Children must inculcate habit of reading
By udaymohan
@udaymohan (437)
India
July 8, 2010 10:28am CST
Today World has changed a lot. TV and Computer have changed the lifestyles. I remember when I was a child way back in 50s, my father made us to read Hindi magazines besides newspapers. We were made to listen Hindi news on All India Radio. It was extremely surprising when one day my father brought English comics of Mandrake and Phantom. At that time English was only an optional language in our Schools. You would be surprised to know that we first started learning English alphabets in class VIII and that was in year 1959.
Anyway, when father brought English comics sometime in 1955 or 56, we were surprised as we did not know even A, B or C of English. Father himself started reading with much interest. So, we brothers and sisters also copied him and expressed our wish to read those comics. Father told us to first understand the English language. He started teaching us and he also bought one Hindi to English dictionary for us. We really burnt midnight oil to understand this foreign language and somehow we succeeded. Then we gradually started reading Phantom and Mandrake magazines. And, God, we really enjoyed. Both the characters had become our main attraction. That habit still continues. I still read comics at this age of 61+ and Phantom and Mandrake comics take precedence on all other comics.
You may enjoy TV or Computer but novels, magazines and comics take you to an entirely new World.
Make your children to start reading Comics and I am sure they would inculcate habit of reading and would gradually start reading other magazines, newspapers and novels. This habit would help them life long.
2 people like this
6 responses
@udaymohan (437)
• India
9 Jul 10
I wish all parents start thinking in same manner.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
8 Jul 10
udaymohan hi yes indeed I am 84 and my parents taught me to read by reading to me and getting me little kids books to read to myself. I
am an American so english came naturally to me. I think our English
language is really one of the hardest languages to learn for non
english speaking people. You were so lucky that your father started teaching you to read English with comic books as all kids love them
and I ev en like to look at them as old as I am. I love to read. I
did take French and Spanish in college but I have forgotten so much of it as I never really used it although I can still read pretty well in both French and spanish but using it orally is hard for me. I enjoy the computer but I also love to read books and magazines and newspapers , nothing can take the place of curling up with a good book. great discussion.
1 person likes this
@udaymohan (437)
• India
9 Jul 10
Hatley, I find you a great lady. Full of experiences. Have seen ups and downs of life. Still holding a fighting spirit at this age. Great to have a friend like you. I have learnt so many things from you.
@allyoftherain (7208)
• United States
8 Jul 10
Actually, YA books and graphic novels sell better than adult books. So according to statistics... the kids are reading but adults aren't!
I never read comics as a child, and I still don't like reading them to this day. I got started on children's books. My Mom always made me follow along because she wanted me to learn to read this way. It didn't really work well. I'm not sure when in my childhood I actually started to like to read, but it was a bit later than the picture book phase.
These days I can't get enough of books. I always carry a book with me, and I can't go a day without reading. Reading is the best habit I ever fell into. It's ignited my imagination, quenched my thirst for knowledge, and made me a straight A student.
@udaymohan (437)
• India
9 Jul 10
Good to know. Books are the greatest friend who never leave us alone whatever the situation. They impart us knowledge and each one of friends and relatives can leave us but our knowledge help us at most crucial times. Please do not stop reading.
@zzyw87 (1254)
• Philippines
5 Aug 10
I also owe my love of reading to my parents. When I was a child, my mom told me to try reading a pocketbook. She told me she thinks I would like it and to give reading pocketbooks a try. So I did. And yes, I loved it. So I bought another one and so on. It became a habit to buy books at the bookstore every week. My parents did not hesitate to buy books for me. Until now, my biggest splurge is always books. I buy one to three books every week.
@tinym8 (423)
• United States
9 Jul 10
When I was a child I would get a quarter (25 cents) allowance. Other children would head for the candy section of the store with their allowance. I too bought candy, but I always saved enough to buy a comic book too. (They were 10 cents). Sometimes I would save 10 cents or so each week and buy a large comic book, which was 25 cents.
I loved comic books and spent many enjoyable hours reading them. As a child I was always a good reader and could read comic books by myself when I was about 5 years old! I loved to read and still do.
@Nickfyoung (323)
• Australia
8 Jul 10
The Phantom was my favorite too. Great comic. Was disappointed with the Phantom movie as it was not quite as good as the Phantom in the comics.
@udaymohan (437)
• India
9 Jul 10
Phantom movies are no comparision before Phantom comics. It is really enjoable to read them.
