Benefits of Summer Reading
Benefits of Summer Reading
Every Summer, KFMA reminds its students of the Benefits of Summer Reading. Each Summer, our students are provided with a ‘Summer Reading Worksheet’ which invites them to share information on their favorite books of all time, as well as on the books they are currently reading.
After spending nine to ten months in school working on their educational skills, our main focus is to keep their brains sharp and engaged over the Summer months. As Chief Master DK explains, “If you train hard in your workouts for ten months, and then spend two months without any physical activity, you will lose much of your endurance and your strength. The same concept applies to your brain and your analytical skills.”
Benefits of Reading from Fr. Menezes
Recently, we came across an article in Liguorian Magazine (July – August 2026 page 38 – ‘Thoughts of a Media Priest’) by Father Sandeep Menezes, CSSR. It dealt specifically with the benefits of reading whole books (as opposed to summaries or excerpts).
https://issuu.com/redemp/docs/july-august_2026_liguorian_magazine
As Fr. Menezes states: “To train the mind to read is to train the mind to think. To read at length is, therefore, to think in depth. Research shows that reading whole books boost comprehension, leads to improved empathy through imagination, and builds intellectual stamina through concentration.”
How KFMA Promotes the Benefits of Summer Reading
When our students at KFMA turn in their worksheets, we then post their favorite books and the authors on our bulletin board, along with the age of the student who enjoyed it. This allows our students to see what books their friends enjoy, and hopefully, to find a new author or genre of books that might interest them.
Why In-depth Reading is so Important
In an age of social media and algorithms, so much of what people read on a daily basis is decided for them as long as they will make themselves present in the digital world. Unfortunately, what they are provided with are mental snacks or appetizers; quick videos designed to catch the eye, short bursts of texts, and nothing of much substance or to enhance their analytical skills.
Avoiding Metacognitive Laziness
A quick search of ‘metacognitive laziness’ will provide you with plenty of food for thought, and hopefully, for family discussion. You might wonder why a Family Martial Arts school is concerned about this. The reason is that as Instructors, we are concerned with training our students physically AND mentally. Just as our traditional Taekwondo forms train both sides of the brain, we are concerned with developing the whole individual, not just the physical aspects.
To return to Fr. Menezes, he goes on to say that we are being warned of a ‘post-literate’ society. “Studies have shown that schoolchildren are exhibiting diminishing attention spans, declining academic performance, and a growing intolerance for long, literary forms of texts, like novels.”
In an age where AI is quickly becoming the go-to advisor for everyday tasks and questions, it is more important than ever that we encourage our younger generations to read and to develop the benefits of doing so. As with any task, we typically enjoy what we do well, and the only way to read well is to do more of it. With such a wide variety of literary genres available, everyone should be able to find reading material that they enjoy.
Review of the Benefits
And let’s review the benefits… building stamina to process complex ideas, expanding vocabulary, sharpening critical thinking and developing empathy for our fellow creatures. Reading may not be an instant cure-all to prevent a post-literate society, but it is certainly the start to a better future!
Chief Masters Laura and David Kowkabany have dedicated their lives to helping every student at KFMA to recognize their God-given talents, and to learn to develop them to their full potential. Students who train at KFMA will develop a number of life skills that will help them to find success not only in the martial arts, but also in their academic fields, in their professions, and perhaps most importantly, in their family relationships.
For more information regarding our Family Martial Arts classes, just give us a call at 813-540-5528. KFMA is located at 13910 Monroes Business Park, just two doors down from the Tampa Bay Brewing Company off Racetrack Road.
For a look at how KFMA helps to develop our students for college, please take a look at this article: