Raising a reader

Develop vocal skills

Gone are the days when a child must be seen and not heard. Our children must learn to express themselves and we must let them know that their thoughts are important. The more vocal children become, the more queries they will have, some of which you may be able to give a rationale answer to. Nonetheless, this is the perfect opportunity to introduce them to reading. For example, if your children want to know why Bob Marley is so important to our Jamaican culture, you can help to provide them with written material and have a discussion about their findings.

Start Simple

Don't expect your children to be scholars overnight. If they are preteens, you could start them off with the Children's Own. Have them read the various features and encourage them to voice their thoughts on whichever article they have read. If their reasoning is beyond the Children's Own, then introduce them to the Youthlink. Whatever the case, encourage them to read material that they might be interested in.

Logics vs fiction

Whatever literature children indulge in, barring explicit and graphic content, reading is always a great hobby to develop. However, what your children read will play an integral role in how they think. I have nothing against fairy tales or novels. If your teens are addicted to these books, you must help them to acknowledge the fact that they are fictional. What is read is usually not real and not logical. Snow White never knew what it was to be unemployed, rejected or to struggle with self-acceptance. It's a great fairy tale, but it's also the furthest thing from reality. Whichever book you choose to introduce to your teens, let it be something that addresses the various issues in society. Whether it is about morals or social structure, the book should enlighten and educate.

Open discussions

The more your teens read, the more opinions they will form. This is one of the good or bad consequences of reading, it depends on what type of parent you are. If you are an open-minded parent, you will welcome these discussions, if not, they will be met with resentment.

Your children may choose to discuss how society views a particular issue, such as why it is that the household helper is not respected in the same manner as the business owner. It is not wise to reject this as sentiment, rather, use it as a medium to start an open discussion.

Posted in Jamaica Gleaner
Anthony Meerak, Outlook Youth Writer