• Try to share books and comments or opinions together each day and not just at bedtime.
• Read or tell them stories in the language you are most comfortable with. It doesn’t have to be English! Sometimes, they do like it.
• Tell them stories about your culture and your family, about an adventure that you had.
• Visit the local library along with your child. Borrow books to share with your child at home.
• Encourage older children to read to their younger brothers and sisters.
• Be an example to your children; let them see you read books too.

In addition, you can help an older reader in these ways:
• Put the books at home to good use. Show them the book and give a brief about it and something that would interest them.
• Make the most of the books your child brings home from school. Read them or parts of them yourself and talk about them with your child.
• Allow your child to re-read favourite and familiar stories or to hear you re-read them. Knowing a familiar book will help them notice more about the words on the page and they will start to recognize the patterns in new words and stories.
• Make them read out aloud to younger children, complete with emotions and animations (depending on the book) at the next get-together you have.
• Listen to stories learned by heart and encourage your child to re-tell them in her own words or even act them out.
• Buy books as gifts instead of video games or other toys.
• Set up a special place for books from the library or their own books.
• Find books about something you know they like.

Budding Artists
Drawing it out:
If your child is not interested in reading you may want to read to him and then let him draw a picture of the story. This will make them enjoys books and stories in a new way and also because he has learned to listen to the story and then put it on paper.

Writing it out:
Let them write their own book about a subject that interests them in their own words. It will be a great confidence booster for them and you too!
Take a blank paper, cut it into quarters and staple the book together along the longer side. Then ask them to pick something they like and write a title and draw a title picture on the front. Then on each left page they write a fact about the subject. And on the right page they draw and colour a picture about the sentence or sentences they wrote on the opposite page. For the younger 8-year-old’s it will be a sense of achievement and for the older 12-year-old’s it will be a cakewalk and let them relive their childhood once again! Either way, it works!

Chapters
A chapter a day always helps children look forward to what will happen in the next one. Make it a tradition and continue reading a chapter every night before going to bed. Have them pick the story and discuss it with them briefly during the day to keep them interested.

Brownie Points
Having reading rewards is another booster to keep your children to enjoy reading and the perks that come along with it. Create summer reading goals with rewards and let your child select what he wants for each reading goal. Books that were both challenging to read and had subjects that they would be interested in are advisable.

Depending on the size and difficulty of the books, assign a number of points for each book and you could have three reading point’s goal and each goal a prize. Make a small scorecard and add the points to it and the end of each book. At the end of it, they will read (and enjoy) to get what they want!

It is never too late for your child to start reading. Preferably, catch the child young. Bring him other colourful books, so that reading becomes a favourite pastime. The parent has also got to read enough in order to become a model for the little one. And not to forget, family reading is the best way to grow.

Treasure House’s Popular Series for Ages 9 – 12:
1) Percy Jackson
2) Harry Potter
3) Famous Five
4) Septimus Heap
5) 39 Clues
6) Anthony Howritz

Visit the Library
A very good habit that you can cultivate in your child is to make them visit a local neighbourhood library like Treasure House, even if it is for a couple of hours or half-an-hour! Just by spending some time there, in the quietude, amongst an array of varied books, they will be able to slowly but surely befriend the books and start enjoying their company more. It will help them know more about the books, imbibe a habit of glancing, reviewing and selecting books that they could pick up to read and more so, enjoy!

(This is the third in a series of articles. The others will give more tips on how to engage your older children into reading more!)

A little girl and a boy go hunting for all the parts in their body that are two in number in this wonderfully illustrated Poem Book in Hindi by Gulzar.

Apart from being a fun way to introduce parts of the body in Hindi, this book also drives home the essential oneness that binds all of us, in a diverse world.
Reviewed by Vidya

She is a library with rows upon rows of word windows. Yes, a word window is a book! And as you open one a new adventure begins!

Guess what she sees, when she opens a word window? A dragon in a wagon and the friendly dragon says – let’s go for a ride!

And they go hopping from one mode of transport into another, meeting many on the way…….till finally it’s time to go home!

The book is a treat for early readers. It makes for a wonderful way to talk about the various modes of transport and play some counting games too, with the young ones!
Reviewed by Vidya

The book follows the journey of Aero, an airplane. The taxiing, the take off, flying high, the touch down and the simple pride of a job well done!

Tots would love a sneak peek into Aero’s world as he shows them how he does it! His flight to dizzying heights and coming back home……on time!

Reviewed by Vidya

As they trace their steps back home, the neighbourhood is slowly falling asleep. Activities cease, the birds go calm, the wind settles down too. All signs of stillness embracing the night with just the moon shining bright, high in the sky. And the promise of a new adventure, the next day.

