Month: November 2021

Raising Readers Campaign- Resources, Tips & Activity-2

Image of a quote on books
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Now that you are determined to gift the joy of reading and books to your kid are you wondering where to find the right kind of books? Are you worried about the cost of board books? Or wondering about how would you manage with space if you were to pile up books on the long run for your budding reader?

Fret not.  We have answers to all your queries. Here are a few tried and tested resources, practices and tips that can make your reading journey enjoyable, affordable and sustainable.

How to find the right kind of book as per your kid’s age and preference

While just starting out with a reading journey, it can be difficult to understand which book will get your kid lured to reading. While some prefer comics, some picture books, some may prefer touch & feel books.

With a plethora of options out there to lure you as a buyer with their attractive reviews, it gets confusing and overwhelming for a parent/caretaker to pick the right book.

This is when a book reading community can come in handy. One such community (we bet, there was no looking back or searching for another community after joining this!) is Kids Book Café (KBC).

KBC is your one-stop destination to discover children’s books (well, they have one day of the week dedicated for grown-up reads too!) through peer recommendations and reviews.

The biggest plus of the community is its founder, Asha Chaudhry (a certified community builder) who gets to understand e-v-e-r-y kid’s likes and dislikes and never fails to surprise us with her impeccable book recommendations. (And no, this is not a sponsored post!).

Join their active FB group to find a treasure trove of book recommendations. The members there are quick to respond, non-judgmental and always encouraging. The perfect place to get all the queries answered in the journey of raising readers.

Also, did I tell you they come up with amazing book offers and contests exclusively for KBC kiddos from time to time? Join now!

Where can I buy affordable children’s books

Here are some of our favourite places for buying books. Again, this is not sponsored and the mentions here are just purely out of the personal experience.

From our collection

https://homelearning.scholastic.co.in/?schoolID=30053&fbclid=IwAR0W3dB6wJ9c-efSIOz8qPzoX_Ra67b3Uw6i_H23AGLeu6HyUc7H6cAgE1o

https://www.nbtindia.gov.in/catalogues__online-listingSearch.aspx

https://www.tulikabooks.com/

https://store.prathambooks.org/productCategory?STORY_BOOKS

https://rupapublications.co.in/book_category/children/

https://www.karaditales.com/shop/

If you have any particular suggestions on where to buy from, do tell us in the comments section.

Affordability is a problem? Here’s what you can do

We have come across concerns over board books & touch and feel books being unaffordable for many parents/caretakers and here are some solutions you can try.

Library subscriptions

One of the best, time-tested solution to have access to various books at affordable rates is to have yourself enrolled in libraries.

While public libraries may be more cost efficient, private or independent libraries have vibrant collection and subscriptions are competitively priced too.

It’s highly recommended that every kid has access to library as it helps them explore different genres and grow to understand their preferences much better. More so, when a kid picks a book of their own choice, in 99% cases they tend to enjoy and finish the book.

So help your child have access to library. I bet it won’t be much costlier than your TV subscription and also the returns are high here. Choose wise!

Pre-loved Books

For those who wish to own a colorful physical books but not in a place to buy them first hand, here are links to some tried & tested places for good quality, affordable pre-loved books:

https://www.weareturners.in/

https://instagram.com/mom.me.nd.books?utm_medium=copy_link

https://instagram.com/pupiliobooks?utm_medium=copy_link

https://instagram.com/peek.a.boo.boo?utm_medium=copy_link

Book fairs

While many may have an idea of book fair showcasing only new books, there are also sections allotted for pre-loved books that come at throwaway prices. One of our favorite places for trying new and preloved books is certainly a book-fair. Discovering books in a book fair is a must try experience.

Practical tips for sustainable reading journey

Earn a book

This is a tried and tested way to help kid have their favorite book while also learning to be responsible. The rule is simple. Assign them doable tasks or chores and tell them they will earn points for every completed task and depending upon the points scored they get a book.

A win-win for both kid and parent!

Reader Friends

Inculcate reading habit among your kids’ friend circle and exchange books. This way they bond over books, get to read different books and most importantly learn to share.

Also, having friends who read books helps have healthy conversations, discuss taboo topics with ease and gives a lot of scope to have book related activities as a group.

Gift books

As a parent/caretaker make it a habit to gift books on different occasions, be it birthday or festivals. This way, over years, you will have a library of your own.

Audible books

Introducing to audible books improves the listening skills of the kid. Also it motivates them to do read aloud.

https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/nani-ki-kahaniya-970242

Hope this post helps you. Do let us know if you have any other resources to add to our list. We are always welcome for suggestions.


