Is reading on your child's agenda?

NEW DELHI; Is the future generation at risk of going straight from an oral to a digital culture, bypassing books? Maybe, unless drastic steps are taken to put a priority on reading, feel educators here.

Ranjana Bhatnagar, former director of the American Information Resource Center, said: "Let's look at it from a child's perspective. Why would a child read if he's getting ready information on the Internet, which is easy to cut-paste into assignments. He's getting entertainment from TV, games and movies downloads - reading is not a priority."

"Reading faces stiff competition from the Internet pool of information but the longstanding fact is that reading gives wholistic knowledge that can't be replaced - not by TV, not by Internet."

Despite the Internet boom, even today it is estimated that less than 15 percent of the world's plethora of information is digitised. The vast majority is in print form - mostly books.

Bhatnagar averred that according to different surveys and reports, reading among young adults is not exactly declining. It's just that the format is changing. She said: "With online books and audio books available, most reading is done online, but variety and comprehensive information is limited."

Teachers and librarians from various schools met ahead of Teachers Day Friday at a workshop organised by publishing house Katha to discuss ways to inculcate the reading habit in students.

Participants felt reading is essential not only to "kindle the imagination of young minds" but also "to improve their concentration and analytical ability".

What one reads is not as important as the fact of reading, the participants said. "Be it books, magazines, comics or even reading signs on the road - reading would increase the vocabulary of a child."

So what can you do to get your child to read more?

"Give them access to books, set aside time for reading, spend time with your child as he reads, encourage family reading, read and make your child act out portions to arouse interest, display books," suggested Bhatnagar, who was the resource person for the workshop.

The group came to a consensus that reading should be a fun activity and not something that is forced. Nagging, pressuring or criticising a child will only increase his resistance.

Seema Passi, teacher at Apeejay School Saket, said: "Students may not listen to their parents. But they respect their teachers. Students consider teachers their role models and treat them as friends. So when a teacher tells a student to find a book in the school library and read it, he will make the effort."