I have special respect and admiration for people who read everything that can lay their hands on. Reading can never be substituted by anyone or anything in this material world. And mind you, reading need not be just books. It may be anything offline and online. I feel sad and worried, how children have stopped reading, schools have stopped encouraging reading, libraries in the schools look so sad.
A few years from now I remember my kids making me drive to the nearby library every alternate day. In a just 2 months time they had finished reading all the books for their age group. Then my spouse started buying silly toys for them. And alas! They stopped reading books. Suddenly reading became “boring”! In comparison to the apps and games, reading does not give you instant rewards such as points or stars which they are so used to now.
Instant gratification has to be now part of any tool that will encourage them to start reading again.
Can anyone share ideas on how to encourage children and schools into reading? Anyone conducting the reading competition, speed reading, reading comprehension in a fun way?
Reading apps that have gaming involved? Online competition on reading with points and awards? Unless it’s a fast awarding process, it won’t be rewarding enough for the children to adopt reading.
If you have any idea that has worked for you in making your children read, do post a comment below.
I will do an article on all the ideas I get here.
A few links :
http://www.stepintoreading.com/parents/tip/10-tips-to-encourage-reading-love-1
http://www.readingrockets.org/newsletters/extras
http://literacylaunchpad.blogspot.in/2009/11/20-sites-and-tools-to-encourage.html
http://www.readanybook.com/
http://www.reading-rewards.com/