READING NEWSPAPER – A NUDGE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!!

READING NEWSPAPER – A NUDGE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!!

“Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or duty. It should be offered as a precious gift” –

These profound words quoted by Kate DiCamillo well known as an American children’s fiction author are the most relevant and evocative, especially during the present scenario, where children these days are mostly confined to the four walls of their homes after their regular school time.

Witnessing a drop in the AQI (Air Quality Index) levels in the recent past parents must be curious to know how they can engage their children with some recreational, productive and other tangible ways that can help them make their children adapt to effective reading and learning habits while staying indoors. 

Manav Sthali Global School has the answer for this.  Yes!! It’s the same old conventional black and white pack of papers that is read all over the world with much interest and keenness – The Newspaper. It not only enhances the child’s knowledge about the world but also develops a habit of justifying things with fact-based and fool-proof reasoning before believing anything easily. Newspapers also teach them the art of sitting down patiently and contemplating over things before making their final opinion.

All of you all must be well aware children can be shirkers at times when it comes to learning, reading and writing. They often make excuses to get away from their regular studies and indulge in their own play. With the education system trying to implement various alternatives like online learning in order to safeguard children’s physical health thus, making the world rise towards the technological advancements with each passing day, the little learners are only becoming addicted to the Information Technology. Their eyes are fastened to screens daily, be it for watching T.V. or playing games on mobile phones and laptops. Reading has now become restricted only to their school textbooks for the purpose of achieving good grades in their appraisals.

In these developing times, it is quite challenging to get kids to start reading newspaper instead of using any electronic gadget during their recreational time and turning it into a habit even more so. But acting as their Rock of Gibraltar we will suggest few research-based “best practices” that would help your child in inculcating this daily habit.

• RECOGNIZE YOUR CHILD’S INTEREST – Do not force children to read portions in the newspaper what you desire. You can figure out their area of interest and ask them to read that particular section. For instance, if a child has passion for sports, you can suggest articles from the sports section. This will encourage him/her to read about something that he/she would really love and will also grasp some knowledge.
• CREATE A ROUTINE – Read the newspaper with your children daily. Ask them to read while you sit beside them so that any mistakes can be rectified on the spot.
• INTEGRATE SCHOOL LEARNING WITH NEWSPAPER READING – You can use newspapers as an extension of your child’s school textbooks. For example, you can select appropriate paragraphs from the newspaper and give your child reading comprehension exercises. You can also teach grammar and do vocabulary-building exercises with them to help facilitate language development.
• INSPIRE YOUR CHILD TO MAKE A NEWSPAPER SCRAPBOOK -You can also teach your child to make a scrapbook by clubbing together interesting articles, advertisements, comic strip series, word scramble games, etc., published in the newspaper. This will not only make them pick up the newspaper frequently but will also aid them with a meaningful hobby to follow for life.
• MOTIVATE YOUR CHILD TO CONTRIBUTE ARTICLES – This is an effective way to encourage your children to regularly send their entries to sections that invite contributions such as short stories, poems, drawings and pictures of craftwork.

Help your child become a lifelong learner by developing in them a love for reading newspapers with these tips. This will surely help them become a more socially attentive and responsible citizens.