Raising Readers Contest

We hope you are aware of the ongoing contest and as part of it, here is your Activity-2.

Activity 2- Bonding Over A Read Aloud

One of the best ways to spend quality time with your kid is to pick up their favourite book and do a read aloud.

It is simple. Now that you might have started exploring books with your kid on a day-to-day basis, do a read aloud of a book that your kid is currently enjoying.

Capture a short 1-2mins video of you doing a read aloud for your kid. If you are camera shy, it’s understandable. In that case, capture your child enjoying or responding to your read aloud as you do so behind the camera.

Keep the video ready.

In the next few days there will be few other activities. Once everything is done, you can upload your entries here: Raising Readers Contest Form

A sneak-peek into what’s coming next!

Stay tuned! Happy Reading!


Roadblocks that we overlook in an Indian woman’s journey towards entrepreneurship

A picture depicting patriarchy
Copyright @erhui1979 / Getty Images

MSME Annual Report Analysis

Women have definitely made progress in the field of entrepreneurship in spite of all the gender discrimination they face on a day-to-day basis. But the concern here is in spite of the Government’s multiple schemes and initiatives for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) being in favour of women, we still see a huge gender gap in the progress. Why is it so?

While going through the Annual Report of MSME 2020-21, a particular statistic got me thinking. Let me put down the statistics here:

Taken from MSME’s Annual Report 2020-21

We can clearly see a huge gender gap there.

Also, I would like to bring to your attention an interesting point made in the report that mentions there was no significant deviation in this pattern (of the dominance of males in ownership in proprietary MSMEs) in urban and rural areas, although the dominance of male-owned enterprises was slightly more pronounced in urban areas compared to rural areas (81.58% as compared to 77.76%). If just education and access to technology were factors in women entrepreneurship, shouldn’t it be more pronounced in rural than urban? So what are we missing here? Think!

Sneak-peek into the lives of Indian urban women

Now let the statistics be on one side. Let me draw your attention to the picture of a few educated women’s lives living in urban areas who dream of being an entrepreneur.

Satya*– Age 37, married with two kids. A brilliant girl who had cleared her UPSC prelim in her 20’s, got married and is now a homemaker made to believe making 3 different breakfast types each day catering to the taste of her family members (and not hers) is all about being a woman.

Joy*– Age 28, an MBA grad from a prestigious institute. A self-made woman who had the ambition and a foolproof plan for her business idea fall in love with a wrong person who ends up stalking and blackmailing her for nothing wrong on her part. Confidence shattered and cynical of cyber security, she now prefers taking a 9-5 job.

Veda*– Age 35, mother of 2 kids, a free and independent woman prior marriage lives a life of a “parrot in a golden cage”, pampered but not set free. Even her dressing and choice(?) of not being on social media is a decision(!) made by her husband.

Shashi*– Age 40, a software engineer, an ex-data analyst, a mother to 2 teens, decides to upgrade her professional skills and make her entrepreneurial dream come true. The family accepts on one condition that she makes sure the prestige and peace of the household be intact by making sure she gives her due time and attention to take care of the elders at home and follows the customs of the family to a T. Most importantly, to make sure that the onus of household chores doesn’t fall as a burden on anyone else. She still chases her dream, registers her company, multitasks, toils day & night only to end up falling chronically ill just in the next 2 years.

The above women are not any fictional characters and you can easily find one in your family too. I hope this could have thrown light on the picture that we overlook.

Even in a recent episode of a Tamil talk show, social activist Smt.Oviya mentions how still women are trapped in the patriarchal mindset that there is a need for women to develop a business mindset. She goes on to mention that even when women come to register for MSME, there are many cases where women don’t even have a single utility bill in their name to proceed with the paper works.

The need for change

Social stigma, patriarchal mindset, women being bound to unpaid care work, cyber crimes against women- no matter how much ever she is educated or has access to technology- are all few factors that act as roadblocks in a woman’s entrepreneurial journey that we overlook.

Here, a man’s business is considered legit and even seen as a family business while a woman’s business is not; it’s mostly seen as her hobby. A successful woman is portrayed as one who could multitask striking the right balance between work and family while a man is not expected to strike such balance.

Gender biases should be eradicated. Unpaid care work should be shared and not seen just as a woman’s duty. Only then, a woman can scale in her entrepreneurial journey at an exponential rate.

The government may come with multiple schemes and banks may provide non-collateral loans but are we as a society ready to unlearn our cultural conditioning and biases that hold back our women at home?

“The best thermometer to the progress of a nation is its treatment of its women.”

