Open up the wonderful world of reading to children
you noticed that while waiting to see the doctor at a hospital or clinic, or during a bus or train ride, most Malaysians while their time away on their phones or do nothing?
This is in sharp contrast to citizens of London and Paris, where most commuters, especially on the subway, read newspapers, magazines and books and some on their phones.
If Malaysians want to develop the reading culture, much will rest on the shoulders of parents, grandparents and teachers.
The problem in Malaysia is that parents are not avid readers themselves and have not developed the habit of reading.
On the other hand, even if parents are ferocious readers, do they have time to spend with their child?
Most children want to learn new things because of their curious nature. But learning must be interesting. In other words, reading to your child involves a bit of skill.
You must make reading fun and exciting for the child. It’s not a matter of straightforward reading, which can be dull and boring, but you have to be expressive by changing the tone of your voice and using your body language and hand gestures.
You must immerse the child in another world as if he is part of the story.
You can reinforce the impact of the story by showing him video clips.
Watching them on a tablet should be a reward after the reading session is over.
Parents should give children books as birthday presents. In addition, take them to bookstores regularly.
Reward them by letting them choose a book. Make the trip to the bookstore an exciting adventure and something to look forward to.
My brother’s 5-year-old grandson insists on being read a book in the morning before he heads for pre-school. His parents have inculcated in him the joy of reading.
The same method can be used to teach children to enjoy reading in schools.
Again, it falls on teachers to motivate and encourage students to read more.
Having reading competitions and allocating time for reading can help.
Many friends have made new year resolutions about devoting more time to read. And rightly so. A good read can be fulfilling and satisfying, keep us aware of what’s happening around the globe, teach us things beyond our horizons, and conjure up characters so intense we feel as if we know them.
Recently, I noticed an encouraging trend while travelling on the LRT and MRT.
I observed that while the majority of commuters were on their smartphones, some were reading. These commuters told me they whip out their books as soon as they board the train.
Kudos to this growing number of commuters who know how to spend their time productively.
I also note that some are reading books from their phones. Others download books and read when they are free.
To all Malaysians, it’s never too late to pick up the reading habit. It will be worth your while.