It is much more difficult in these days of technology where gadgets vie for their attention and are pressured to use them to keep themselves at par with their peers. Thus, it is important to encourage reading amongst children and it is never too late to begin.

START EARLY

You should start as early as six months when you can make them sit in your lap and browse through picture books. They will immediately get attracted to the colourful images and will make their appreciation known, too. This is how you can set the trend when you start reading short stories at a later stage. You can make the entire experience lively by reading aloud and singing when needed, imitating other characters, birds and animals in the story to keep the interest alive.

READ YOURSELF

Mitali Saxena, mother of two teenagers, has complaints about her kids not reading books, but knows where the problem lies. She says, I don't like to read at all, not even the newspaper, and I guess that is why both my kids are not interested in reading, too. Now that they are in their secondary classes, they don't get much time to do anything apart from studies. But I have now started getting informative magazines home so that they at least browse through them and it helps them with their studies as well. Remember, your children always emulate your behaviour. So, let your child see you read, even if it is just a newspaper, every day. In fact, you should read the newspaper as a family and also discuss the current topics with your kids.

TAKE THEM TO THE BOOKSTORE

Many bookstores are quite open to having readers sit in and read within their premises. They also organise various child-friendly activities, which attract the kids to visit, browse and read more and more books. They also host storytelling sessions.

BUY BOOKS AND SUBSCRIBE TO CHILDREN'S MAGAZINES

The various children's magazines are great for a child to start with the habit by indulging in several activities and puzzles. These magazines also have easy-to-read pictorial stories which have short narratives and are easy for a child who has just started reading.

BOOKS CAN BE GREAT GIFTS

Be it birthdays or festivals, books make for amazing gifts. They are also good as return gifts and you might encourage another child to read more. They are also good as reward for special achievements and can boost the child's confi dence.

CREATE A READER FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT AT HOME

Limit TV and gadget time allowed to your kids. Let them have some reading time, too. Says Payal Ghosh, mother to a six and a 10 year old, I encourage my kids to play word building, spelling fun games or board games like scrabble with their friends. We also play these games on holidays or when we are travelling and it's a great family bonding exercise. My kids are eager to come up with new and different words every time we play .

HAVE HEALTHY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT BOOKS

Ask your children about their library period and they will want to excitedly share their experience.Discuss your own childhood experiences about reading, your favourite books and authors with them. If you have saved your old books, pass them on to your kids at an appropriate age.

Source: Times of India

BDST: 1809 HRS, NOV- 23, 2015
Edited by:  Sharmina Islam, Lifestyle Editor