Nurturing a love for reading : Promoting literacy among children

Reading is an activity with a ton of benefits. The books we read not only give us valuable knowledge and life lessons but also help us understand the world around us.

As we read, we come across many new words that we have never heard of which helps us learn and expand our vocabulary. One of the main benefits of reading is the ability to develop critical thinking skills. For example, reading a novel about a detective helps train your mind. What elements are there in the story to draw a conclusion? Or if a book isn't fiction, you'll wonder about the author's moral viewpoint. Critical thinking skills are essential and can be used in our daily life. Reading forces an individual to think and process information in ways that other sources of media such as television cannot. The more you read, the more you strengthen your understanding of the concepts the book includes.

Keeping in mind all the benefits of reading..imagine how wonderful it would be if one started reading at an early age and how much easier it would make it for them to interact with content later on in life! In a world where competition prevails in all areas of life, we must build a child's character so that they have a considerable amount of confidence. Children who lack confidence in their early years often become shy as they grow up. They could potentially find it difficult to cope with the challenges that life throws at them. Many believe that reading can help a child connect to the character, make it their own and help many achieve confidence and accept who they are as individuals.

So, how can we promote literacy amongst children? The best place would be school! Education is essential for all and can help one develop skills that they would use for the rest of their lives. Attending school would also help them interact with other children their own age which will only expand their knowledge!

Another important thing to notice is reading aloud to children. Many studies which include brain scans have shown that hearing stories strengthens the part of the brain associated with visual imagery, story comprehension and word meaning.

Today's children are tomorrow's future and thus it is our responsibility to support them by nurturing a love for reading to make them better citizens of our society.

Written by Medha

Edited by Kennisha