Take this journey with mom and baby. It is an easy read along with delightful watercolours that makes their neighbourhood come alive and slowly retreat to slumber. The book is written by Elisha Cooper

Are you game for a walk along the block?!
Reviewed by Vidya

Performances by singers and artists will be held for the audience and this event will be the first and the initiation of an Annual Festival, bringing together all the cultural aspects that the State of Andhra Pradesh has to offer.

The opening ceremony will be conducted by the Honourable Chief Minister Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy, and other prominent Ministers of State along with Tollywood stars. It will be held at Gachibowli Stadium, Hyderabad on February 11th 2012 at 5pm.

Sky lanterns, are airborne paper lanterns that are best known as a tradition found in some Asian cultures. They are constructed from oiled rice paper on a bamboo frame, and contain a small candle or fuel cell composed of a waxy flammable material. When lit, the flame heats the air inside the lantern, thus lowering its density causing the lantern to rise into the air. The sky lantern is only airborne for as long as the flame stays alight, after which the lantern sinks back to the ground.

The time has come for a new world event, join them in reviving an ancient tradition to appease the Rain Gods and bless the upcoming harvest.

Remember Shakti
‘Remember Shakti’ is a quintet which combines elements of traditional Indian music with elements of jazz. The band comprises English guitarist John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain (Tabla), U. Srinivas (Mandolin), Shankar Mahadevan (Vocals) and V. Selvaganesh (Kanjira, Ghatam, Mridangam), who are all of Indian descent. The band`s name is derived from John Mclaughlin’s acoustic Indian fusion band Shakti which was active in the 1970’s. This band consisted of John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, L. Shankar, T.H. Vikku Vinayakram and R. Raghavan. The word Shakti has been derived from Sanskrit meaning ‘female creative power’ or ‘Goddess.’

After disbanding in the late 1970’s, Shakti enjoyed a 25 year hiatus before McLaughlin and Hussain decided to reform the band. In addition to John and Zakir, T.H. Vikku Vinayakram (Ghatam, Mridangam), returned for the band’s eponymous debut album in 1997. However, violinist L. Shankar was replaced by Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia for the live recording. ‘The Believer’, the band`s second album (1999) and ‘Saturday Night in Bombay’ (2001), the third and so far the last recorded album, was augmented by an army of guests, notably Pt. Shivkumar Sharma (Santoor), percussionist Taufiq Qureshi and Shankar Mahadevan, who has now become ‘Remember Shakti’s’ fulltime vocalist. The band has toured extensively all around the world.

Don’t miss this concert at Chowmahalla Palace, Hyderabad on February 10th 2012 at 8.00pm.

Harithon 2012 – Green Run
Harithon 2012 – Green Run by Planet 3 Protection Alliance is on February 19, 2012 from 7:00 am to 9:00 am at People’s Plaza Parking Lot, Necklace Road, Hyderabad. It is to promote healthy and eco-friendly ways for a better living.

This green run aims to protect the environment for giving the world a better tomorrow. Make your contribution count. Go green. Save the environment. Come leave your green footprint for a greener Hyderabad. Harithon aims at making ‘every citizen of Hyderabad responsible for their own premises.’

Much as you take it for granted, reading, is an all pervasive and essential part of life! And it is this habit of reading that you can give as a lifetime gift to your loved child. Inculcating a reading habit at an early age is better, since it is easy for children to get into the groove!

According to a study done by a library association, “A child’s early experiences with language contribute to healthy brain development and lay the foundation for learning to read when a child enters school.” That makes us parents and caretakers as the child’s most important teachers before he/she reaches school age. Basically, children learn better when they enjoy reading.

Many a thought on a parents’ mind is, ‘I read to my child’, ‘My child loves to listen to stories when I read them’ but ‘How do I get my child to read and more so, enjoy reading?’ Sharing some thoughts on that front, here are some tips and suggestions that you could try to make your child grow into an avid reader!

Top Ways to Get Your Kids to Read
• Show your kids that reading will introduce them to new people, take them to faraway places and let them travel through time. Start a family or neighbourhood book group.
• Sign up your kids and yourself for a book club.
• Print out some bookmarks and your kids will never lose their place again.
• Make the connection between fact and fiction for your kids. If they loved a book, do a quick quiz on it.
• Have your kids recommend their favourite books to friends and get their friends’ recommendations. They will love this!
• Turn your kids into lil detectives. After they read a book, they can create a crazy code.
• Take your kids out on a ‘book nick’. Head to a nearby park, pack some sandwiches and read a book while been one with nature.

Between the ages of 4 and 7, many children will begin learning to read, but you should still continue to read to them as often as you can. Remember, children learn at different paces so be patient with your child. If he gets stuck, encourage him to make a guess by looking at the pictures and remembering what has happened in the story.

