Love reading, love life
Being able to read is still one of the world's most important skills. Jo Caruana discovers how local initiatives are encouraging literacy among the young
More than any other single skill, the ability to read - and read well - allows a child to succeed at school, learn about the world, function in the community and society at large, and someday have good job prospects. However, it is a sad fact that in a recent international survey more than half of the young people interviewed said their parents do not encourage them to read other than for school work.
Therefore, it is fantastic news that children are becoming more and more avid readers. And it's similarly pleasing that children's publishers are doing their bit to encourage their young clients as all over the world initiatives have been put in place to push reading both at home and at school.
Locally, things are no different and Caroline Wirth, a director at Miller Distributors Ltd, is extremely passionate about encouraging children to read in all manners possible.
"Reading is such an important skill to learn at an early age," she explains, "and it's not only important for academic purposes but also for developing a well-rounded personality.
"Malta is interesting as we are a bilingual country, at Agenda we recognise the importance of promoting literacy in both English and Maltese. It is a fact that one will find many more books written in English rather than Maltese, however, we are continually working towards improving the selection of Maltese books available on the Island.
As Ms Wirth explains, a set of Enid Blyton books in Maltese were recently published by Miller Distributors which she hopes will go a long way in encouraging children to try out different authors and different styles in whatever language they prefer.
"Of course it's important to read and speak in English because at the end of the day that is an international language, however picking up a book and feeling comfortable to spend hours reading it is the most important thing, in whatever language, as whatever we do in life somehow links back to reading.
"As a company we also feel that J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series has been a great aid in the advancement of reading for children. The series, which recently came to an end, has been around for 10 years and inspired a whole generation of readers. The younger children who grew up with these books are the backbone of tomorrow's society; we are extremely conscious of very young readers and therefore chose to launch the Agenda Kids Club to further encourage reading among this age group."
The Kids Club, which is fronted by friendly hound Mikiel, was set-up and designed specifically for children.
"We spent a long time researching the idea of the club before finally achieving it; we studied the market in detail to discover what children wanted and what would keep them motivated.
"Mikiel is 'cool' - he's the sort of character children feel comfortable associating themselves with. Mikiel's job is to ensure children that opening their minds and learning is a very clever thing to do and not in the least bit 'nerdy', thus children feel inclined to meet him and listen to his message."
The project has included an array of activities since it was first launched in November of last year.
"We kicked the club off with a huge party and have been very pleased with the response that it's had and the large number of children who have signed up to it; this is currently in excess of 3,000 members.
"The club aims to charm children into reading in different ways. Firstly there's an exciting goodie bag which is filled with different things to keep them busy. There's also a regular newsletter which always includes a message from an international author. Most importantly we try to educate our members on the fragility of the environment too and plant a tree (through the 34U Campaign) on behalf of each child who joins. The lesson behind that is that while trees are used to make the paper for books, we are doing our best to replace them too."
The Agenda Kids Club also aims to bring an international children's author to Malta each year to meet and greet young readers.
"Since we launched the club, children have been introduced to Katherine Roberts, author of such stories as Song Quest and I am the Great Horse. This was a great success as it's always nice for readers to put a face to the words they read, and authors are generally very down to earth and can offer a lot of advice.
"Meanwhile, we try to celebrate all the big events of the literature world - such as the launches of the Harry Potter books or the Cat in the Hat, an international 'readathon' which took place recently too. The main idea is to make reading fun."
Extensive international research has shown that communities ranking high in achievement tests have several factors in common: An abundance of books in public libraries, easy access to books in the community at large and a large number of text books per pupil.
"Text books are a good start which is why we recently launched the Books for Schools initiative," Ms Wirth continued. "This basically means that when parents purchase school books through Agenda Bookshops they will, depending on the amount spent, receive a number of vouchers redeemable through their child's school. Once the children return to school they can place these vouchers in collection boxes and the school can then convert these into books for their library or to give out at prize day, for example.
"But it doesn't stop at school, it is incredibly important to read with your children at home," said Ms Wirth.
Research has shown that reading aloud to your children, and letting them see you reading, are two of the best ways to help them on the road to literacy.
"My father always used to read to me, and when he couldn't he would record himself reading children's stories so that I could listen to them when I was sick; we still listen to them today.
"Reading aloud to children is an excellent way to encourage them to read themselves as they will eventually want to follow in their parents' footsteps. Audio books are also an option and are especially useful for reluctant readers as they still get the benefits of reading which will aid their confidence. At the Agenda Kids Club events we also have a professional story-teller at hand to read excerpts and stories aloud; the children love this.
"Reading gives all children a sense of confidence as it gives them something to discuss with their friends and be proud of. No matter what today's society has to offer I still believe that the beauty of holding a book in your hands will never be replaced and they are here to stay for good.
"It's an interesting fact that books have become one of the most sought-after gifts at Christmastime, and it's obvious why: They last forever, enrich your life, give you entertainment, enhance your home, are beautiful to look at and aren't fattening!
"In a society so full of distractions it is interesting to see that, if it's the right one, a book can still entice you to switch off the world for a while and simply read, and that's fantastic," she added.
Tips on how to encourage reading
Children who learn to love books will be children who grow up to be good readers. The best time for children to learn to love books is while they are young. You can help them by making story-time a regular part of their day and by encouraging them in their early attempts to speak, read, and write.
Speaking, reading and writing are all linked. And they can all be learned and practised throughout the course of each day in age-appropriate ways.
Show children that there are things to read everywhere. Make a game of finding things with words on them (like bus-stop signs or cereal boxes). This helps children to see how important it is to be able to read and write.
