction early on tremendously helps children reach the appropriate reading levels in later grades.  An interesting report from ACT in 2006, Reading Between the Lines: What the ACT Reveals About College Readiness in Reading, states that "the clearest differentiator in reading between students who are college ready and students who are not is the ability to comprehend complex texts.” According to experts, nonfiction is a great way for kids to develop critical thinking and analytical skills and, you guessed it, the ability to read and understand complex texts.

I am not saying that fiction books shouldn’t be read. Yes they are interesting and I too do read them a number of times but let’s face it, how do they positively impact my life? We can read them but let’s identify what is most important.