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Impacting Children Through Books: Two Teachers Share Their Vision Through the Writing of Children’s Books
26-October-2023
“We read to know we are not alone,” C.S Lewis, an Oxford and Cambridge scholar, a Christian writer, poet and philosopher better known for his fantasy series The Chronicles Of Narnia was once quoted as saying. While he was a prolific writer, authoring more than 20 books in his time, Lewis was also an insatiable reader. Even though he was a professor, he never stopped learning. He knew the value and importance of reading a good book.
Unfortunately, reading habits continue to decline across generations. The National Literacy Trust, a UK-based charity which surveys children’s reading habits, observed in 2019 that just 26 percent of under-18s spent some time each day reading for fun. Similarly, the US National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) found that the percentages of 9- and 13-year-olds who said they read daily for pleasure had dropped by double digits since 1984.
In Indonesia, the statistic is even bleaker. In a study conducted by the Central Connecticut State University in the US, Indonesia ranked 60th out of 61 countries in terms of reading interest, either for educational or leisure activities. However, many observers argued that this was caused more by a lack of access to books where, according to UNESCO, there is only one book title per 15,000 people.
Concerned by this trend, two teachers ùnder the Pelita Harapan Educational Foundation (YPPH) made it their mission to incite a love of reading in children by authoring picture books published through the book reading app BukuAku, which offers curated e-books for children between ages 3-12 years old.
Rudi Wijaya, a Grade 11 teacher from Sekolah Dian Harapan (SDH) Cikarang, authored “Julie and Jelly” to teach the importance of family values and relationships through a story about a mother and her young daughter who teamed up on a mission to make jelly together.
“The majority of today’s children are glued to their gadgets, smartphones, and tablets… which can be more entertaining that holding a physical book,” said the father of two. “To compete for their attention, we try to use technology for educational purposes. BukuAku, a child-friendly and interactive reading app, can be one way to reverse the decline of reading habits among children.”
According to Rudi, several BukuAku features, such as animated illustrations, audio read-to-me options, and gamification (earning points or badges) to help children focus their attention to the story while they read and reward their progress. Additionally, parents can take part in promoting their children’s reading success by setting achievable goals and monitoring their reading habits while teachers can use the app to give reading assignments.
“The involvement of parents as an extension of school at home also plays a crucial role in nurturing their child’s interest in reading. One way to do this to read a book together with their child or reading them a bedtime story. This will also foster a stronger emotional connection between the parent and child,” he advised, arguing that “a book children love the most is the one read to them by their parents.”
Ella Foronda, a Grade 2 teacher at Sekolah Pelita Harapan (SPH) Lippo Village, pointed out that the quality of content is also crucial in improving literacy skills in Indonesia. The author of Felix the Ferret and the Beautiful Flowers cautioned that many children books may actually contain hidden messages promoting beliefs or lifestyles that are incompatible with Biblically rooted family values.
“As a parent or teacher, we need to be very selective in choosing books for our children to read,” said Ella, who completed her Master's Degree in Applied Behavioral Analysis at Cairn University. “We should not pick a random book just because the cover looks nice but when you read it you find lines with suggestive messages like ‘my two dads or moms’ or ‘I don’t feel like I am a rhino.' These messages certainly do not belong to the ears of children.”
Through her book, she wishes to cultivate a joy of reading in children but also impart virtues like patience, perseverance, consistency, discipline and appreciation of the natural world while teaching them vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and basic science.
In her view, a love for reading needs to be taught to children from a young age. “Once a passion for books is instilled in children, it doesn’t matter if its digital or physical book. They would actively look for books that suit their interests and eventually become an avid reader,” she observed.