By introducing your kids to the hobby of reading, you will be opening a new vista about the world around them. The habit of reading can nurture them into better persons. They may not be world leaders, but they’ll undoubtedly bring positive changes in the lives of the people they’ll meet in their lifetimes.

Our friends and family members keep asking us about which books to buy for their children, which books to read aloud, or how to introduce books to them. So, in this article, we will be recommending a few books with which your kids can start their reading journeys. Some of them had been our favourites, too, when we were children!

Recommended English Story Books

Age Group 3 to 6 years

Bedtime Stories by Little Pearl Books

Each book has a short story written in bold alphabets and expressive illustrations, making it easier for early readers. Stories like The Hare and The Tortoise, The Horse and The Lion, The hen that laid the golden eggs have been read by us when we were kids and they still grab the interests of the little one.

Buy the books

Read it yourself with Ladybird

The Read It Yourself books are divided into different levels. You can pick the level depending on your child’s ability to read. The series includes traditional tales like The Goldilocks and the Three Bears, popular characters like Peppa Pig, modern stories like Jon’s Football Team, and non-fiction stories like Astronauts. The beautifully illustrated books and written by language learning experts, keeping in mind the structured language progression to help children develop their cognitive skills.

Buy Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 books.

Pepper Series Set 1 (Set of 6 Books)

Written in simple language with boldfaced letters and expressive illustrations, these books are good to introduce your child to some good manners. Like Pepper, the chubby bubbly puppy solves his daily challenges, your child also sees the world around him/her in these books.

But the book online.

Board Books by Paragon Books

With these books, you can open a new world of imagination to your new readers and develop their reading interest. The sturdy pages of the story for kids in English make it a perfect introductory segment for your little ones who can handle them as they want. And their expressive illustrations can grab their attention from the moment they set their eyes on the books. 

See their collection and pick the books of your choice.

The Giant of Jum by Elli Woollard

The Giant Jum by Elli Woollard and award-winning illustrator Benji Davies is an incredibly rhymed text with a clever twist. His images add loads of fun and children enjoy hunting for the not-so-hidden animals in them. The book with the kids as the multiracial crew also comes with a strong message.

Buy the book.

A Treasury to Read with Mummy

With this book in your hand, neither you nor your kid will ever run short of stories. This explicitly illustrated treasure of 80 stories is perfect for reading together. It contains stories that have been passed through generations and still have the power to seize the kids’ attention.

Buy A Treasury to Read with Mummy or A Treasury to Read with Grandma and fill your little one’s childhood with beautiful stories.

Wondering how to develop the habit of reading in your child, read Let’s encourage our kids to read

Age Group 6 to 10 years

Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales

Fairy Tales take us to the world of fantasy and what would be better if the same fairy tales talk about humanity and harmony? Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales talk about the common human beings with their virtues and vices. The stories are so beautifully written that they would go a long way in inculcating good values in your children.

Buy the book.

Suggested read: The book about the world of wild animals.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

In his unique storytelling style, Roald Dahl conveys to the elder kids the possibility this world holds for them – they just need to try. It’s a delightful story about a little girl, Matilda, who learns to read, all by herself and by the time she’s in school, she finishes off all the kids’ books. But, alas! None recognises her talent until she meets her class teacher. Kids above six years old start developing their opinions and they can perfectly relate to this school-going child.

Buy the book online.

The Magic Drum and other favourite stories by Sudha Murthy

Sudha Murthy is one of the best Indian writer who writes simple story for kids in English. The sparkling collection of stories by her breathes lives into the characters. And even a seven-year-old can sense the humour in them. With a subtle, hidden message and easy-to-understand language, this book can conveniently fit into your child’s library.

Buy the book.

Great Stories For Children by Ruskin Bond

Iconic children’s author and classic novelist Ruskin Bond write about the petite beauties of life. His stories instill faith in humanity and are very soothing in the fast-paced world. Introduce your kids to his stories from childhood and encourage them to find joy in things they see around them. His intricate writing will transcend you to the mountains and build your kids’ initial connection with nature.