When your child reads and gets a word wrong, let her finish the line before you correct her. Children often realize what the word should be and go back and correct themselves. If your child doesn’t know a word in a sentence ask her questions around it instead. She can often work it out from other words around it. Most importantly, try to keep cool! It’s important not to get irritated if your child needs more practice.

Remember that practice makes perfect. Help your kids practice rhyming words, drawing lines and shapes, and moving their eyes and hands from left to right. It will ease their muscles and add that little bit of fun element. All that reading can sometimes be a little too much for your little one. Let them take a break once in a while, while you continue reading. That way, they know it’s more of a fun thing rather than ‘homeworky’!

Treasure House’s Popular Series for Ages 5-8:
1) A to Z mysteries
2) Magic Tree House
3) Rainbow Fairies
4) Arthur
5) Geronimo Stilton
6) Judy Moody
7) Junie B Jones
8 ) My Weird School Days

Treasure House’s Popular Comics:
1) Captain Underpants
2) Asterix
3) Tin Tin

Visit the Library
A very good habit that you can cultivate in your child is to make them visit a local neighbourhood library like Treasure House, even if it is for a couple of hours or half-an-hour! Just by spending some time there, in the quietude, amongst an array of varied books, they will be able to slowly but surely befriend the books and start enjoying their company more. It will help them know more about the books, imbibe a habit of glancing, reviewing and selecting books that they could pick up to read and more so, enjoy!

(This is the second in a series of articles. The others will give more tips on how to engage your older children into reading more!)

When a child is starting to read the parent needs to pick books appropriate for their reading level. It’s not just the number of words / pages but also the actual words in the book that can make a big difference. Although some books say it is a Reading Level – 1 book, they do have big words and this can be very frustrating for kids since they have not yet reached that reading level.

The most important point here is that, it doesn’t matter what they are reading as long as they are enjoying it. It is more essential to cultivate a love of reading first, the rest will follow and just fall into place before you even realise it!

Tips to Read for Your Toddler
• Babies love when you sing, read and tell them stories, poems and rhymes. Why, even small babies can enjoy books.
• Board books and bath books are often the first books children will come across. They can be treated as toys, but they will help them learn how to handle books, how to turn pages and how to enjoy the shapes, colours and pictures.
• Tell your baby and young child nursery rhymes and repeat them often along with them.
• Choose books with colourful pictures and simple words or no words at all.
• Encourage your toddler to point out objects, repeat words and talk about the story.
• Many a times, they want to listen to the same story again and again. Let them do so, as it builds confidence and familiarity with words and reinforces that stories are fun.
• For the older toddler, help him/her develop reading comprehension by asking open-ended questions about the story; like ‘Why do you think Goldilocks ate Baby Bear’s porridge?’
• A quick read of the adventures of Alibaba or a fairy tale like Cinderella transports the child to different worlds. He or she can relate to new and thrilling experiences, quite different from everyday happenings.
• Bedtime reading is considered the best quality time spent with a kid. Psychiatrists feel that bedtime reading helps to build strong bonding with the child.

Language is a gift for a child and books help cater to this in abundance and variety. The variety in the book reading is bound to reflect in the child’s knowledge. Reading a book aloud can be a good exercise not just for memorization but also for improvement of speech and vocabulary. Books help trigger a child’s imagination. Remember, words are everywhere. Even while you are in the car, encourage your child to read all sorts of things like the signs on billboards, street signs etc.

Visit the Library
A very good habit that you can cultivate in your child is to make them visit a local neighbourhood library like Treasure House, even if it is for a couple of hours or half-an-hour! Just by spending some time there, in the quietude, amongst an array of varied books, they will be able to slowly but surely befriend the books and start enjoying their company more. It will help them know more about the books, imbibe a habit of glancing, reviewing and selecting books that they could pick up to read and more so, enjoy!

(This is the first in a series of articles. The others will give more tips on reading for toddlers and how to engage your older children into reading more!)

His friend is Felicia, a sprightly 9-year-old who loves to coin unusual names only for the reason that one does not have to share their names with another! And they had to be long….that sure does explain our teddy’s name!

He has been around in Felicia’s family for the longest time. He was Felicia’s grandmother’s friend, got passed on to her mom, before he became Felicia’s friend

Listen to him as he recounts’ his tale of being a trusted, cuddly friend through their happy and sad times and about the latest crisis to hit his life!

It will make you want to grab your own teddy, give him a beary (!) hug as he hugs you right back!

‘A Bear For Felicia’ is written by Jerry Pinto.
Reviewed by Vidya.

The book introduces the Alphabet L and the words associated with the alphabet. It is illustrated cheerfully to grab a toddlers’ attention. Have fun treasure hunting for all the L words in Page 15 and do look for other books in the Alpha tales series.
Reviewed by Vidya.