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

• 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 🙂