--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you don’t read, I don’t know how to…" description: "\"“If you don’t read, I don’t know how to communicate with you.”\" — Donalyn Miller" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/donalyn-miller-12990_books_if-you-don-t-read-i-don-t-know-how-to-co_2981243.jpg" --- # If you don’t read, I don’t know how to communicate with you. ![“If you don’t read, I don’t know how to communicate with you.” quote by Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/donalyn-miller-12990_books_if-you-don-t-read-i-don-t-know-how-to-co_2981243.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/donalyn-miller-12990_books_if-you-don-t-read-i-don-t-know-how-to-co_2981243.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/donalyn-miller-12990_books_if-you-don-t-read-i-don-t-know-how-to-co_2981243.jpg) > ““If you don’t read, I don’t know how to communicate with you.”” [Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading is essential for effective communication and understanding between people. **In simple terms:** Reading enables communication. Key Takeaway Read more to connect better. Themes education communication literacy Mood thoughtful inspirational Type advice motivational When to use this quote - classroom discussions - parent‑child talks - team meetings - online forums - public speaking Key Concepts critical thinking empathy Questions to Reflect On - How can we support non‑readers in dialogue? - What other skills aid communication? A Different Perspective If someone cannot read, alternative communication methods are needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) ## Related quotes > [If you don't read, I don't know how to communicate with you...I can never express who I am in my own words as powerfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/if-you-don-t-read-i-don-t-know-how-to-communicate-with-you-i-can/) [Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) > [“What you read when you don't have to will determine what you will be when you can't help it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/what-you-read-when-you-don-t-have-to-will-determine-what-you-will-be/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Read Don Quixote; it is a very good book; I still read it frequently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sydenham/read-don-quixote-it-is-a-very-good-book-i-still-read-it-frequently/) [Thomas Sydenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sydenham/) > [It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/it-is-what-you-read-when-you-don-t-have-to-that-determines-what-you/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [If you can read and don't, you're dumb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/if-you-can-read-and-don-t-you-re-dumb/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [If you're going to read this, don't bother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/if-you-re-going-to-read-this-don-t-bother/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“If you can read, you don't ever have to be lonely.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-osborne/if-you-can-read-you-don-t-ever-have-to-be-lonely/) [Maggie Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-osborne/) > [A lot of men just don't read. They don't read fiction at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/a-lot-of-men-just-don-t-read-they-don-t-read-fiction-at-all/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [Read, read, read, read, read, read, read, read, read, read, read, read, read...if you don't read, you will never be a filmmaker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-herzog/read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-if/) [Werner Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-herzog/) > [They know what my standards are. They know what I need and how to get it to me, and they know how to communicate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-keller/they-know-what-my-standards-are-they-know-what-i-need-and-how-to-get/) [Thomas Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-keller/) > [I think in real life most of us don't know how to communicate our deepest feelings very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-cardellini/i-think-in-real-life-most-of-us-don-t-know-how-to-communicate-our/) [Linda Cardellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-cardellini/) > [Relationships last longer if the two of you know how to communicate well with each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-lobedica/relationships-last-longer-if-the-two-of-you-know-how-to-communicate/) [Joanne Lobedica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-lobedica/) > [Real men know how to communicate. They know when to talk & when to listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/green-monk/real-men-know-how-to-communicate-they-know-when-to-talk-when-to-listen/) [Green Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/green-monk/) > [I'm always surprised when I'm called niche, because I'm only communicating in the way that I know how to communicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-torres/i-m-always-surprised-when-i-m-called-niche-because-i-m-only/) [Julio Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-torres/) > [I've said this many times: Rock 'n' roll is this magnet for dysfunctional people who only know how to communicate through the medium of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/i-ve-said-this-many-times-rock-n-roll-is-this-magnet-for/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) ## More by Donalyn Miller > [Readers enjoy talking about books almost as much as they like reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/readers-enjoy-talking-about-books-almost-as-much-as-they-like-reading/) [Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) > [“No matter what our curriculum requires us to teach or how little class time we have, children must read a lot in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/no-matter-what-our-curriculum-requires-us-to-teach-or-how-little/) [Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) > [“Without any reading time in class, too much homework, and little choice provided in reading material or writing topics, Sarah keeps her reading life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/without-any-reading-time-in-class-too-much-homework-and-little-choice/) [Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) > [Students will read if we give them the books, the time, and the enthusiastic encouragement to do so. If we make them wait for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/students-will-read-if-we-give-them-the-books-the-time-and-the/) [Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) > [If you don't read, I don't know how to communicate with you...I can never express who I am in my own words as powerfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/if-you-don-t-read-i-don-t-know-how-to-communicate-with-you-i-can/) [Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) > [“my job as a teacher to equip the travelers, teach them how to read a map, and show them what to do when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/my-job-as-a-teacher-to-equip-the-travelers-teach-them-how-to-read-a/) [Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) > [The purpose of schools should not be to prepare students for more school. We should be seeking to have fully engaged students now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/the-purpose-of-schools-should-not-be-to-prepare-students-for-more/) [Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) > [“Reading has become schoolwork, not an activity in which students willingly engage outside of school.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/reading-has-become-schoolwork-not-an-activity-in-which-students/) [Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) > [By believing that only some of our students will ever develop a love of books and reading, we ignore those who do not fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/by-believing-that-only-some-of-our-students-will-ever-develop-a-love/) [Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) > [“I don't believe some teachers consider whether their classroom instruction fosters the development of reading habits in their students. Reflecting on the landslide of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/i-don-t-believe-some-teachers-consider-whether-their-classroom/) [Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) > [“I am a reader, a flashlight-under-the-covers, carries-a-book-everywhere-I-go​, don't-look-at-my-Amazon-bill. I choose purses based on whether I can cram a paperback into them, and my books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/i-am-a-reader-a-flashlight-under-the-covers-carries-a-book-everywhere/) [Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) > [“Books are love letters (or apologies) passed between us, adding a layer of conversation beyond our spoken words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/books-are-love-letters-or-apologies-passed-between-us-adding-a-layer/) [Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) > [Students need to make their own choices about reading material and writing topics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/students-need-to-make-their-own-choices-about-reading-material-and/) [Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) > [“I believe that this corporate machinery of scripted programs, comprehension worksheets (reproducibles, handouts, printables, whatever you want to call them), computer-based incentive packages, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/i-believe-that-this-corporate-machinery-of-scripted-programs/) [Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) > [Failing to graduate a populace that values reading has long-term consequences for everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/failing-to-graduate-a-populace-that-values-reading-has-long-term/) [Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) [Explore all 52 Donalyn Miller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you don’t read, I don’t know how to communicate with you.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Donalyn Miller" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/if-you-don-t-read-i-don-t-know-how-to-communicate-with-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/if-you-don-t-read-i-don-t-know-how-to-communicate-with-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/donalyn-miller-12990_books_if-you-don-t-read-i-don-t-know-how-to-co_2981243.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/donalyn-miller-12990_books_if-you-don-t-read-i-don-t-know-how-to-co_2981243.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/donalyn-miller-12990_books_if-you-don-t-read-i-don-t-know-how-to-co_2981243.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you don’t read, I don’t know how to communicate with you.” — Donalyn Miller", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Donalyn Miller", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If you don’t read, I don’t...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/if-you-don-t-read-i-don-t-know-how-to-communicate-with-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/if-you-don-t-read-i-don-t-know-how-to-communicate-with-you/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```