Vanya Wryter Consulting Services

Tag: reading

  • What is the last thing you learned?

    What is the last thing you learned?

    I can’t remember the last thing I learned. I learn a lot of trivial things because I’m always learning.

    Learning is more than taking a course or reading a book. Sometimes it’s as simple as paying attention. When you go out, take note of things because you never know when you need them. Like when you shop, you notice what the store stocks, even if it isn’t something you buy. Later, when you have an in-town visitor, you can easily tell them where to find that specialty tea, or recommend a restaurant or store without hesitation. That tiny observation suddenly becomes useful knowledge.

    I’ve also realized how much I learn from everyday scrolling. YouTube or Instagram can be surprisingly educational, even if you’re doom scrolling. Maybe you come across interesting facts about space, history, or even the origin of a slang expression in English. 

    The same thing happens when watching a movie. When the movie ends, satisfy your curiosity and look up random things. How accurate was the movie? Was that character really that mean? Should you watch Part 2?  Do those animals really exist? You can spend hours going down a rabbit hole in your research. 

    Even weird, random facts count. Learning how to store your food properly in your fridge or pantry might save money and reduce waste. That’s practical intelligence.

    Learn a little at a time, then in the long run, you learn a lot. Knowledge compounds. Stay curious. Pay attention. Small lessons today become surprising wisdom tomorrow.

    Daily writing prompt
    What is the last thing you learned?
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  • Why History Must Be Read in Many Languages

    Why History Must Be Read in Many Languages

    How do you know if you’re reading a good history book or a bad one?

    This video I watched stated that a thirty-second test will help you to determine the quality of the history book you’re reading. If the book is about a part of the world that you’re not from, then flip to the bibliography at the end.

    Do you see any sources in the language of the country that you’re reading about? If there aren’t any, the advice would be to toss the book. For example, to get a more authentic experience about the history of the Middle East, the sources should ideally be in four of the languages spoken in the area to get the best authentic experience. Don’t settle for a foreign translation of the history of the place you are reading about.

    Here is the video that makes this point about authentic history.

  • The Benefits of Reading Aloud to Kids

    The Benefits of Reading Aloud to Kids

    Reading aloud to kids has many benefits. It builds empathy, creates a love of reading, improves language and listening skills, facilitates important conversations, empowers the imagination, and is fun.

    I remember a day long ago when the teacher read a book aloud to the entire class. The story came alive when the teacher became the voices of all the characters, and hearing the reactions of classmates made the story interactive.

    As a kid, I certainly learned a lot of new words and how to pronounce them when an adult read a book aloud to me. This method of learning language was especially important for books in Chinese because, unlike English, you can’t rely on phonics to sound out the words. Learning pronunciation was almost like a guessing game.

    Most recently, I’ve seen programs that encourage children to read a book to a therapy dog. Many of the benefits of adults reading to children are transferrable to children reading aloud to pets.

    When you were young, did you enjoy listening to a story? As an adult, do you read aloud to kids?

  • Reading and Phone Humor

    Reading and Phone Humor

    Reading and writing are two of my favorite pastimes. Often a bit of humor catches my attention, so I collect those comics and images. I’m unable to identify the original owner of these images that I got off the internet. If you know who to give credit to, please share! In the meantime, I hope to brighten your day.

    Starting with this image… has this ever happened to you because you were distracted?

    Sometimes we can get so caught up in our book that our world looks like this:

    These days, our phones can be such a complete source of information that it’s nice to go back to getting information from books.

    Check your punctuation! It can make a huge difference.

    And for those who look at their phones right before bed, they can relate to this:

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  • Your perfect space for reading and writing

    Your perfect space for reading and writing

    Daily writing prompts: You get to build your perfect space for reading and writing. What’s it like?

    My perfect space for reading and writing would look both classic and high tech at the same time. 

    To start, I would have a desk for my writing work. The center of the desk has a computer and multiple monitors because multiple screens are needed to display multiple pages or multiple documents. I’ll also need speakers to play music in the background and set the mood for creative thinking. 

    Writing on a computer would be much faster and more convenient. When I’m finished with a piece of writing, I can use editing software to check over what I’ve written. If I want to go to a coffee shop, I take my writing with me and continue writing on my tablet.

    My perfect space for reading and writing has a corner of the room, opposite the desk, for reading. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves have my favorite books, arranged by subject. When I’m in the mood to read, I can take a book from this collection, sit in my beanbag chair with pillows, and read.

    This comforting space is a room with windows to let in the light. And in addition to the music I can play to set a relaxing atmosphere, I’ll also have plants to give the room some life.

    How about you? If you have a reading space, what is it like?