In my last column, I wrote about how getting lost in a good book can help students hang on to academic advances they made during the school year. What I didn't talk about then is how reading offers an equally crucial benefit to young people by developing what are known as "soft skills" — the emotional intelligence we need in life to feel confident, make good decisions and endure bad things.
This is especially critical in Alaska, a state where too many children are victims of society's dark sides: poverty, abuse, neglect, discrimination.
Soft skills help us negotiate the everyday fears and challenges of life. They give us the mind muscles we need to successfully bounce back from adversity. Good reads develop their strength and flexibility.
An October 2013 study published in the journal Science found that reading literary fiction helps children better understand the complex social relationships we encounter throughout life. Delving into the mind of fictional characters helps us learn and experience empathy, the ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of others.
[For more of this story, written by Jill Burke, go to http://www.adn.com/voices/2016...lient-revolutionary/]
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