Blog posts of '2022' 'March'

The fast pace of technology growth and propagation across the world has meant a significant shift in the way we conduct our daily activities compared with just a few years ago. The easy access and affordability of smartphones and tablets, along with significantly improved bandwidth in the form of 4G and 5G networks, has meant that a lot of the digital content is consumed on these devices, while on the move. This has also led to a revolution in the publishing industry with the introduction of eBooks. Analysts had once predicted that eBooks would overtake print by 2015. However, this has not translated into hard numbers even as we write this article in 2022. Let’s find out why.

EBooks burst onto the publishing scene with a lot of promise and with a number of advantages compared to traditional print books. You can read eBooks in any light, adjust text size, carry a whole library of books in a single device, purchase and instantly download a book with ease, and much more. However, once the initial euphoria had settled, there were benefits of printed books that experts and the reading public soon discovered.

Studies revealed that reading printed books resulted in better memory retention, comprehension, focus and intelligence. Readers experienced a tangible and perceptible sense of progress as they could sense the paper with their fingers, ‘a pile of pages on the left growing, and shrinking on the right’. The tactile sensation of a printed book and the smell of a freshly opened book added to the experience of reading by using the other senses. In more ways than one, printed books make reading a human experience, associating memories and a sense of nostalgia with them.

Another reason for eBooks not taking over the reading landscape as initially anticipated is the adverse impact of prolonged exposure to digital screens. The high levels of screen and artificial light exposure led to marked visual fatigue, eye strain, sleep disorders, shortened attention span and several other noticeable adverse physical and psychological effects.

On a lighter note, printed books don’t need batteries and readers don’t need to worry about charging a device to continue reading. Nor do they need to worry about network signal strength and access to the internet.

EBooks and printed books have their respective pros and cons, and each may become a preferred choice in a specific situation. However, with the increasing exposure of children and adults to digital screens for most forms of entertainment, printed books are a perfect world away from the ill-effects of technology and definitely a better way of learning.

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“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” - Dr Seuss

The importance of reading books for children cannot be overstated. In addition to cultivating an active and creative mind, books draw you into a story like no other medium does. This is because the words lead the reader to imagine and create their own worlds instead of giving them access to someone else’s world, which is what electronic entertainment mediums do.

It is scientifically proven that reading uses a complex network of signals in the brain and, as one ages and matures, these networks of signals become stronger and more sophisticated.

Most parents are well aware of the importance of reading books. However, one of the most pressing challenges that parents face these days is how to get their children to become interested in reading? There are so many alternative sources of entertainment available to children these days that reading has taken a back seat. It is also scientifically proven that prolonged exposure to digital screens, be it mobiles, tablets or television, are harmful not just for your children’s eyes, but they can also lead to mental fatigue and learning disorders.

Here are some actionable and workable tips for you to get your children to fall in love with reading.

• Read to your children

As responsible parents, take the initiative and start reading to your children as early as possible. From their early developmental days, children are sponges for information of all sorts, which their brains use to build and grow.

Brightly-coloured pictures, interesting short stories, innovative narration, fun looking fonts accompanied with sounds and other experiential formats, make the experience of book reading entertaining and attractive for toddlers and young children. By starting as early as possible, you can teach your children to love reading in a very natural and organic way.

Even while growing up, if parents continue the habit of reading to their children, they can introduce their growing children to increasingly complex words and language. This ensures children are prepared to take on more complex forms of reading on their own later on in their life.

• Make it a fun and bonding exercise 

If you have young children who are reluctant to read, you can find ways to make reading a fun activity, rather than a chore.

For example, instead of telling them to “go and read,” consider turning it into a bonding experience. You can take turns reading passages or read out loud to each other. This can be a fun activity for siblings as well. Reading together can help build warm and happy associations with books, increasing the likelihood that children will continue to find reading an enjoyable exercise. In addition, the bond you make with one another will be as important as the book you read.

• Let it be their choice

Children are more open to reading when they are given a choice regarding the story they want to listen to or the book they want to read. So, make it their decision, and you will find greater acceptance in them taking on reading as an activity.

The habit of reading starts at home and it is therefore the responsibility of parents to introduce their children to this wonderful avenue of exploration as early as they can. It is a proven fact that reading at home boosts performance at school later on. It increases vocabulary, enhances communication skills, raises self-esteem, gives the confidence to express oneself freely and openly, strengthens the mind and inculcates creativity.

With so many benefits, there is no reason to wait. Browse through our selection of books (with your children) and pick your next adventure together. To top it all, we are offering a 25% discount on all our books throughout March, as it is the month of reading.

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