Parents have role in inculcating reading culture

Family is the basic unit of society and it is from here that we all develop into who we become.

And, therefore, if society expects certain virtues from its citizens, then it has to start from the family.

Many of the ills in the world today can be traced to dysfunctional families.

There has been concern about Kenya’s reading culture and the arguable general feeling is that Kenyans are poor readers.

This could explain why some libraries have either been closed down or have become non-operational. This poor reading culture is reflected on the type of books that are being produced and are rotting on the shelves in book shops.

I will not even mention the number of manuscripts that have been rejected by publishing houses due to their poor quality.

There has also been an outcry from a number of staffing companies who receive hundreds of poorly written application letters from graduates who have supposedly gone through the 8-4-4 system.

EARLY EXPOSURE

Who then can reverse this situation? The answer lies with the parents.

Just as they train their children to walk, to talk and to eat, parents should also train them to read. In many of the western countries, parents lull their babies to sleep by reading them story books.

If only we could borrow a leaf from them. Research says that reading something just before going to bed helps the child feel secure and more comfortable while sleeping.

How many times have we as parents read story books with our young ones? How many times have we bought story books or novels for our children and urged them to read? Do we ourselves read in the presence of our children so they can ape us?

These are germane questions that need to be addressed as we look for the panacea to poor reading.

I remember how my mother would buy for us story books and this was very instrumental in our acquisition of language skills.

She ensure that we read as many books and novels as money would allow. As a teacher of English, and many colleagues would relate with me on this, I have to grapple with marking hundreds of creative writing that lacks both creativity and vocabulary.

Our students’ exposure to literary texts is limited to the set books that have been prescribed by the Ministry of Education and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development.

Majority of them bid novels good bye as they hand over their English Paper 3 answer booklets to the invigilator.

So it is no wonder then that only a handful of our writers win accolades in the international arena as compared to their West African counterparts.

Exposure to books at an early age gives one an edge over those who were not exposed to reading. It is no wonder, therefore, that children who grow up reading books stand out.

SHREWD REVIEW

As they grow, they become interested in reading whatever they come across and thus building on their knowledge.

These people are confident when they speak because they know what they are talking about and never lack content as one is kept abreast at all times.

They later develop into shrewd writers because they have learnt the art of expressing oneself. Since all parents expect their children to prosper, they owe their children the opportunity to develop themselves through reading.

And what better way to do this than when they are young. Just as food is for the body, reading is for the mind and soul as it broadens the mind and gives one the ability to think out of the box.

Go on then, get a book for your child or teenager.