ArabBaba
Create a welcoming reading
environment at home
By Mostafa Hassan
M
any parents believe that if
they simply provide their
children
some
reading
material that should be
enough to encourage their children
to read. Unfortunately, this is far from
the truth. As parents, we have to
make a deliberate attempt, to create
an environment that is conducive to
learning and reading in our homes.
How do we create a great reading
environment at home and offer as
many resources to a child to give him/
her the best start?
I’ve put together a list of the 4Cs that
have made a huge difference in my
own children in the last 6 months. It
has changed the way my oldest sees
reading and not just as homework.
Reading has become enjoyment and
not a task.
Create an inviting space
Whether you have a small apartment
or a large villa, there is always room
for a small, dedicated reading corner.
In our case, we have a garden bench
that we renovated for inside use. It is
located under our stairs. We placed
colourful pillows and blankets and
included their ‘Wall of Fame’ (their
46 | Mar - Apr 2016 |
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paintings, certificates, etc.) above it.
This location is away from the TV and
loud sounds. Underneath the bench,
we placed sideways baskets where
their books are stacked. There is one
for our 2 year old and another for our
6 year old. They may choose from it at
any time.
Create structure; make it
enjoyable
Invite your child to read at times when
they are relaxed and most open to
reading. For some, it may be just after
the school day ends. Others may
prefer to read at bedtime. Know their
best times and make their environment
available at that time.
Create variety; Pique their
curiosity
Provide a variety of books. This
will allow them to read what they
like depending on their mood. We
decided to have ‘Book a Week’. Each
Saturday, I pickup a new book (book
sales or several at the school’s book
fairs) and I put a new one in the baskets
for each of them. They know Saturday
is ‘find the book day’ because th