Work on reading habit during pandemic

Swati Rai

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Roald Dahl in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory  exclaims for all of us – ‘So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in its place you can install A lovely bookshelf on the wall. Then fill the shelves with lots of books.’ Sure the ‘TV’ in the quote could be replaced with any digital device in the online living, pandemic enforced life. The truth however remains that living as we are, a 24×7 boxed life in the house as also in Zoom squares- learning, teaching, studying, working-the reading habit may have taken a hit.

 With multiple digital reading platforms offering short bytes of quick reads, and distractions galore, the reading habit, in-depth, long form reading, remains under a cloud. This is also a cause of concern to parents and teachers. Benefits of reading can’t be over-emhphasised, especially at this time when the outside world can come to us via the written word. But  keep heart, all may not be lost, yet!

 With the quick adaptation of the publishing and printing world along with retail bookstore to the new realities, there’s now a plethora of options available for parents to choose a readerly engagement with their children. Here are a few more ways in your kitty to integrate the reading habit in your child’s relentless virtual world, which is here to stay.

 Start Early!

No one becomes a reader overnight. Parents can influence the reading habit in more ways than one. Designating a reading time and area which is sacrosanct, right from an early stage will help build a routine and set a boundary. Also, letting the child’s interest govern his/her pick of a read will help too. Making the reading habit an ‘us’ time by enacting dialogues, doing over the top gestures for actions of the characters also help in very young readers.  Encouraging the child’s imagination, frequently asking short questions to form active healthy reading habits, is a must.

Sustaining reading habits through reading sub skills

It is well understood that reading fluency matters, in sustaining an interest in the hobby and making it enjoyable. Recognising words and predicting the text that lies ahead, along with gauging the meaning of the difficult vocabulary from the context, are key skills that need to be developed as the child reader transforms into a young adult. Scanning (looking for a particular piece of information from a larger text) and skimming ( Going over a large text to arrive at the summary/gist of the text) skills of reading can also help to cater to reading specific needs. No hard science this, giving a few examples here and there, without making it a daunting practice will help.

A Reader’s House

It’s not enough to have a Zoom background display of a book shelf at the back, especially these days. Have books in every nook and cranny of the house, in front of the child strewn across the table- so that she is not only spoilt for choice but also has a readily available option, once the digital detox(break starts). Wonderful if you can also have a discussion on what each one’s reading in the house at the dining table. Retaining curiosity and fanning it is the key in nudging the child towards that unopened Tsundoku.

Reading along with a digital world

With the unleashing of the digital world upon us and the children alike, there’s no escaping it. In fact working around the new reality has metamorphosed reading into a much a community activity. With the reading experience now moving on to auditory and visual platforms, these can be used judiciously to augment and offer variety to the child. Online reading communities, workshops and engagements help sustain the habit and also provide security in the fact that everyone’s in it together while offering different ways of engagement with the written word. Apps, Podcasts and videos are therefore a welcome addition. So are online libraries, E Books, storytelling sessions, read-along activities, DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) and newspaper subscriptions.

Being an engaged reader yourself, looking out for Bookstore subscriptions, engaging in reading as a community building activity and providing a chance for our young readers to imagine how the world oustside is, isn’t and can be; especially in times when their imagination could well be under threat, is a great place to begin with. Turn the page over now!

Happy Reading!