Bisulfide

With TV, music, video games, and the Internet, it is no wonder
why less and less people find time to read. More often than not,
reading comes as a chore and the pleasures people once took in
sitting down with a good book or article have all but been lost
on most.

If you are teacher, librarian or parent whos becoming more and
more concerned over this trend, you may ask yourself what you
can do to reverse it. The task may seem daunting considering
what youre up against, but given the will, patience and a few
tips on how to encourage people to read, you just might be able
to bring back a few more noses into books.

The key here is to take time, not just to pitch the advantages
of reading (which may come off as preaching to others) but to
know the people youre trying to reach and what kinds of reading
materials they could possibly be interested in.

First of all, provide ready access to reading materials. If
youre a librarian, it is more than just opening the doors and
waiting for people to come in. Promote the library as you would
any business. If there is some money set aside to do so, make
some flyers and distribute it in high traffic areas such as
parks or bus stops. Get the people aware that there is a library
in the neighborhood and that theyre more than welcome to visit.
Of course, indicate the times you open and close as well.

If youre a teacher, place some books or magazines in the
classroom that your students can browse through during break
times. If you see any that display interest, cultivate that
interest right away by asking what topics theyre interested
about. Take time to research on their favorite topics, both in
the library and on the Internet. Then share these resources with
your students. Pointing them in the right direction with a topic
theyre already interested in will increase the chances of
pursuing reading on their own.

As a parent, take time to read to your children, whether
theyre young or in their teens. Its pretty easy to get small
children excited about bedtime stories so start them off while
theyre young. As they increase their reading skills, let them
read for you while you help them along with the more difficult
words. Not only will this develop the habit of reading for your
children, you are also creating priceless moments with your
children.

Getting teens excited over reading can be a bit more
challenging. For one thing, you may need to address the age gap
especially when it comes to interests. Good thing that may work
for you is the fact that as you read this article, you already
have a working knowledge of surfing the Web. Your teeners are
probably more likely to read up on things on the Internet than
they would in a library. Do not harp on this issue, but rather
work on this. Your teenager has already immersed him/herself in
a medium you can use, so take full advantage of it. Get involved
in their interests as well as their surfing habits. Browse the
Internet together and learn about your teenagers interests with
them. This is perhaps the hi-tech way of reading with your kids,
who used to beg you for bedtime stories not too long ago.

Another tip is to bring out the ideas that have been formed
from reading. As a librarian or teacher, organize discussion
groups or clubs on certain topics. As you get people to exchange
ideas with each other through discussion, the more they will
want to read up. The happy conundrum here is that the more
people know, the more they want to learn. Sustain this with a
friendly and non-competitive environment and you may find your
club growing in numbers over time.

The same thing can be done in the home. Let the family pick up
a certain topic together and assign subtopics to each member.
After a given period, come back together over perhaps cake and
ice cream and discuss what youve learned from what youve read.
Again, this not only encourages each family member to read, but
also creates precious times as a family.

The trick is to stop the idea that reading is a chore. Reading
never was a chore anyway to begin with. It was the gift of being
able to share ideas and information at a reach far larger than
mere conversation. Reading can transcend distance, and yes, even
gaps in generations. Be excited and communicate that excitement
and the enthusiasm will win over those who never thought reading
could be so fun and easy.