Ever wondered how to get your child to read? A lot of young parents in UAE seem to be struggling with this. Gulf News spoke to a few UAE residents to find out.
Dubai-based parent Juliette Charles said: “I often wonder how to bring my four-year-old closer to books. When I try to read to him, he is attentive only for a few minutes. Sometimes, I feel guilty that I am not doing enough.”
Sudha Kathuria, principal of a nursery in Dubai, said: “Young parents don’t know how to promote reading. To get children to read, parents need to be good readers themselves, sit with children and flip the pages. When the child is a toddler, plain reading will not do. You need to help them understand stories through pictures. Help them create stories, discuss the colours and objects on the pages. Slowly move on to words.”
The Indian national added: “Schools these days have moved on from traditional methods and are using phonics, to help young children read.” She emphasised that reading is the best way for children to learn creative writing, improve diction and pronounciation. Kathuria said, even though e-reading has become a very popular, “I still prefer the old, turn-the-page and read habit. It gives the child a habit of sequential reading....”
Umber Ahmad, a Pakistani national and mother of two has been very successful at making her children love reading. She said: “I started early, I used to read to my daughter when she was only six months.” By the time her daughter Mishaal reached grade 1, she was reading children’s books on her own. She is now nine and wins many reading contests.”
Her six-year-old son, Shafay, was influenced by his older sister and also loves to read.
According to Indian national Navanita Varadpande: “To promote reading in toddlers and transforming it into a habit, one has to catch them young. Reading aloud with animated conversation in between and the use of colourful pictures go a long way!”
She has a few suggestions for young parents: “Create a cosy corner with the little one snuggled next to you. Tell them stories daily. Also visit bookshops and libraries together. Comic books also help in today’s world of ipads and xboxes.
“My son is now 11, he still enjoys us reading together. Of course now we have moved on to David Copperfield, and I was so happy to see that he has now begun analysing story plots.”
Author Emilie Buchwald, once said: “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” Do you agree? Tell us on readers@gulfnews.com. Share your joy of reading with us by joining #GNBookClub. You can register on gulfnews.com, win book prizes, participate in conversations and polls.
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There’s a book club in Dubai that offers truly exclusive membership — it’s only for readers aged three and under.
The Baby Book Club was started by British mums Azmat Zareen Iqbal and Saira Choudhry, with the aim of getting children to fall in love with literature.
Iqbal said: “Sometimes, at a young age, it’s difficult to get children to sit down and be interested in books. So we thought by starting something like The Baby Book Club, we can get them to come to sessions and make books fun!”
Immersive and interactive experiences set the book club apart. Stories can take the form of puppet shows, sing-alongs and even a little jig!
Choudhry said: “Every session we do is based on a different book. Each time, we use different props, different songs, and so on, so it’s not a session that parents get bored of either.”
At the Reading and Literacy Discovery Centre in Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, US, researchers found that when young children were being told a story, a number of regions in the left part of the brain became active. These are areas involved in understanding the meaning of words and concepts, as well as memory.
Iqbal said: “The earlier you start, the better it is for kids. They build better bonds, have longer concentration and attention spans, they do better at school - just by reading earlier on.”
The club is currently on summer break, but is returning soon. For updates, visit their Facebook page: facebook.com/Thebabybookclub
— By Sanya Nayeem/Deputy Readers Editor
