I stood across the room and observed my niece, her head buried in a YouTube video. I pried her away from the screen and asked if she had read the book I had gifted her the previous week.
“No,” she said smiling with a dash of guilt. I had the sense to walk away without making her feel bad.
Reading was my lifeline growing up in the middle east. But I remembered all too well, how much one hates to do what is “strongly recommended” by an adult. I did not want to be the uncool aunt who nags her about the virtues of reading, something that is clearly not holding her interest.
After a few days, though, I found her in a chatty mood and broached the question - “Why do you dislike reading?”.
My niece - “I get bored. People say you go into a different world while reading. I haven’t reached any other world and I get terribly bored.” She said this with a lot of seriousness and I think I detected a root cause for her problem.
The little one was expecting to be transported to a “new, fun-filled world” as soon as she picked up the book. No one had told her that the magic unfolded only after you sit with the characters for a little while.
Before I go further, let’s address another important question. In this day and age, when content is easily available in so many other formats, is reading as a leisurely activity still important?
Or is this an age-old practice that the new generation is force-fed because it is supposed to be a good habit?
Relevance of reading in this day and age.
The quality of a student's education as a whole is impacted by their reading ability. The task of educators is to teach students to read. And they do so, rather well, for the most part.
While the academic system makes the students proficient to read one or two languages (and sometimes, even three) is that enough?
- Beyond the requirement of a curriculum, reading as a pastime helps improve a child’s vocabulary, and literacy skills and generates curiosity about the world around her.
- Books are the cheapest way to travel around the world. Once a child learns the secret of how to read well, her imagination will take wings and helps her explore new ideas, characters, and places.
- Reading books can help children develop emotional intelligence and empathy, as they learn about different perspectives, experiences, and feelings.
- Books are a long-lasting gift that can be enjoyed repeatedly over time and can even become cherished possessions that are passed down through generations.
- Sharing a book with a child can also be a great bonding experience, creating memories and fostering a love of reading that can last a lifetime.
Baby steps to help build a reading habit
Children have easy access to multiple screens today. Not just screens, but the internet too. They are a generation that is used to having entertainment at their fingertips - literally.
While I am not an advocate of keeping children away from technology, a balance has to be maintained so that they do not miss out on important aspects - like sports & games and reading - from their daily lives.
- Practice what you preach - As is often said, children observe and imitate the adults around them. If the adults sit with a book at the end of the day, the children will soon learn to imitate them.
- Go beyond the books - These days libraries and bookshops arrange for reading sessions with authors. These events will help them participate and engage more with the books they read.
- Movies after books - Today most children (& adults) know Harry Potter. But a significant number have only seen the movie. As a true Potter Head, it just kills me to think what they are missing out on by giving the books a pass. Let your children read the books first. Follow this up with the movie. This will even help them visualise and motivate them to read more.
- Encourage a book club - A club (& feel free to jazz it up as a ‘secret society’ even) will encourage the little ones a lot. When they see their friends reading and discussing the stories, they will participate for fear of missing out.
- Question time - Encourage children to ask questions and have discussions. This will even help improve their communication skills.
There are no right or wrong ways to go about reading. It is a very personal journey that should be enjoyed so that you and your children may travel this path for all your life.
Happy Reading!