One thing I realised is that the deliberate and conscious effort of both parents jointly, make the children interested in reading books. Luckily for my home, my husband is an avid reader and that helped immensely.
Teniola questioned me the other day. She wanted to know how to nudge her children to fall in love with reading books, in general. In the past four years, several people have asked me this same question. I proceed to direct them to the answer in the only way I know how to. That’s the same way in which I guided my children to develop and become interested in reading.
To get to the root of the problem, however, I told her she had to be a reader herself. Preferably, if she and her husband are readers, then it would, more or less, be a done deal. I strongly believe that was the way it worked for me. My clergy father had several shelves full of books, some even spilling over. I started out by flipping through the images, especially those found in encyclopedias. It was fun. I became inquisitive and introspective. I learnt interesting words and my imagination became active. These outcomes must have been subconsciously passed on to my children later.
To respond to Teniola, I went back to the time when my children were eight and six years old respectively. For me, as I look back now, it seemed easy to help them get to where I needed them to be. It was not always like that, though. I worried when they were younger and bought books that remained unopened. I had to take certain steps, which eventually culminated in my daughter, at age 11, authoring her own book of poems titled, “Can We Be Friends?” My son, the older of the two children, writes amazing stories as well but he is not yet ready to publish. As a parent, you can start to introduce the art of reading at an early age, even to toddlers. These are the steps I took:
A reading culture at home must be imbibed and displayed. Relevant books were strategically placed around the home. I also had one to read before going to bed and encouraged them to each read a book or a story in the Bible before sleeping. Sometimes, we read stories together. Did you know that books can actually make you sleep and have nice dreams? Definitely not horror stories; those I stayed away from.
Speaking to the school teachers. I informed their teachers of my goal. Consequently, they were very helpful by permitting the children to read, replace and take books as frequently as they could, as long as they returned them in good condition. Children must be taught early and in time that books must be handled well and not torn.
Buying lots of books, especially those tailored to the children’s interests. This means that parents would have to surround the children with books they would love to read. My son, I found out, was a lover of adventure. I had bought one in a series and he later requested for the remaining three in that series. Needless to say, I returned to the store and luckily, the books were available. I could afford them and my son was happy we got them. Both of us were satisfied.
Find their reading platform. Would they prefer to read the book on a digital platform like the Kindle or a hard copy they can hold in their hands? In my household, hard copy books work well for us. Others know what they want; ask them or observe. They would enjoy the art of reading on the platform of their choice.
Set a reading goal and be flexible about it. That way, they can achieve and enjoy several other activities. The fact that I run a book club, LearnForward Book Club was very helpful. When my daughter turned ten years old, she, very casually asked, “Mummy, do you know where I learnt so much about poetry?” She followed with the answer, “It was at the book club”. The school also helped, she acknowledged. You can imagine how that made me feel. You do not have to start a book club but you can ensure your children attend one or visit the local library regularly. Practice the art of reading too, and always in your children’s presence.
Numerous benefits results, not only to the children but to the whole family as well. The way they speak and the words they use will be exciting. Also, their thought process becomes very rewarding. My children enjoy English Literature and have developed analytical skills. It definitely has helped them to focus and concentrate on whatever they have to do.
Distractions abound in the world, and more right now in the forms of social media, television and their many children stations, outdoor play and more. In my family, for example, we did not subscribe to any cable TV for about three years. It was a bold, drastic and necessary decision.
One thing I realised is that the deliberate and conscious effort of both parents jointly, make the children interested in reading books. Luckily for my home, my husband is an avid reader and that helped immensely.
Having read patiently this far, I presume you have noted my methods and tactics to getting my children motivated to reading. Do not merely wish that your children become readers and joyfully read books, you must act and do the needful to get the good results you want. Wish you all the best!
Temitope Osimokun is a multi-passionate lawyer, a human resources practitioner, an administrator and an educational consultant. Her LearnForward Book Club for children promotes the love of reading.
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