I learned to read in school when I was short of turning 6 (I'm german, by the way, so speaking for my part of Germany) with learning the letters, then picture books and everything. I liked it from the start so I quickly evolved to reading easy books. I think roughly a year after I learned to read books, I was already on some children's crime books. Even though I am female, I never much cared for the typical girls books. But there are some that have learned to read before and of course, parents reading to their children when they are younger. Sadly though, the last part is something that isn't practiced as much as it was because some parents simply don't want to or have the time to do that for their children. And putting them in front of the telly is so much easier. I'm always happy when I hear that parents read to their children and practise then they learn it because I think reading books is such an important thing. It helps with the general level of skill in languages (which is why I read a lot of english books nowadays as well to increase my knowledge of this language) and it helps to imagine things. I did make the observations that more often than not, people I know who read tend to have a more vivid imaginations than those who simply watch telly or something like this.
As for how much I read, it depends on how much time I have and on how much I read online. I love to read, may it be a book or a fanfiction online or a comic. The last years, I'd say my general quota was between 50-60 books per year. There was one year with a lot and one with a little less, but I think that should be the middle ground. Some of it is due to university, since I study german language and literature, but most of it is for my own private pleasure. Books are an outlet for me, a way to get into another world, another mind, for a few hours and get lost in it. I believe sometimes you can discover things that are important for yourself in books. Get a new perspective on things, learn about other cultures or people. Or just something light to let you relax after a hard day, something to make you smile.
My reading habits have changed over the years. With the internet, I got to know different types of books and discovered them for myself. I do read online as well, so that is something that has changed in the past years. Before, I only had books, which was fine, but now there's even more variations of what I read. With university and all, I can't read every day as much as I used to, at least not for my own pleasure, but I do try to take the time to read each week. Sometimes, I have a whole day reserved just to read a book now. It's something I look forward to and need. If I don't read for a longer period of time, I get downright grumpy. I have a tablet I can read on, but I prefer physical books. The weight, the feeling and smell of the paper, just having it all in your hand is as much part of the experience as is the reading itself, so I only use the tablet for those books I can't get to a prize I can afford or uni texts.
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But there are some that have learned to read before and of course, parents reading to their children when they are younger. Sadly though, the last part is something that isn't practiced as much as it was because some parents simply don't want to or have the time to do that for their children. And putting them in front of the telly is so much easier. I'm always happy when I hear that parents read to their children and practise then they learn it because I think reading books is such an important thing. It helps with the general level of skill in languages (which is why I read a lot of english books nowadays as well to increase my knowledge of this language) and it helps to imagine things. I did make the observations that more often than not, people I know who read tend to have a more vivid imaginations than those who simply watch telly or something like this.
As for how much I read, it depends on how much time I have and on how much I read online. I love to read, may it be a book or a fanfiction online or a comic. The last years, I'd say my general quota was between 50-60 books per year. There was one year with a lot and one with a little less, but I think that should be the middle ground. Some of it is due to university, since I study german language and literature, but most of it is for my own private pleasure. Books are an outlet for me, a way to get into another world, another mind, for a few hours and get lost in it. I believe sometimes you can discover things that are important for yourself in books. Get a new perspective on things, learn about other cultures or people. Or just something light to let you relax after a hard day, something to make you smile.
My reading habits have changed over the years. With the internet, I got to know different types of books and discovered them for myself. I do read online as well, so that is something that has changed in the past years. Before, I only had books, which was fine, but now there's even more variations of what I read. With university and all, I can't read every day as much as I used to, at least not for my own pleasure, but I do try to take the time to read each week. Sometimes, I have a whole day reserved just to read a book now. It's something I look forward to and need. If I don't read for a longer period of time, I get downright grumpy. I have a tablet I can read on, but I prefer physical books. The weight, the feeling and smell of the paper, just having it all in your hand is as much part of the experience as is the reading itself, so I only use the tablet for those books I can't get to a prize I can afford or uni texts.