The earliest memories I have of myself and books are those of reading late into the night cosily ensconced in my duvet, an Enid Blyton book taking me into the land of Brer Rabbit, Mr Meddle and later into the adventures of the Famous Five, Secret Seven and Five Find Outers.

The sands of time have trickled down the hour-glass, yet my love affair with books remains unchanged. A dog-eared, well-thumbed book is a constant bedside mate. As a teacher of the English language I am aghast at the deterioration of the reading habit in the teens. I cajole them and sometimes even fall to threatening them to pick up a book, newspaper or a magazine. Sometimes my inability as a language facilitator to encourage students to read forces me to traipse down memory lane and identify how ‘my’ own relationship with books evolved.

If you want your child to sit upon the magic carpet of words, be whisked off to unknown lands, live the life of fascinating characters and learn lessons of value and morality all in one go, introduce him/her to the written word. Here are a few pointers as shared by a few professionals and concerned parents as to how to develop the reading habit in young children.

Reading aloud to your child As a parent you hold the key to unlock the doors to your child’s future. According to Nisreen Vasi, someone who has been dealing with books and encouraging the reading habit for the last two decades, one cannot emphasise enough on the importance of reading aloud to one’s child.

“The time one spends with one’s little one before bedtime or during the day with a book, has a multitude of benefits on the intellectual and emotional levels,” Mrs Vasi says. “As a parent when you read aloud to your child you are teaching him vocabulary, telling him how to express himself and most importantly making him feel special by giving him quality time. Touching your child or cuddling up to him while you read is a memory he will cherish for a lifetime.”

Arwa Khuzaima, a teacher trainer and head of a pre-primary section in a school, suggests that even with older kids, a parent or teacher reading aloud with proper intonation and expression and predicting and inferring story lines helps the child to develop an interest in reading.

Choosing the right reading material As a parent who wishes to nudge his/her child into the world of books, it is imperative to put before your child a range of books which are visually appealing, comprehensible and something a child can relate to. “Let the child choose which book he wants you to read to him,” suggests Mrs Vasi.

Glossy, colourful and attractive books are easily available at most book stores. “If the price is an issue then these very book stores offer sale from time to time,” says Shahida, a mother of two. Shahida regularly visits flea markets on Sundays and revels in the plethora of books for all age groups available there.

“My teenage daughter also gets to choose from a variety of reading material as well as my four-year-old. Not to forget myself!” she finishes impishly. Accept that children have a limited attention span and give them generous access to reading material; ‘something’ is sure to attract the child’s interest. Also make sure that you subscribe to a newspaper and a variety of magazines. If your child is wary of picking up a thick book it might be easier for him to read a short article or poem.

Setting an example Arwa Khuzaima is a strong advocate of the DEAR theory. “It means Drop Everything And Read. It can be in school or at home — we create half an hour when we stop doing what we are and pick up something to read. This helps to create an environment. At first a child might be forced to pick up a book and may even just flip through the pages, but he’s bound to become interested if he sees everyone around him doing the same.” Apt examples are Mr and Mrs Salim who are avid readers. It comes as no surprise that their children are book lovers too. “They have always seen us nursing a book or a newspaper, so it has come naturally to them. I think it is far-fetched to push your child to read when you yourself have not been seen picking up a newspaper,” Mrs Saleem says candidly.

Love for the library I recall my daily trips with my mother to a neighbourhood library which was started by a young lady who was an avid reader and had transformed her vast book collection into a library where young readers could take benefit for a nominal membership. Today, there is a sorry dearth of affordable community libraries in our cities. Those who are members of exclusive clubs are fortunate to be able to benefit from their well stocked and well maintained library facilities. Nineteen-year-old Aiman, a medical student, goes to her club library every day. “It enables me to study in peace and quiet and when I need a break I resort to comics or light poetry from the collection there. The serenity of a library is such bliss.” Libraries also have attractive kids’ sections where little ones can sit on comfy little chairs and browse through colourful books. Every standard school has a library from where students have the opportunity to borrow books. “Borrowing books from a library not only gives affordable access to written material but also inculcates the need to care for the issued book and nurtures a sense of responsibility that the book be returned on time,” says Lubna, a librarian.

Books as birthday presents I was stunned yet appreciative when my daughter received a birthday invitation which had a hand written request at the end. “Books as presents would be appreciated.” What a novel idea! Toys may be outgrown, but a book’s life is eternal.

It is little initiatives like these that can help you shape the road to your child’s enlightened future. The habit of reading is one of the greatest gifts a parent or a teacher can give to children. Mark Twain sums it up astutely, “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.” n