While it is very difficult to set a reading habit in a child, it is very easy to stop that habit. El Tiempo (a major newspaper in Colombia) has a very interesting article (Los Seis Pecados Mortales que Acaban con la Lectura) concerning the recent study about reading habits in Colombia. According to the author, there are 6 main ways to alter a child thirst for reading. These are the ” sins” that parents and teachers commit:
1. Lack of time to read (Falta de tiempo para leer)
2. Adults who do not read (Los adultos no leen)
3. Nothing to read at home (No hay qué leer en casa)
4. It is made boring by teachers (Los cansan)
5. Limited variety of themes and titles (Poca oferta)
6. Not having reading guidelines (No les dan un método de lectura)
The author goes on to set a few guidelines about how to overcome these sins, which can be summed in one easy commandment: “give more quality time and attention to the reading habits of your kids or students.” You and your children will be glad you did. The love of reading is one of the most important assets that we can instill in our children.
This study is part of the effort by the Colombian government to promote reading as Bogota has been name Book Capital of the World by UNESCO for 2007, and to celebrate that Bogota’s library (the first library in the Americas) just turned 230 years old. These findings do not apply only to children in Colombia, but rather they seem to be universal truths in reading habits.
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