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Though controversial, there is a general belief that Kenyans do not read outside of studying for exams. Even though there is a growing interest in books made evident by the kind of literary works at various book festivals, experts say the quality is still wanting. Even so, this is a commendable start in the journey towards promoting writing and reading culture locally.

With an overloaded CBC curriculum that has had many parents cry out for help considering the number of projects they have to undertake with their children, picking up a book for an end-of-day reading for pleasure has become increasingly difficult for many children, let alone parents.

However, this begs the question for parents and teachers alike; what needs to be done to promote a culture of reading for pleasure among school-going children? Are parents, for instance, aware that reading for leisure is predictive of educational success for a student and has a greater role to play compared to say one’s family’s socio-economic status? Setting aside just about 30 minutes of reading for fun a day for a child sets their reading ability ahead by a year, according to findings from various research studies globally.

To inculcate reading for enjoyment at home, parents ought to intentionally read out aloud stories to their children even before the young ones join formal learning institutions. This inducts them into a community of literature lovers and story enthusiasts from early on. To make these read-out sessions more interesting, parents ought to do it with enthusiasm, as this piques the interest of the children and their love for words. It also helps them to express their emotions.

Whereas some schools are doing commendable work to encourage leisure reading, this trend is not as widespread as it should be. Activities such as intentionally incorporating a ‘Book Month’ in school calendars are one way to encourage reading for fun at a young age. Here reading is made part and parcel of the curriculum and is supported by accompanying official school activities.

Schools can also incorporate attractive book corners, modelled on coffee shop libraries, to encourage children to make time for reading.  Teachers also ought to guide children on what books to read. This is a great starting point as children are often unable to find their perfect title without adult help or supervision. 

A ring-fencing specific time for reading as a weekly class activity can also go a long in helping pupils develop a habit of reading for enjoyment. The result will be evident once the children become adults and are able to face the world with confidence.