MAKE READING CHILD’S PLAY
Raising kids who love to read is as important as raising kids who can read. And it all starts at home!
Reading is known to cultivate a child’s imagination, out-of-the-box thinking, curiosity and confidence. Experts agree that it also stimulates a lot of early language, literacy and social skills in children.
“It really develops comprehension and increases vocabulary. By creating a shared experience during story time, you promote social skills and bonding between parent and child. You also bring an understanding of communication and emotions,” says Prianka Parusnath, a speech and language therapist at Umhlanga’s Khanyisa Developmental Centre.
Parusnath says jump-starting reading in early childhood can also lead to later academic success, but cautions parents not to put all the focus on that from the get go.
ENTRENCHING A READING CULTURE
The Progress In International Reading Literacy Study recently revealed that eight out of 10 South African children cannot read at an appropriate level in any language. Cultivating a reading culture in children is extremely important — as is the role of parents in this endeavour.
“Parents should understand that they are their children’s first educators. Therefore, they should serve as role models for reading behaviour,” says educational psychologist Dr Joseph Seabi.
Here’s how to pique kids’ interest in books:
Oral tradition
Lorato Trok is an author of a number of children’s books, as well as a creative writing facilitator for children’s literature. Many of her books are written in Setswana and are included in school curriculums in the North West province. “I am who I am today because my mother was a brilliant storyteller,” she says. “O ne a re tlhabela ditlhamane every night
without fail. She would then encourage us to tell our own stories. This is very important where there are no physical books because some people can’t afford them. Our oral tradition is literature promotion. This helps children want to gravitate towards books,” shares Trok.
Promote family literacy
A project Trok ran for the National Library in Cape Town included delivering free wordless picture books to families nationwide. “We kept hearing from caregivers who said they felt confident reading to their children because the books were wordless. When you haven’t gone to school, text can be intimidating”
“We got different stories about the same pictures from 10 homes. Promoting family literacy is very important. It’s not only text or words.”
Create a home reading environment Kids learn by emulating. If you have book shelves at home and your child sees you reading, they too will follow suit. This applies to reading the Bible or a magazine too. Create a positive environment where reading is a fun activity, not a chore.
Read in their home language Studies show that children who go to school with a solid foundation in their mother tongue develop stronger literacy abilities in the second or third language.
“In addition to speaking the home language, read to your child in their mother tongue and teach them to write in it too. Children’s cultural and linguistic experience in the home is the foundation of their future learning. We must build on that foundation rather than undermine it,” advises Dr Seabi.
Establish reading routines Parusnath says incorporating stories into routine, as early as possible, is helpful as it allows reading and stories to become a natural part of your day. “You can start reading aloud to your children from birth and introduce material books or sturdy cardboard books from about six months of age.”
Experts encourage caregivers to establish daily reading rituals that evolve with the child’s needs and not to worry if your child wants to play during reading time — it’s how they learn to pay attention.
Read a variety of age-appropriate books to your child. Vary the routine to allow other family members to also be part of reading time.
Add reading to everyday activities “Expose your children to print-rich environments. Point out print in your natural environment. For instance, saying “Oh look at that stop sign!” or “Look at that big yellow M for McDonald’s” is a fun and functional way to include literacy and basic reading skills into every day routine,” according to Parusnath.
Expose kids to book festivals and libraries
The Abantu Book Festival, held every December in Soweto, is a free event which prioritises the nurturing of young black readers. Past events have included literary legends like Zakes Mda; Gcina Mhlophe and Sindiwe Magona reading to kids, and each child leaving with a book in their home language.
Some of the festival’s discussion points have revolved around how local libraries need to reflect the needs of the black child with books that represent them. In addition to this, Trok says black communities still need guidance on what a library is for.
“Government has built libraries in the townships, but people still find it difficult to go to a library because that culture was never entrenched. Kids are using libraries for homework and nothing else. We still have a long way to go,” says Trok.
Embrace technology
It’s okay to adapt reading into the digital age.
“For early readers, you might want to build foundational skills using books first. Holding a book correctly and turning a page are good orientation and motor skills to learn,” advises Parusnath.
She notes how for school-aged kids and online learning, e-books have proven to be helpful where the skill of reading is the focus. Little ones might enjoy story time over YouTube or online platforms like Vook, and that’s actually okay.
“I know screen time has a bad reputation and when it is used in excess, or as a substitute for human interaction, it can negatively affect development. But it is also a really useful tool when facilitated by an adult in the right way,” says Parusnath.