Reading as a Resolution

Historians believe people have set New Year’s resolutions since before the Roman Empire. Though roots of the practice were likely religious (promises to make right with deities), today New Year’s resolutions are mostly secular. Approximately 45% of Americans set New Year’s resolutions, but only about 8% say they can see them through (History.com). While not the most popular of resolutions for adults (saving money and health goals top the charts for most people over the age of 25), reading is a common resolution shared by young people, particularly those who are school age. 

While there is no doubt that reading practice is great for students, research indicates that improving reading habits benefits people of any age. Reading helps build connections to others, improves sleep and cognitive health, and even positively impacts pesky spending habits (University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development and Center of Adult Education). No matter what your reading level is, Rally Reader has put together a list of features that make our literacy app the perfect companion for a successful reading resolution.

• More Time Reading: If your goal is making sure you read more often, Rally can help! Your Rally profile logs the amount of time you spend reading on the app. That information populates in your dashboard, where you have access to daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly minutes spent reading. 

• Improving Accuracy: For developing readers working on accuracy, Rally Reader has encouraging features that enhance word precision, like Word Wiz! Every time you correctly read one of Word Wiz’s 1000 high frequency words (that make up 75% of all written text) the word sparkles. Reading it correctly three times earns you badges and new levels of mastery (all while your reading accuracy improves).

• Variety: Stuck in a genre rut? Rally Reader’s library has over 50,000 titles from leading publishers, so you can keep browsing and expand your horizons. There’s something for everyone! When you select one title, similar works at the same level are recommended, so you can keep rolling with a new author or genre you discover.

• Reading Pace: Many developing and experienced readers aim to increase the words they read per minute. If improving reading pace is your goal, Rally Reader’s oral reading mode takes record of your reading. Your personal dashboard not only shows your words per minute, it also encourages you with playful, supportive messaging that helps you maintain motivation critical for lasting growth. 

According to Time Magazine, reading is one of the most impactful ways someone can self-improve. Setting small reading goals, like tracking time, improving accuracy, and testing multiple genres, helps anyone reach their reading resolutions. Happy New Year from Rally Reader!

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