While the importance of practical life skills is gaining recognition, the necessity of reading is also being re-evaluated. Without exception, children with high academic aptitude have read extensively from a young age; they have enjoyed reading since childhood. Intellectuals worldwide seem to understand that familiarizing children with books early on fosters healthy brain development. It is important to devise ways to introduce books effectively within the home environment. One such method involves reading aloud. For young children, it is desirable to maintain the practice of reading aloud for as long as possible. Reading aloud clarifies things that might go unnoticed by both the reader and those around them during silent reading. It deepens comprehension. The ability to read and understand books leads to academic success. Academic achievement is correlated with the ability to handle written language accurately and to distinguish it from spoken language.
Individuals who have read over 2,000 books tend to excel in terms of information volume, breadth of perspective, and speed of thought and judgment. This implies reading over 1,000 books during one’s student years—from elementary school through university—and another 2,000 or more after entering the workforce. Some children become completely engrossed in books, whether they are reading *Japanese Folktales* or Fabre’s *Souvenirs Entomologiques*. Once children become accustomed to reading, parents should focus on enhancing the “quality” of their reading. Once a child can handle a large volume of reading, transforming that quantity into quality is not difficult. It is also necessary to find ways to gradually broaden the genres they read. Children with a wealth of knowledge often want to investigate things they do not yet understand. If they know *how* to research and have the experience of investigating things themselves, their interests and curiosity will expand. We live in a highly information-oriented society that we are constantly bombarded with a mix of valuable and worthless information. Accepting this information at face value can lead to a decline in one’s abilities. In such a society, it is essential to be selective about the information we consume. Crucially, one should not view the information immediately before us as isolated points, but rather as elements within a larger flow or structure. The ability to think—fueled by knowledge gained from reading over 2,000 books—is directly linked to the ability to navigate life successfully.
In today’s world, there is a growing demand for skills in utilizing AI. Science fiction offers a prime model for this; authors in the genre often possess a vast array of creative ideas and motifs. As they write, a dynamic emerges that new ideas constantly surface, often leading to a situation that their hands simply cannot keep pace with the flow of concepts. Smart AI usage serves as a tool to assist those who find themselves unable to keep up with this pace. The industrial sector has already adopted this approach, with many employees utilizing generative AI as a technology that complements human labor. Effectively leveraging generative AI allows production sites to make existing work more productive, comfortable, and of higher quality. When tasks reach a certain level of complexity, a skilled professional is one who can boost efficiency by integrating generative AI. Extensive reading may well provide the foundation for this essential skill.
