Raising a reader means continuous effort, even if it means reading 10 mins every day.
For starters, reading as a habit starts early. As the popular saying goes, "Reading starts on the lap of a parent." Reading as a means to be entertained and perhaps even to discover something new is a notion that needs to be instilled in children's minds early on. Experimenting with a variety of books, offering the freedom to abandon books if they fail to catch attention and providing venues to talk about books- conversations about books at home, lit fests, book reads etc are some ways to incorporate books as an integral part of young children's lives.
How does that help with language development and comprehension? Does it prove to be beneficial for school in any way?
Improved vocabulary and language skills
Children who read for pleasure tend to get exposed to a wide variety of words and language structure which helps them even when they write. Those who pick a book rarely often struggle with new words and even end up loosely using words without being sure of the meaning. That tendency clearly shows that children like to come forward as knowledgeable and being able to use a variety of words in their speech and writing. What if they had an extra edge thanks to plenty of leisure reading, would that make a huge difference to their communication skills and in the process their overall confidence?
Boosts reading comprehension abilities
Enhanced comprehension definitely reflects in better academic performance.
Early start to reading makes critical and analytical thinking a habit- skill that is growing in importance especially in the AI age.
Today it is so easy to access information that it is tempting to use search and AI instead of thinking. For instance when we tried to build a word game at the Young Readers' Club. 2 out of 3 children used Google to give them a word along with clues. Both cases the interpretation of the word as well as the clues weren't exactly correct. But the children were more excited about the power of Google search than spotting the oddity in the result.
Schools across India recognize the need to inculcate reading as a habit. Some schools hire library consultants to stock their libraries with diverse books, run reading challenges, literary fests and much more. But there is only so much a school can do. Availability of books and reading as a routine practice at home goes a long way in raising readers who can think on their own, make observations and learn in the process.
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Both weekday and weekend batches are available at the Young Readers' Club for the 8-12 age group.
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The Young Writers' Club program for the 13-15 age group offers a weekly platform to read and discuss curated articles from the news, observe writing approaches and practise one's writing skills.
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