Limit or eliminate TV viewing. Help children make other choices for their free time activities (like reading, writing, playing, talking).
Show children how you read and write every day to have fun and to get things done.
Therefore, it is fantastic news that children are becoming more and more avid readers. And it's similarly pleasing that children's publishers are doing their bit to encourage their young clients as all over the world initiatives have been put in place to push reading both at home and at school.
Locally, things are no different and Caroline Wirth, a director at Miller Distributors Ltd, is extremely passionate about encouraging children to read in all manners possible.
"Reading is such an important skill to learn at an early age," she explains, "and it's not only important for academic purposes but also for developing a well-rounded personality.
"Malta is interesting as we are a bilingual country, at Agenda we recognise the importance of promoting literacy in both English and Maltese. It is a fact that one will find many more books written in English rather than Maltese, however, we are continually working towards improving the selection of Maltese books available on the Island.
As Ms Wirth explains, a set of Enid Blyton books in Maltese were recently published by Miller Distributors which she hopes will go a long way in encouraging children to try out different authors and different styles in whatever language they prefer.
"Of course it's important to read and speak in English because at the end of the day that is an international language, however picking up a book and feeling comfortable to spend hours reading it is the most important thing, in whatever language, as whatever we do in life somehow links back to reading.
"As a company we also feel that J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series has been a great aid in the advancement of reading for children. The series, which recently came to an end, has been around for 10 years and inspired a whole generation of readers. The younger children who grew up with these books are the backbone of tomorrow's society; we are extremely conscious of very young readers and therefore chose to launch the Agenda Kids Club to further encourage reading among this age group."
The Kids Club, which is fronted by friendly hound Mikiel, was set-up and designed specifically for children.
"We spent a long time researching the idea of the club before finally achieving it; we studied the market in detail to discover what children wanted and what would keep them motivated.
"Mikiel is 'cool' - he's the sort of character children feel comfortable associating themselves with. Mikiel's job is to ensure children that opening their minds and learning is a very clever thing to do and not in the least bit 'nerdy', thus children feel inclined to meet him and listen to his message."
The project has included an array of activities since it was first launched in November of last year.
"We kicked the club off with a huge party and have been very pleased with the response that it's had and the large number of children who have signed up to it; this is currently in excess of 3,000 members.
"The club aims to charm children into reading in different ways. Firstly there's an exciting goodie bag which is filled with different things to keep them busy. There's also a regular newsletter which always includes a message from an international author. Most importantly we try to educate our members on the fragility of the environment too and plant a tree (through the 34U Campaign) on behalf of each child who joins. The lesson behind that is that while trees are used to make the paper for books, we are doing our best to replace them too."
The Agenda Kids Club also aims to bring an international children's author to Malta each year to meet and greet young readers.
"Since we launched the club, children have been introduced to Katherine Roberts, author of such stories as Song Quest and I am the Great Horse. This was a great success as it's always nice for readers to put a face to the words they read, and authors are generally very down to earth and can offer a lot of advice.
"Meanwhile, we try to celebrate all the big events of the literature world - such as the launches of the Harry Potter books or the Cat in the Hat, an international 'readathon' which took place recently too. The main idea is to make reading fun."
Extensive international research has shown that communities ranking high in achievement tests have several factors in common: An abundance of books in public libraries, easy access to books in the community at large and a large number of text books per pupil.
"Text books are a good start which is why we recently launched the Books for Schools initiative," Ms Wirth continued. "This basically means that when parents purchase school books through Agenda Bookshops they will, depending on the amount spent, receive a number of vouchers redeemable through their child's school. Once the children return to school they can place these vouchers in collection boxes and the school can then convert these into books for their library or to give out at prize day, for example.
"But it doesn't stop at school, it is incredibly important to read with your children at home," said Ms Wirth.
Research has shown that reading aloud to your children, and letting them see you reading, are two of the best ways to help them on the road to literacy.
"My father always used to read to me, and when he couldn't he would record himself reading children's stories so that I could listen to them when I was sick; we still listen to them today.
"Reading aloud to children is an excellent way to encourage them to read themselves as they will eventually want to follow in their parents' footsteps. Audio books are also an option and are especially useful for reluctant readers as they still get the benefits of reading which will aid their confidence. At the Agenda Kids Club events we also have a professional story-teller at hand to read excerpts and stories aloud; the children love this.
"Reading gives all children a sense of confidence as it gives them something to discuss with their friends and be proud of. No matter what today's society has to offer I still believe that the beauty of holding a book in your hands will never be replaced and they are here to stay for good.
"It's an interesting fact that books have become one of the most sought-after gifts at Christmastime, and it's obvious why: They last forever, enrich your life, give you entertainment, enhance your home, are beautiful to look at and aren't fattening!
"In a society so full of distractions it is interesting to see that, if it's the right one, a book can still entice you to switch off the world for a while and simply read, and that's fantastic," she added.
Tips on how to encourage reading
Children who learn to love books will be children who grow up to be good readers. The best time for children to learn to love books is while they are young. You can help them by making story-time a regular part of their day and by encouraging them in their early attempts to speak, read, and write.
Speaking, reading and writing are all linked. And they can all be learned and practised throughout the course of each day in age-appropriate ways.
Show children that there are things to read everywhere. Make a game of finding things with words on them (like bus-stop signs or cereal boxes). This helps children to see how important it is to be able to read and write.
Limit or eliminate TV viewing. Help children make other choices for their free time activities (like reading, writing, playing, talking).
Show children how you read and write every day to have fun and to get things done.