From Enid Blyton to Richmal Crompton, and from The Hardy Boys to Nancy Drew, children in
Goa, up to the late ‘90s, knew most authors and characters that targeted the
readership of their respective age-groups. However, it is no secret that the
reading habit is one that is dying; that much has been well-documented.
However, perhaps the best way to revive it is to look to the children of today,
the generation still in diapers, and instil in them the same love for reading
that was instilled in the generation of today’s 30s. And what better way to do
so than by doing to them what was done to generations before? Simply read to
them.
Studies indicate that children develop
literacy skills and an awareness of language long before they are able to read.
As such, by reading aloud to their young children, parents are inadvertently
priming them for success. And more importantly, inculcating in them a dying,
but superb habit: that of reading. Young children who are regularly read to
have a larger vocabulary, higher levels of phonological, letter name, and sound
awareness, and better success at decoding words.
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Paediatric Ophthalmologist Dr Kuheli
Bhattacharya is also a voracious reader and passionate writer. Her experiences
in both fields, and most importantly that of being a mother amidst it all, led
her to pen a little illustrated volume for her son on his first birthday,
‘Shreyu and the Musical Farm’, the main protagonist being named after her son
himself.
“I think that children imitate many things that they see their parents
do. For instance, if you read to your children, but then spend time on your
mobile phone, instead of reading yourself, they will still want to copy you,
and the effort put into reading to them so that they read, is lost. However,
reading to them has many more far reaching benefits beyond just the reading
part of it. It’s a bonding exercise, as the child feels an essence of oneness
with the parent, which can otherwise sometimes be lacking. However, reading to
a child is a very immersive process, and requires complete focus, which sets a
lot in motion for the future,” Kuheli believes.
Gabriella Monte da Silva from Margao has two children of
different ages. While she continues to read to her older child, Tiago, she
finds that younger children look more for engagement, and are all about the
discovery of the limitations of their motor skills, and as such are less
inclined to look at the reading habit enthusiastically.
“Children who are very young want to flail their arms about, as
they are discovering this hidden power that they had no idea existed. When
attempting to read to them, one needs to always bear in mind that they will
want to try and use those motor skills, and tearing things, albeit
unintentionally, is always going to be something that they want to undertake.
As such, books that are board-based are advisable alternatives to paper,” she
shares, from experience.
Diviya Kapur is better known for her establishment, Literati
Bookshop & Café, in-between Calangute and Candolim. However, her project, Bebook,
a mobile library which encourages reading and learning from a young age,
especially amongst children from an underprivileged background, is a true
marvel. Diviya shares her observations from the project, saying, “We work with
children right from 5-6 years of age, right up to 14-15-year-olds. The
discovery and joy of reading opens up a whole new world to them, and to be
fair, we see this change in children that we work with for about two years or
so. I believe that it would make a huge difference if these children were read
to, or had the resources and access to reading at a younger age.”
We’ve
always been told that books have the ability to empower people, irrespective of
age, race or socio-economical background. Imagine then, the benefits they can have
in myriad ways, when it comes to toddlers and pre-schoolers. As a parent,
perhaps reading to your children could be one of the most important things you
could do to prepare them with a foundation for life itself.
