Reading was not something that came naturally to Dan. While he was exceptional in all other areas during his time in elementary school, he did not fully grasp an ability to read until 2nd Grade. Until that point, he was always in the lower level reading groups, and often ended up frustrated at his peers abilities. Sometime during 2nd grade though, His ability to read took of. Jumping from a 1st grade level, to a 3rd grade level, to a 6th grade level, to an 8th grade level. By the time he was in 5th Grade, he was reading at a high school level. Learning to read was a struggle for Dan, but once he understood it, his love of reading took off. People read because it provides a gateway not just into our own minds, but also into the thoughts and feelings of others. Reading gives us unrestricted access to other ideas and thoughts, and allows us to learn and change our perspective.