How to get your child to become a reader

There was a time when a child who hadn’t yet learnt to read could bank on grandma’s storytelling. Grandmas happened to know thousands of stories, so that was alright. Now our mothers have become grandmothers and let’s face it — they just don’t know as many stories and we mothers cannot recollect what we have heard from our grandmothers. Wher will our toddlers get their stories from?

The publishing industry has come up with books for tiny tots that they can fiddle with while being read to.

Brightly colored and almost indestructible board books, wipe-clean books, plastic books, touch-and-feel books — you name it and they are out there. Most of these are well thought-out and appealingly illustrated, with a language that is not beyond a toddler’s limited vocabulary.

It is initially quite tricky to get a toddler to sit through a book though. Experts suggest that you break them into reading when they are calm and repeat reading a book as long as the child shows interest in it.

Slightly older preschoolers may enjoy the same books as toddlers but they can handle much longer stories. They are a set who can understand language well but still cannot read on their own.

As far as books for them go, it is raining picture books! A turtle named Franklin, a big red dog named Clifford and many more of them tell friendly tales of childhood. These lovable characters get jealous, greedy, possessive, and messy, exactly like a regular child.

Whether a child learns from the entwined subtle messages or not, they are amply entertained for sure.

Preschooler books coming out of Western countries are very unique and educational. Take for example Bob the Builder that teaches building construction and Blues Clues that introduces problem solving with clues.

Not to mention Sesame Street that has simply revolutionised pre-school education for more than four decades. Indian writers and publishers are certainly not left behind. A number of books such as Bubbles, Pepper, Nini, and Bruno attempt to convey simple ideas and virtues through stories. 

These books are inexpensive, well-written, and very popular among pre-K children. But they are all a bit too alike and rather short. We certainly can get more creative with books for this impressionable three to five age-group.

Today people can easily lay their hands on a wide variety of children’s books and that too without burning a big hole in their pockets, thanks to thriving second-hand book stores and libraries. But the tough part is making time to read to a child.

In today’s world of easy entertainment through TV and computer games, it is quite a miracle if children take to reading on their own. You have to entice them into the world of books through some initial hard work.

Then again, reading children’s books is a pleasure for adults too — stories are simple, pictures speak a thousand words and more than all they are so non-taxing on the brain!

Vanishree Mahesh is the founder of online library easylib.com