It is undeniable that a child’s reading skills determine his or her success in school, work, and life in general. To draw children to the act of reading and subsequently make them experience the joy of reading, much effort is needed at the personal and institutional level.

 

Realising the relevance of reading in improving the overall learning outcomes of children in Uttar Pradesh, the Basic Education Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, has initiated a 45-day campaign to promote joyful reading among children. The campaign, slated to start from November 1, is in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasises the promotion of a joyful reading culture for children by ensuring the availability of age-appropriate reading books for children in their local/mother tongue/regional/tribal language.

As part of this campaign, the department will ensure the availability of relevant reading materials for children in schools.

 

“The benefits of reading, especially for children, are manifold. It improves brain connectivity, it increases one’s vocabulary and comprehension, and most importantly, it empowers you to empathise with other people,” said Deepmala Pandey, principal of a government-run school in Bareilly.

 

Earlier, in January, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched ‘Padhe Bharat’, a 100-day reading campaign. 

The minister then said, “Reading books is a healthy habit and a wonderful way to develop cognitive, language, and social skills.”

 

Welcoming such moves, Harshita Tripathi, mother to a 10-year-old, said, “My daughter started enjoying reading during the lockdown as that was her new-found means of entertainment. I’m glad she now loves to read, and I can clearly see improvement in her academic performance. So, if the government promotes reading among children institutionally, it is only going to positively impact a whole generation. “