– Swami Vivekananda 

*Names changed for privacy concerns.


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Raising Readers Campaign- Contest Details-Activity 1

A quote of by Betty Smith that reads- "Oh, magic hour, when a child first knows she can read printed words!".
Designed by the author on Canva

Raising Readers Campaign- Points to remember

Raising readers campaign has the sole vision of imbibing love for books & reading in kids and for that, there is a line of engaging activities coming up. Before we could get into the details of the activities we wish to clear a few things up:

  • This campaign is mainly for those who are yet to start reading for hobby. Reading school textbooks or reading as part of a curriculum is not considered as “reading for joy or for hobby”.  
  • Our target audience here is kids of the age group 0-10 years.
  • If your kid is above 10yrs and have not yet developed reading habit, then these activities can be useful for you too. Just that kids above 10yrs of age won’t be considered for the contest.
  • This is more of a campaign than a contest. The point here is to build a reading habit, a reading ritual over 4 weeks and provide tips to keep it sustainable. And every participating kid is a winner as they would have developed an interest in reading.

That said, the sole reason for keeping a contest as part of the campaign is to give direction and help you take this journey on a serious note.

  • Since this campaign is for those who are yet to start reading, it won’t certainly be right for us to entertain advanced readers (kids who are into independent and regular reading habit) even if they fall into the contest age group criteria.
  • Advance readers may try these activities if it interests them but participation may not be considered. We have something special for the advanced readers soon.
  • This contest may call for pictures and/or videos of kids while doing an activity and we want them to be candid and authentic. There’s no need for edited videos or ‘insta-worthy’ pics.
  • All we are looking to see through the pics/videos is the kid’s enthusiasm and progress. Remember slow progress is also a progress and there is no factor of comparison here.
  • Also, please note that by sending in pictures/videos as part of the campaign, you give us the right to use it on our website and social media handles for promotion. It’s purely to inspire others in the journey and nothing more.
  • We will be choosing the top entries from a place of authenticity keeping in mind the progress and enthusiasm shown by the kid & caretaker over the weeks and the Jury’s decision will be final.
  • The terms and conditions are subject to change at any time without any prior notice.

Contest Details

Let’s get into the much-awaited part- the contest! It’s going to be a Book Bingo!

  • We will have 5 activities spread over the weeks and the participants who complete all the tasks will be considered for the giveaway (it’s a surprise!).
  • Participants will be divided in the age groups of 0-3 yrs, 3-7yrs, and 7-10 yrs.
  • Every participant will receive a vibrant customized certificate of appreciation.

Activity 1: Developing a reading ritual

  • In the coming week, we wish to help you find your reading ritual. It can be 5mins of reading right after waking up or right before your bedtime.
  • Keep it simple. Starting with even 5mins will do but stick to the time.
  • Developing a reading ritual is about consistency and showing up every day.

Tips to help you find the best suited time for your child

  • Fix a time when you know your child is active and not fussy. You may want to avoid those times when your kid is hungry or cranky.
  • For little older kids, fix a time when they are free from school works.
  • Create an ambience. It can be as simple as switching off all gadgets or finding a silent yet bright corner to sit with a book.
  • Be present. If your child is not into reading yet and if you want them to start, then your presence matters. Even better, if you too can sit with a book to read.
  • Make sure to fix a time that you can follow every day precisely. It’s the consistency that helps building a habit.  

What to do for the contest

Raising Readers Ritual Sheet
Raising Readers Ritual Sheet
  • Get the above Raising Readers Ritual Sheet printed or you can even make it handwritten. Choice is yours.
  • Fix a time that’s comfortable for you and your kid and try sticking to it.
  • Mark the date and time every day (try being consistent) to see what timing suits you better.
  • Most importantly appreciate your kid’s effort by putting a star, smiley or icecream on the Kudos column.
  • Enter your kid’s name, age and the book(s) you are currently reading. It’s absolutely ok if your kid insists to read the same book every day.
  • Please keep it authentic. Be honest if you skip any day. No point in simply marking.
  • Over the week, as you get into a rhythm, try capturing a short 1 min video of you and your kid engaged in the reading activity. When you do so, email us at promisingpoetry5@gmail.com with the subject line as “Raising Readers Activity 1” and the name, picture (preferably passport size) and age of the kid.
  • Last date for sending in the video of the Activity-1 is 28th Nov, 2021.
  • For kids aged 0-3yrs it’s important that they touch and feel the book, explore the book, enjoy the pictures in it and listen to your read aloud. Your time with the kid matters.

