Parents have a role in developing a reading culture

Now that our children are in their holidays, parents are probably wondering how to occupy them. Activities will most likely range from providing children with TV shows, birthday parties at home and at friends’ houses, visiting friends and relatives, playing with friends, swimming, just to mention a few. Parents and parents to be, how can we use such a time to develop a reading culture among our young ones? Reading is a wonderful time for parents and children as they spend time together. Did you know that today’s readers are tomorrow’s leaders? So how do we prepare them for tomorrow’s leadership roles? One great way is by developing a reading culture among the children. Now that they are home and we have all the time with them, let us apply the following simple tactics so as to grow readers. As you read the article, you are probably asking yourself, whether this is your role, or the teacher’s role. Let me give you a quick answer, it’s our role as parents, because recent research into human brain development has indicated that truly parents are their children’s first teachers. “What parents do, or don’t, have a lasting impact on their child’s reading skill and literacy. There is considerable evidence of a relationship between reading regularly to a child and that child’s later reading achievement “(National Research Council, 1998). According to Laura Bush, “as parents, the most important thing we can do is read to our children early and often. Reading is the path to success in school and life. When children learn to love books, they learn to love learning.” So let us carry our initiative. The following are a few steps to raising readers & leaders. Presents: When buying for our children gifts this holiday, be it birthday presents, Christmas presents, or rewards for performing well at school, let us try to include books in the present box. If you are traveling, as you buy that packet of chocolate, please do include a good story book for the young ones or a novel for the old child. (Remember to buy a book that is appropriate to age and try to find out your children’s likes and dislikes).This way you are showing that books are valuable and you will be amazed at how your child will begin paying attention to books. Create a reading hour at home and a reading environment We say we are all busy working and trying to make ends meet, but we are forgetting one great responsibility. The saying goes, charity begins at home, yet we think our children shall learn all from school. We can use books to instill discipline, to create family unity and family time, Chose one appropriate time and read for your children. Research shows that we can read for children right from the womb, so it’s never too early to read for them. Start now, and see what changes it will make in your child’s language and vocabulary development. Did you know that a four year old can read? Some four your olds can read so, let us help them explore their curiosity. Reading books with children is one of the most important things we can do, to help them become readers. Replace television with books Did you know that television only makes our children lazy and passive? Because we are busy working, we tend to let children sit on TV all day to allow us attend to other “urgent” needs of the family. Children end up watching all programs that are on TV because they are not guided and are sometimes misled by what they watch, their eyes are damaged, and they grow up very passive because they are not allowed to explore their abilities and explore their curiosity. What can we do? Use the TV time to read a book. Assign tasks from books in a very relaxed but firm manner and take time to discuss with the child the book she/he read that day. Let reading be exciting and include the entire family. Some experts will agree with me that parental emphasis on reading as a kind of entertainment, rather than skills, develops a more positive attitude towards reading. Make use of libraries: Just like we introduce them to new shopping malls mushrooming in Kigali, different hotels and restaurants; different activities like swimming, let us also make use of both Private and public libraries. Walk with them through the library. Let them pick books that they like, allow sometime in the library reading and exploring. By doing this, we are reinforcing a love for books and hence a reading culture among the children. From books, we get to know who we are. There are books in which children can see themselves and others like them (Neuman, 2000). Create exciting moments for reading This can be done at a family level or a number of families where the families will gather for a reading activity and members discuss what they read. Questions are asked and answered. Remember as parents we cannot give our children what we do not have. Readers beget readers. So let us get involved in our children’s’ development. Set examples and our children will follow. By reading and talking about books, we are helping this child attach value to a book. In conclusion, research indicates that children from an environment that lacks reading lack rich language and these have shown gradual declines in test of pre-school educational development (Burchinal, Lee &Ramey, 1989). Hence a need for parental involvement in a child’s reading habit. This should not be only left to schools. The Author is an Educationist and founding member of Rwanda Book Development Initiative. rwabodirwanda@yahoo.com