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We learn a lot when we first start school, but one of the most important is reading. It starts off simple with memorizing the alphabet, the building blocks to every word we use. And then we learn simple words, then more complex words, and then whole sentences, until we are finally reading.

It can be more difficult for some than others. My brain has always been wired in a way where grammar just clicks for me, and it’s easy to remember a lot of vocabulary. But for others, it takes some extra time and patience to develop their reading skills. (I struggle with math, so I understand the frustration.) But ultimately, it’s worth learning developing your literacy skills because it’s almost impossible to function in life these days without it.

But beyond those early days in school learning letters and parts of speech and other essentials, how do you build up your reading skills and keep them going?

You continue to read as much as possible.

Read, read, and then read some more!

I personally have always enjoyed reading. I loved collecting books as a kid because I was always excited to experience new stories. The teachers in elementary school used to pass out little paper catalogues of Scholastic books that we could ask our parents to purchase, and I carefully flipped through each page to read every summary and pick out the most interesting ones. (I’m grateful my mother agreed to buy so many over the years.)

When the Book Fair came to school, it felt to me like the highlight of the year. There was always an abundance of new books to explore, new stories to delve into. Also, I got to buy a ton of new bookmarks which was very fun too!

When I was in high school, I sometimes bought books as gifts for friends. But then I would end up reading them beforehand and then having to buy another copy for myself. (This is how I ended up reading the “Vampire Hunter D” series by Kikuchi Hideyuki. Vampires stories were very popular at the time, so I was intrigued. And I had fun hunting for new volumes of the series every time I made a trip to the bookstore.)

At the same time, I was also into reading manga (Japanese comics) which provided something a little different than the usual wall of text on a page. Not only did the storytelling unfold with images, but you had to read everything from right to left because the original Japanese is written that way. So you had to pay attention to the panels on the page and flip through the book in the opposite way you were used to. It wasn’t hard to adjust to a different way of reading, and as a teenager, it felt kind of cool to read something that seemed out of the ordinary.

When people tell you that you should read more, most assume that means they should go out and get some fiction novels. And those aren’t a bad option. Generally, I’m always drawn to science fiction or fantasy books.

But there are so many other possibilities out there to read.

Don’t find fictional stories interesting? Try some nonfiction instead. Maybe a biography of a famous person or a self-help book with guidance on life. Maybe try some literary essays that challenge your perspective on the world.

Right now, on my nightstand, I have a stack of three different books on North Carolina legends. I’ve always been fascinated with folklore, and it’s been fun to work my way through each one, comparing different versions of the same story.

You can also simply read more news. Not just this local newspaper of course, but plenty of other good journalism too. Try the Associated Press’ “oddities” section. You’ll find some delightfully weird stories there. You can also look up news publications that write feature stories on various people. I particularly like reading profiles about athletes from sports media like ESPN and others. Niche publications can be good too. I regularly read Anime News Network, for example, to keep up with when a new series is coming out, who’s getting cast in different things, and even which production companies are merging.

And if none of that floats your boat, try reading people’s blogs. There are still websites out there that host space for people to write about their lives or interesting things. You can learn a lot about different viewpoints and life experiences that way. I personally enjoy Jeremy Markovich’s “ncrabbithole” blog where he often digs deep into strange and fascinating stories around North Carolina. A recent one explained why you can’t get a DWI on a horse.

Even all these examples don’t cover everything you have the option to read these days. Online recipes seem to always start off with some kind of personal essay. If you liked a new TV show, you can find several reviews about each episode and fans speculating about what’s happening next.

Over the years, I have absorbed so much information from reading. I think about when I first started in journalism (freelancing before I worked for this newspaper), I didn’t have any formal training on what to do. My college degree was in creative writing. But I had been reading news articles for a long time beforehand, and I’d learned enough along the way to figure out how to sit down and write an article myself.

You never know what might be useful in the future.

I know reading takes time and brainpower, and sometimes those are in short supply in our busy lives. There are times when I’m so tired, I just zone out watching YouTube videos of people baking pretty desserts. But even just reading a few minutes a day can make a difference.

Imagine, for example, you have a lump of dough. If you do nothing else with it, you can bake a plain loaf of bread. But if you take the time to stretch it out and shape it into other things, you can create an assortment of other delicious breads too.

Your brain can be like dough too, and the more you read, the more it’s able to stretch out and do more things with.

And that’s good for everyone.

Holly Taylor is a Staff Writer for Roanoke-Chowan Publications. Contact her at holly.taylor@r-cnews.com or 252-332-7206.