Seven years old Ada was finding it hard to read, she couldn’t read even five-letter words. Reading felt difficult to her so she avoided it completely.
In class, she watched her classmates answer questions with confidence while she was silent.
One day, her teacher handed her a colourful storybook with pictures and drawings and always encouraged her to read one page each day.
At first, it was hard but with her teacher’s dedication and encouragement, Ada started developing more interest in reading. She practiced diligently and before long, Ada started dreaming and aspiring to become a doctor. She also started asking questions in class and answering questions being asked too.
Ada’s story reminds us that every child has the potential to succeed when given the opportunity to read. Reading is more than a school activity, it helps in critical thinking, building confidence, and the foundation for leadership.
Margaret Fuller said, “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” This goes to show the impact inculcating the habit of reading has on our children and future leaders.
Children in most classrooms do not have access to books, they are not exposed to the culture of reading. Most of them do not even have a functioning library where they go to read and feed their minds. Another child in another school meanwhile has access to these books and the library as well. Many children lack access to books, libraries and supportive reading environments. This hinders their chances to grow intellectually, because a reader has the opportunity of learning new words, improving his/her vocabulary and exposed to various insights.
Many children who are supposed to be way smarter are finding it difficult to navigate because they lack the foundations of reading. This can deteriorate their academic performance, give them lack of confidence because they cannot be able to express themselves. It can also affect them in the future because they might not be able to explore various opportunities which may come their way, thereby increasing the nation’s level of illiteracy.
Parents are advised to encourage daily reading at home. They need to ensure that their children are encouraged to learn the habit of reading. This can be done by drafting a timetable for their reading time or attaching a reward to it to make it more fun. Buy their children books for their age, help them to pronounce words and teach them how to read and make sentences.
Schools can also make a difference by establishing functional libraries and book clubs. This helps to build interest and encourage peer learning. With book clubs, the children can gather to discuss a book and lessons learnt. This encourages them to read more and look forward to book club meetings so they can interact and share their views.
Government needs to invest in literacy programmes and provide age-appropriate books. This will ensure that every child is carried along and also monitor to know and censor the type of books the young ones should read.
Communities and NGOs are encouraged to support initiatives that promote reading among children. They can create initiatives like “A reader today, a leader tomorrow; every child deserves an opportunity to learn, relearn, and unlearn.”
These approaches will help the young ones develop language and good communication skills. It will also keep their cognitive abilities, think critically and solve problems. It ensures better academic performance, building confidence and become lifelong learners and future leaders.
As parents, educators, policymakers and communities, we all have roles to play in nurturing the love for reading from an early age.
Even the Bible says, “Train up a child in a way he should go, so that when they grow, they will not depart from it.”
By investing in children’s literacy today, we are investing in a future generation of informed, confident and visionary leaders.
“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” — Emilie Buchwald
This quote reminds us that a child’s reading journey often begins with the encouragement and support they receive at home. When families, schools, and societies work together to cultivate this habit, children are empowered to become lifelong learners.
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” — Frederick Douglass.
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