Adults have to read to set an example

ABU DHABI // The best way for adults to get children to read is to lead by example.

“It helps a lot when the parents set the examples,” said Zeyna Al Jabri, owner of Buzoor, a distributor of Arabic books for children.

“You can’t be sitting on your phone all day long and then suddenly asks your kids, ‘Why didn’t you read today?’ It just doesn’t work that way.

“If they don’t see you reading – unless they have an innate love for reading – you can’t just say it in words, it has to be action.”

Steve Crandell, a librarian at the American Community School Abu Dhabi, said the school had been holding a number of literacy events such as hosting visits by authors to enthuse students about reading and writing.

“The biggest thing we do is, one, we convey the message to the whole family. It can’t just be something that happens at school. It’s got to be something that the parents care about as well,” he said.

Mr Crandell said pupils also faced the challenge of finding the time to read a book.

“There’s a lot of different pulls on every student and the time that they have,” he said. “But we feel very confident that a lot of our students really appreciate and enjoy the time that they can find for reading.”

At the American International School in Abu Dhabi, elementary school pupils are able to attend two book fairs and celebrate World Book Day every year.

Reading is part of their daily homework, as pupils are expected to spend 20 minutes on reading every night. The school also offers them workshops on reading and writing, and support for parents.

“If children are hooked while very young on the unique pleasures of reading and are allowed to pursue their passions through reading, then they will continue to read and to benefit from reading,” said Mary Pittman-Jones, the elementary school principal at the American International School.

She said parents and children often faced the “seductive distractions of modern life”, such as televisions, mobile phones and video games.

“The trick is to balance, to try to make sure that time is apportioned to sport, to family, to hobbies,” she said. “Parents and teachers play a big role in teaching children this balance. We always ask parents how often they read to their children – really interact around a book – and not just stick a device in their hands.”

Emad Eid, the head of libraries at Abu Dhabi Municipality, said he hoped the Year of Reading would help to build strong reading habits among Emirati families.

“The family is the root of making reading a daily habit,” he said, adding that society also has an important role to play. “We need initiatives to instil reading, to make it a habit for every day. The cooperation of everybody is essential to achieve the goals of the initiative.”