FREEDOM TO READ

 

As long as children are reading books with age appropriate topics,
the type of book, (graphic novel or a picture book or a text loaded book), shouldn’t matter. At least they are reading something…

Alok is seven years old and he loves to read books with a lot of pictures. He prefers funny story books over serious non-fiction books. For him, story books take him to an imaginary place where he can have a good laugh and have fun. His mother on the other hand thinks that he must read to gain knowledge and therefore must read more serious books that offer new information to learn. In her opinion comics are bad and funny books do not teach the child anything. Eventually, Alok loses interest in reading. His mother grows frustrated and angry as she has spent a lot on books and her son does not want to read any of them. Each time, he asks for a book of his choice, she stops him and asks him to finish reading all the books at home first.

Alok is a child with many books to read but yet no freedom to choose the kind of books he enjoys reading. Should a book always have a moral or something to teach? Yes books are a great way to teach children a number of things. But that can happen only if children associate reading with fun, joy, a means to experience a parent’s love by sitting on a parent’s lap and be read to. The moment books become a means only for studies and a method of acquiring knowledge not for the joy of learning new things but as a performance enabler, reading is no longer an enjoyable activity. Needless to say, children associate reading with stress and not joy. Reading for pleasure ceases to exist.

What is wrong with reading comics or funny books? At least they are reading something…

As adults we forget all the fun we had reading story books when we were young. Many of us have grown up with Enid Blyton and enjoyed the rich variety of books she wrote. She had a book for almost all types of interests. Take a step back and try to remember. If you enjoyed reading books as a child, was it because you found the story fascinating or because someone told you that your English would improve or that you will learn something new?

 

Today, children have access to a variety of fiction and non-fiction. In comparison to our childhood days, our children live in a more exciting world where books are being written for all sorts of readers.

Some comics/graphic novels for instance even have good use of the English language and can be actually quite challenging to read, on account of difficult words that are often used. Yet over all, they have the ability to catch a child’s attention and hold it for a reasonable amount of time. Isn’t that better than not reading at all?

Every stage passes…

No one remains in the same stage of reading. Interests change as new books are discovered. The foundation to reading for pleasure must be built early on by ensuring children associate reading with fun and the feeling of incredible joy. Storybooks with morals and information are great but must not be the only kinds a child can ever be shown and read to. A healthy mix of books is crucial to a lifelong journey of reading for pleasure.

 

The article is written by Lakshmi Mitter who is a children’s book author who creates personalised story books for children with the purpose of inculcating reading for pleasure. She believes that children love to hear their names appear in stories and that’s the first step to instill the joy of reading. More details on (https://merrygobooks.com). She also manages a Facebook Group called “READING JOURNEY” which strives to serve as a platform for discussions pertaining to encouraging children to read. As the admin of the group she also posts interviews with children’s book authors and illustrators as well as teachers. These interview features serve as a ready reckoner for books written for different sorts of readers, the role of illustrations in encouraging children to read, views and tips from experts in the field.