General Purpose: to persuade
Outcome Statement: By the end of this presentation I hope my audience will understand the importance of reading at all ages.
Thesis: Reading, and reading well is important for people of all ages, children and adults, and has
many benefits.

Attention

I.
When I was a kid, after my homework was done, before I was allowed to watch television, I had to read for fifteen minutes every day. Now I won't lie, I absolutely hated these fifteen minutes of my life. I wanted to get on with the adventures with Max and Emmy in Dragon Tales and roam Birdwell Island with Clifford. All thorough elementary and middle school, our Accelerated Reader points requirements ruined my reading class grades. But by the time I got into eighth grade, feeling a little pressured by my friends, I read the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. I had read the entire series in less than a month. After that, I read pretty much anything I could get my hands on. I loved reading, I just had to find the right books for me. Unfortunately, this is not how it has worked out for most people. In fact, the majority of the adult population rarely reads anything.

II.

Need

I.
If you were to ask almost anyone in the United States about how important reading is, I'm sure they would tell you it's very important, but they are most likely only thinking about children. While it is essential to read with your children, the ability to read well is also crucial as an adult.

II.
According to The Literacy Company, 50% of American adults are unable to read a book at an eighth grade level.

III.
A. This can be a problem in obtaining and keeping a job and just being able to function in our

society. Good reading skills are needed for each of these.

I.
Poor reading skills can even be harmful or deadly.

II.
A. According to the Journal of American Medical Association, 46% of American adults can't even read well enough to understand the label on their prescription medicine bottle.

III.
These issues can be fixed simply by picking up a book and reading more often.


Satisfaction

I.
Parents should consider that when they ask they're children to read, they should read also.

II.
The list of the benefits is practically endless. According to Persistence Unlimited, books make you smarter. Because it is an active mental process, the mind is actively engaged. It also increases vocabulary, concentration, focus, self-esteem, memory, and creativity.

III.
Reading is also a great way to unwind and destress.

IV.
Finding a book to suit you is never a hard thing to do.

V.
A. As reported by The New York Times, there is a new book published every 30 minutes just in the United States. That's over 17,000 books a year.

VI.
B. Pcworld.com also states that as of August 6, 2010 there were a total of 129,864,880 books in print.

VII.
C. There are books in countless genres and finding one that you enjoy should be fairly easy. (visual aids).

VIII.

Visualization

I.
When people read books, if they find one they enjoy, it won't be a chore. Turning the pages will be an automatic motion, as if the book does so itself, longing to be read, to be paid attention to. Imagined characters, if written well, can become a movie in your mind, a mural on the side of your skull, if only you know how to get lost between the lines.

II.
When people improve their reading skills, they improve many aspects of their lives. Not only do they make it easier to function today's society in general, it also helps stimulate the mind, develop the imagination, and the ability to learn new things.

III.
Some people believe that by the year 2050, the reading skills needed to function will be at a level so high, that only a fraction of people today have already reached it. If adults do not start to read more and improve their literacy level, it may get harder and harder to make a living.

IV.
One of the objections of reading often, is the likely hood of a book offending someone. But when you think about it, everything in today's world offends someone, but does that mean we shouldn't do or use it?

V.
A. A good library contains lots different books for people of many different ages, but like Jo Godwin says, “A truly great library contains something in it to offend everyone.”

Action

I.
I hope that each and every one of you will at least consider going home and picking up a book every now and again.

II.
With a book, you can travel anywhere you want, do anything you want, and talk to anyone you want. With good reading and comprehension skills, bettered by reading more, you can get better jobs, function better in society, and generally improve your mind. A book has the power to cause our minds to long for more information and want to read more. Books grab the reader's attention and use it's magical abilities to pull the reader into the world it's words have created.

III.
Reading is one of the most important aspects of life, no matter your age. Don't be afraid to open the pages to your next great adventure.

References

Godwin, J. (2012). Quotable quotes. Retrieved from

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/22646-a-truly-great-library-contains-something-in-it-to-
offend

Issac, B. (2007, Dec 5). Persistence unlimited. Retrieved from
http://www.persistenceunlimited.com/2007/12/the-26-major-advantages-to-reading-more-
books-and-why-3-in-4-people-are-being-shut-out-of-success/

Jackson, J. (2010, Aug 6). Google: 129 million different books have been published. Retrieved from
http://www.pcworld.com/article/202803/google_129_million_different_books_have_been_

published.html

Miller, L. (2004, July 18). The last word; how many books are too many?. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/18/books/the-last-word-how-many-books-are-too-many.html

Sutz, R. (2012). Reading, literacy & education statistics. Retrieved from

http://www.readfaster.com/education_stats.asp=