Wow! Writers’ Hall at Hyd book fair turns a big draw

Hyderabad: It is high time, parents, schools and government focus attention on re-inventing the habit of book reading by children. Unfortunately, book reading has become a thing of past. The best habit is to read children’s literature through printed books. It can be also be made available on digital platforms since it is digital era but still inculcating physical reading of books is the best practice say authors and members of Hyderabad Book fair society.

Speaking to The Hans India, many said the responsibility to encourage children to read more and more books should be taken up by parents and teachers. Parents need to spend more time with their kids. They should also have some collection of interesting story books at home. Story books help the child to understand and will kindle their imagination and they will develop the habit of logical thinking and questioning, something that is missing today.

Vaishnavi, 16 years old and author of the three books Jaz Gang series, said, “ Nowadays reading habits have disappeared, I started writing at a very early age, nowadays majority of the families are not encouraging reading habits.

She said she was lucky as her parents especially her mother motivated her to read books which made her a child writer as well and today she has three books to her credit. Children should be taught to read story books for at least an hour a day, note down some points for reasoning and logical thinking.

Laxmi, another author, who displayed various books on social issues, said, “School should include library period in the academic timetable, at least twice in a week, students should be taken to the library and also children should be monitored while reading. Some schools distribute student edition of newspapers but they are not comprehensible for students below class VI. There is no monitoring on whether they are reading them or not because the teachers do not interact with the children on topics published in the newspaper.

Books and newspapers are best options than browsing social media or playing video games. It will help in developing value system in the society.

The participants in the book fair felt that since children spend a good time in school, teachers should take up the responsibility to engage the child in a productive way. Emphasis should be on story telling but that is not happening.

Schools are in tearing hurry to finish syllabus and do not bother on making the children ready to face the society. Many schools do not have even a library. At least once a week, children should be made to participate in stage plays, elocution competition, essay writing competition and this practice should start from primary level.