What to do to get a child to read books on a voluntary basis: tips to help parents who have lost hope

Lithuanian language teacher Alius Avčininkas and education expert, pedagogue, doctor of social sciences and lecturer at Vilnius University Simonas Šabanovas agreed to answer these and other important questions and comment on the research results.

Read less, see more and more?

A survey conducted by research company Spinter last year revealed that books are among the most popular gifts – up to 19% would like to receive them. population of the country. At the same time, it appears to be a very useful gift, especially for children, says the press release. 2014 The European interdisciplinary network of researchers funded by the European Union COST E-READ, established in 2006, brought together researchers from 33 countries around the world. They carried out up to 54 studies with 170,000. people. Thus, deep reading of printed books was found to activate areas of the brain responsible for vision, hearing, and speech. Researchers have also found that reading and understanding long printed texts (informational or fictional) builds writing and text creation skills and improves long-term memory. According to them, reading long texts is also necessary to develop attention, the ability to concentrate and enrich vocabulary.

Despite all the positive characteristics, in today’s world, people of all ages, including children, are increasingly reading information not in books, but on phones and computer screens. Here the UK’s National Literacy Trust, which has been surveying young people’s reading habits for 15 years, found it in 2019 – only 26 percent. Britons under 18 read the book on a daily basis. This is the lowest rate in the history of the investigation.

Books, of course, are mostly replaced by screens. The US organization ParentsTogether found that during the pandemic, the time children spent in front of screens doubled to 6 hours. per day. YouTube, Netflix and Tok Only, which have little to do with education, have been identified as the most used devices.

Reading on the screen develops different skills than in books

However, even if children read texts on screens, this behavior would be ambiguous for scientists. While this way of reading is also valuable and necessary, it develops completely different skills. It is more suitable for quick access to large amounts of information and is also called “short” reading, when the information is only seen through the eyes, understanding only the general essence.

Education expert Simon Shabanov suggests not being too upset about this and remembering that we live in a new era dominated by digital media and where there is endless information.

“Not only children, but also parents themselves use speed reading because we live in an age of information, decisions and quick summaries. Our behavior pattern has also changed as we “google” through life. We are only looking for substance and specificity. Critical thinking skills, time management and especially creative thinking are developed, because we build our opinion and understanding from fragments and apply it ”, explains S. Šabanovas.

For his part, Lithuanian language teacher Alius Avčininkas stated that, in his opinion, parents do not always realize what their children are actually doing, which can lead to a false impression.

“If a child holds a phone in his hand or sits with a computer on his lap, parents may consider it a waste of time. It all starts or just depends on communication: do you talk at home about what is important to each family member? Are you interested in what attracts a child? Are you wondering what the child is reading? And those questions should not be like launching accusations or suspicions. It all depends on the family relationship: a child may even deliberately hide their hobbies if they are not supported, if there is one or another standard that is still difficult to resist. In this way, the concealment of the self can also be treated as a rebellion “, commented A. Avčininkas.

We will not force you to read, we can only be interested and show you an example

Speaking about the ways that children would be interested in reading books and long texts, Lithuanian language teacher A. Avčininkas stated that there are many of them; only for some they fit and for others they lead to a standstill.

“The American educator Michel Borba talks about education through personalities, when curiosity is aroused to seek information and apply it. This method is well illustrated by the story of a Polish nurse who rescued Jewish children during the war: Irena Sendler became very interested while she was still alive, when American students, urged by teachers, sought to meet the person who inspired them. more possible; they finally got to meet their heroine live. And it all started at the lesson. From a phrase, a personality, a letter “, emphasized A. Avčininkas.

S. Šabanovas, doctor of social sciences and professor at Vilnius University, proposes a combination of fast and slow reading. According to him, reading is a broad concept, because people read not only on paper, but also in reading rooms or other smart devices.

“The new generation reads on smart devices and doesn’t just use ‘short’ reading. They also need concentration here, attention, and this is a good way to access the book. And then the ability to listen, empathize and constantly follow develops. thinking. It is important that this reading provides the opportunity to relax and reflect on everything more slowly. It is an opportunity to slow down the pace of life and experience a period of self-analysis or rest, which is especially important to maintain positive psychological health “, explained education expert S. Shabanov.

New ways of reading are emerging

According to Shabanov, when it comes to reading and its forms, extremes should be avoided and it should not be said that the world belongs only to digital space or only to a paper book.

“The digital space has emerged and we have to learn to live with it and use it. It is clear that dry IT training is not very effective and, most importantly, its application and use across the board. Is it necessary to develop and teach speed reading? Yes, but it is necessary to teach and critically select, evaluate, analyze, compare and apply clearly. The question must be shaped and what will reading be like in a few years? There will be other ways of reading and they should be able to adapt and not get lost as they arise. In summary, it is important to use different reading skills in time and place and to know how to read ”, emphasized S. Šabanovas, Doctor of Social Sciences.

Develop the child’s ability to be alone.

In turn, the Lithuanian language teacher A. Avčininkas, ensures that slow or attentive reading is related to rhythm, when the rhythm of the day, week or month must be clear. In addition, the teacher emphasized that being alone is especially important for a person.

“It is necessary to start with meditative practices that help to concentrate. Socialization that has taken other forms does not encourage us to carry a thicker book in our hands: people who are used to being in the virtual communication space have a harder time breaking up with it, they are afraid of being alone, of missing something So there is a feeling of insecurity ”, explains the Lithuanian language teacher.

The fact that more and more children are unwilling or unable to read long books or texts is not necessarily influenced by technology. Parents themselves may be responsible for this. Research from the UK’s National Literacy Trust has also revealed that while the vast majority of parents acknowledge the benefits of reading for their children, only 15 per cent. actually reads aloud to children every day. You can read not only the smallest.

“Occasions like Christmas are a good time to return to the world of reading. Especially this year when all the entertainment is home alone. Only this time it would be useful not only to give the child a book, but also to read it together with him, to create family reading traditions and a favorable environment for that. Various Fun Education posts, STEAM assignments and creative posts prepared by the Šviesa publishing house, which creates advanced learning tools, can also help to interest reading, and the most popular fairy tales and heroes of children and teenagers are always useful. The main goal is that later, when the offspring grow up, reading and interest become an independent habit, ”says education expert S. Shabanov.