WHAT WE REALLY NEED
To foster interest and a lifelong reading habit, I believe we need to start young.
In my case, I’ve read to my two daughters since they were babies, and continued through their primary school years, even when they could read independently. Our reading sessions were always fun; they’d listen intently as I acted out characters with exaggerated tones and expressions.
By upper primary, they were reading around a hundred books a year each on their own. The number itself isn’t as important as the fact that they have learned since young to associate reading with joy, and would happily pick up a book on their own.
Now in secondary school, they have less time because of heavier workloads and more hobbies. But every now and then, I still see them return to books. They may not read as much as before, but I’m not worried because they’ve linked reading with comfort and joy, I know they’ll always find their way back to books.
Many of my friends who are avid readers today were already readers as children. Once the habit is ingrained, there becomes little need to encourage it.
That said, wanting to read is one thing, but finding time to do so in our busy schedules is another. As much as I try to read daily, there are days when my commitments hardly allow me to do so. Beyond work and household chores, there are also many other things that compete for attention during my rest time, like scrolling social media and streaming shows.
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