Books Impacts Students Success

Story by Abigail Lewis

Published November 6, 2025

When it comes to reading novels in the classroom, students at Northwest are slacking, and many of Northwest’s staff agree. Assistant Principal Ms. Leifer strongly believes that reading more books would impact students positively.

“Books build historical context and open their eyes to different cultures and different traditions,” Leifer says from an open perspective. “Books also allow for students to embark on a journey with main characters that allow them to process and cope with ideas.

Magnet Recruiter Ms. Diaz compares the differences between how students’ brains develop if they read novels or not.

”Reading fiction activates different parts of the brain, so it helps make connections between our experiences and the experiences of the characters,” Diaz says with an enlightened expression.

She elaborates on how the benefits of reading can apply to real life.

“It allows for students to better understand and communicate with their teachers and peers, but also with themselves; this allows for them to develop a better growth mindset,” Diaz expresses.

Ms. Bowles explains that books not only help with developmental status, but also help them do better academically.

“It increases your attention span and increases your vocabulary, and students who read novels in their free time tend to perform better on their tests and exams than their peers,”  Bowles explains.