By Jude Njoku

The reading culture among Nigerian youths and children is said to be at its lowest ebb. Many of children prefer to stay glued all day to TV sets, play computer games or engage in other indoor games to picking a book and reading it at home.

An educationist, Dr Celestine Nwawuto-Njoku who decried this scenario, noted that the poor reading culture has affected the standard of education in the country.

Njoku who is the Director of Language Studies at the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, pointed out that honing the child’s reading skills should begin at an early age. Reading will not only help children learn new words and widen their vocabulary, it would also bring them to a position where they would be able to appreciate different types of literature.

Instead of buying them pocket-sized video games, parents should give their children books to read. Setting up a home library may not be as expensive as some people think. A mini-library at home provides a means of organising your growing book and magazine collections.

Modern Library

For those who are building or renovating their homes, one of the first things to consider should be, “where do I put my books”? You can have your library complete in one room, or have mini-libraries in various areas around the house. But you must ensure that the rooms are well lit because it is difficult to enjoy reading when the room is dim.

The mini-home library should be able to cater for the reading requirements of everybody in the house. You can buy inexpensive portable shelving that can be expanded as the need arises

For kids, you can start by gathering books that would be of interest to them. Such books should be kept in kid-friendly shelves in terms of height; medium-sized shelves would be ideal.

The chairs and tables should also suit their taste. You may not need to buy new books at the store, though you can if you have the financial muscle to do so.

Note that the older the children get, the wider the variety of books that you should procure for them. You must ensure that you have a collection of fiction and fables, nursery rhymes and educational materials for the younger ones.

Parents should endeavour to teach their children by precept and practice. If for instance, you are in the habit of pushing your children to read but they always find you glued to the TV set or browsing on the internet, they would be discouraged to read. You should be a role model to them by cultivating the habit of picking books from your shelf and reading.