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Kalimat: Instilling the Love of Reading in Kids
Publishers, writers and a growing number of individuals are addressing the “reading crisis” in the Arab world. A recent UN report shows that less than two percent of the Arab population reads one book a year, and the number of published books average to one book for every 19,150 citizens in the Arab world compared to one for every 491 British citizens. Moreover, one third of older Arab citizens are illiterate — two-thirds of who are women.
However, thanks to the outstanding educational efforts accomplished in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries, literacy levels have soared, especially amongst women.
“The interest in the purchase of children’s books has been surging,” said Dareen Charafeddine, publisher at Kalimat. She believes that mothers play an invaluable role in instilling a love for the Arabic language in their young children. Consequently, she started reading to her own little girl, Lama, as soon as she was three months old.
Studies have also shown that children and teenagers who love reading have higher IQs. They are also more creative and do better in school. Moreover, children who start reading at an early age develop good language skills. Even more, reading aloud to children (even if they still cannot read), not only helps them pronounce words correctly, but also builds a strong emotional bond between parents and children.
Sheikha Bodour established Kalimat in 2007 when she was unable to find good quality Arabic children’s books not just in the UAE, but also on her trips abroad. Hardly any books dealt with relevant issues such as sibling rivalry, the role of grandparents, the birth of a brother or sister or even death. Furthermore, the quality of the illustrations and the printing were below international standards. Kalimat was thus founded in order to publish quality children’s literature in Arabic with a mission to develop awareness of the Arabic language and culture.
But are children interested in reading? Charafeddine acknowledged an increasing tendency for children in the Arab world to turn on the TV and go on the Internet for entertainment. This has triggered a substantial decrease in reading levels. “For this reason, it is up to the parents, teachers and schools to build awareness and promote the habit of reading books for information and entertainment,” said Charafeddine.
There have been a number of initiatives from government bodies and private companies that have partnered with schools to encouraged children to read. These include “Knowledge without Borders” and the Dubai Cares “Million Book Challenge” as well as the Read Aloud Competition and Children’s Story Forum by the Abu Dhabi Government. Kalimat has also been actively organizing readings and book fairs in schools on a regular basis to generate an interest in reading among students at a primary level.
“If through our initiatives, we manage to get students at this level hooked on reading, they will end up with reading as a lifetime habit. Mothers are demonstrating increasing interest in reading with their children and this is a very encouraging trend. Generally, it is educated mothers who have realized the importance of reading in a child’s mental and psychological development. It is them that read to their children and have them purchase books. That’s the trend all over the world actually,” added Charafeddine. Kalimat has published some 50 titles for ages 0 to16 years, which include picture books, baby books, concept books and fables. The “Zein” series deals with parent -child relationships, the “Yasmina” series with milestones of growing up and the Kalila Wa Dimna series reworks Arabic fables. There are also books about rarely introduced concepts such as death in “Jaddati wal Qamar” and being left-handed in “Ana Wa Yadi Al Yusra.”
Based in Sharjah, Kalimat’s publications are available in Saudi Arabia (at Jarir and Obeikan bookstores), Lebanon, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, France, Germany, the UAE, US and UK. Kalimat’s quality books are filling a gap, and the response has been exceptional. During the first year, 30,000 copies were sold in four Book Fairs.
Kalimat is presently exploring mixed media options. For instance, it has produced the book “Al Dajaja Bak Beek,” which comes with an audio CD with a reading. Kalimat is also planning to digitize some of the titles by creating children’s e-books with animations and sound effects to encourage children to read. However, this is bringing up concern that small children will bypass the joy and benefits of reading a book to read directly from a computer screen. Charafeddine believes that reading via the computer is highly useful for academic purposes or while traveling when it is not possible to read a printed book:
“For me personally, nothing can beat the reading pleasure you get when you read a printed book. They are so versatile and reusable. The act of actually holding a book and the ability to flip through your favorite pages or illustrations over and over again cannot be compared to the transitory pleasure of reading onscreen. Printed books are available everywhere and are not limited by software glitches or availability of batteries and can be read at any time and any place. I think both printed books and digital books have their own time and place and can coexist side by side. So technology is not necessarily bad for reading… I see the two complementing each other.”
The prices of Kalimat publications have been kept at a level parents can afford in view of their quality and originality. Following the global popularity of book clubs, Kalimat is also planning to launch a book club where readers will have one attractive book delivered to their doorstep every month for a fixed annual membership fee. Endowed with a mission to create an awareness of the Arabic language and culture through promoting reading in children, Kalimat is not planning to publish any books in English at this stage. Nevertheless, whatever language one chooses, the importance of reading for young children cannot be emphasized enough.
“I would suggest that parents read to their children as early as when they are babies and make all kinds of books readily available at home,” advised Charafeddine.
By helping your child interact with the text of picture books, he or she will get used to reading and thinking about comprehension. Children who are read too often want to learn how to read words on their own. You can encourage them by reading the same book over and over. Eventually, your child will know the words so well that he or she will be able to read with you. “Modeling reading, as parents, is as essential as early reading and making reading a daily routine. Young children’s role models are their parents, and if they see them read, children are more likely to read as well. Of course, making visits to the library or bookstore a weekly activity is also a plus,” she concluded.
Lisa Kaaki
Arab News