That’s it for this week. It’s simple but remember what matters is consistency. We wish that you see this is as a journey, as an experience and not just as a contest. We will have a few videos and tips coming up on FB or Instagram or here. So stay tuned!

Happy Reading 🙂


Raising Readers- How to develop a love for books & reading in kids

Raising Readers Campaign, poster design with details of duration-20th Nov-20th Dec, 2021.
Designed by the Author on Canva

Raising Readers- What is it?

Raising Readers is a 4 weeks long campaign to help kids develop a love for books & reading. The campaign is mainly addressed towards kids aged 0-10 years, their parents, teachers and caretakers. It is to help develop reading habits among kids in a sustained and enjoyable way with engaging activities and contest around books.

The need for building reading habit

You and I certainly know that how much time and space a variety of gadgets have taken from us in this fast-paced and digitalized era.

The Covid-19 pandemic has done enough from its side too to get everything done online, most importantly, children’s education. This being the scenario many of the children are spending a lot of time before their screens which we know is going to be harmful in the long run.

Also, we see that there is a decline in children’s reading habits. While reading for joy can help grow a happy and mindful child, the decline in reading habits becomes a cause of concern.

To revive the joy of reading among children, it’s important to catch them young. Kids should feel the joy of holding a book in hand, exploring the pages and venturing to new places that the stories take them to.

They need to feel that excitement and wonder that comes with a book. It’s with this notion that we came up with this campaign to help kids as well as their caretakers in finding resources and rhythm as well to get into the habit of reading.

Why Reading?

Before even getting into sharing tips and resources I wish to put across the importance of reading habits. It’s vital for you as a parent or caretaker to be convinced of its importance before you could help your child to get into reading habits.

You might ask that to keep a child away from gadgets there are many other options, hobbies or sports and so why specifically reading. Well, here are a few points from my personal experience with raising a reader that can convince you too:

Exercise for the mind

Like playing games is an exercise for the body, reading books is an exercise for the mind. It involves active involvement of the mind to grasp new concepts, wander in their world of imagination and thus helps in keeping the mind sharp.

We all want to stay young through appearance; why not stay young & sharp in mind too right?

Improves creativity

Books open up to different places, cultures, concepts and whatnot. This variety of information and stories that kids get access to helps in improving their creativity. It helps keep their wonder element, the spark-ignited & explore their own world of imagination and creativity.

Develop empathy

When kids read about different characters from different life situations, even if it’s fiction, they develop empathy. Their minds become open and it helps in not developing any prejudices in the longer run.

Enhances vocabulary

The variety in plots, storylines and writing styles in different books helps big time in enhancing the vocabulary of the reader. The best part of it is it happens subconsciously in the journey of reading even without taking any particular effort at improving vocabulary.

Better communication

Kids who read more, who grow up listening to more stories can communicate their emotions, their feelings much better. They do that either by speaking up for themselves or penning it down.

To find comfort in solitude

Reading books is a solitary activity & it helps kids find comfort in solitude. We find many kids being hyperactive these days (thanks to the lifestyle changes), the act of reading a book calms them down and mainly they learn to sit (you know what I mean if you have a hyperactive kid at home!) and engage by themselves.

Easier to access & carry a book

It’s clear, isn’t it? Moreover, when your kid is so into reading, they don’t even need a book. They start reading any piece of writing that they see anywhere and everywhere, including the ones coming in packaging!

Just for the joy of it

This is the most important reason that children should be gifted with books. The happiness to know that there is a character similar to them, the curiosity in knowing a character different from them, the wonderment when it comes to learning a new fact, about a new place, etc, all this can bring immense joy.

Books create their own world where they can just be- A WHOLE WORLD FOR THEMSELVES. JUST IMAGINE!

Can you sense the joy? If you are a reader yourself, you know what I mean. If not, it’s high time you too start reading.

Well, there are many more reasons to develop a reading habit but I guess these are more than enough to get you started in your journey of raising a reader.

A quote by Margaret Fuller that reads, "Today a reader, tomorrow a leader."
Designed by author, on Canva

How to go about raising a reader?

Raising a reader might sound a tough task given that we are mostly surrounded by gadgets and kids are glued to screens. You may wonder how and where to start with. Or you have started but struggled to continue. In either case, we are here you help you with practical and doable tips and resources that can make the journey of raising a reader, enjoyable and sustainable.

In the next 4 weeks, we will cover various aspects of the journey and bring to you some awesome real-life incidents to inspire you.

All you have to do is stay tuned here or follow either of these pages on FB or Instagram or here.

There will be a contest and fun activities as part of this campaign. More details tomorrow.

Get yourself ready for a jolly reading ride with your tiny tot!