Buy the book online.

The Puffin Keeper by Michael Morpurgo

An ideal book to introduce to the school-goers to introduce them to the power of friendship. Through Benji’s top-notch illustrations and Michael Morpurgo’s words’ kids will learn life-long lessons and understand the meaning of consequences. It’s a book that’ll enchant readers of all ages.

Buy the book. 

As we have already mentioned, the world of books is vast and it opens a new horizon for the kids, we hope you and your child enjoy reading the above-mentioned books.

We have stated some of the best stories for kids in English and in our next article, we’ll share the story for kids in Bengali.

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The post Recommended storybooks for kids in English (3- 10 years) appeared first on KolkataFusion.

Animals always excite me. I love all animals. That was the reason my parents decided to take me on a safari tour to Madhya Pradesh.

One fine morning we reached Nagpur by train. From Nagpur, we took a cab to Pench National Park. The resort was just near the entrance gate of the Pench National Park. There were different types of trees everywhere. I was thrilled.

The next morning, at dawn, we started for our safari. A jeep was waiting for us at the resort gate.

Related: A weekend destination near Kolkata – Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary, Odisha (Part 1)

I was very excited. As we entered the national park, first, we saw many langurs eating leaves of trees and jumping from one tree to another. There were many spotted deers too. I also saw a few jackals, sambars and a barking deer. The most surprising and exciting part was when we spotted the tigress “Collarwali” just after entering the park. I think I was very lucky. I saw thousands of deers. The guide uncle told us that the deers and the langurs are friends. They help each other by supplying food and warning when the tigers approach.

The animal that thrilled me the most was a spider. The spider’s size, I think, was that of a sparrow. I saw many birds like Black Drongo, White-throated Kingfisher, Indian Scops Owls, Indian Roller, Peacocks, Parakeets, Orioles, Oriental Magpie Robin, Common Hoopoe and Cormorants. Definitely, this safari was amazing.

From Pench, we went to the Kanha National Park. In the Kanha National Park, we saw a Sambar running fast. It was so quick that my father could not take a picture of it. I think it got scared by the roaring of our jeep. I saw a barking deer eating grass quietly. Oh! I saw a few Barasinghas. They had magnificent antlers.

Related: A weekend destination near Kolkata – Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary, Odisha (Part 2)

From Kanha, we further went to Bandhavgarh. The vegetation in Bandhavgarh was much different. Here it was mostly grassland and the area was hilly. On this safari, I saw very few animals. I saw a herd of bisons and very beautiful butterflies. I saw a huge statue of Lord Vishnu in a sleeping position. The statue was so big that my mother was unable to take a proper picture of it. I also saw a horse stable used by kings on our way to the statue of Vishnu.

The day before our safari in Bandhavgarh, we went to visit the Palace of Maharaja of Rewa. I saw a stuffed tiger and tigress shot by the Maharaja. The armour of Maharaja was on display. We were allowed to lift the guns, swords and spears used by the Maharajas. I took a spear, which was much lighter than the gun used for hunting. The gun was so so heavy that my mother could not carry it even for a minute. Well, for me, I could not hold it without help more than a second. I cannot imagine how Kings hunted for hours with it.

The safaris in Madhya Pradesh were blissful and I loved doing them. And I also dream of doing more in the future.

About Edaan Ghosh

Edaan is an 8-year-old kid. Stays in Kolkata with his parents. An avid travel enthusiast. Already travelled to Ladakh, Lahaul Spiti, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and loves to be to Goa. Loves to play with dinosaurs and has a strong belief that dinosaurs will surely return to Earth once again. Also a voracious reader. Favourite author is Roald Dahl.

The post MY FIRST JUNGLE SAFARI EXPERIENCE appeared first on KolkataFusion.

I am sure most of us would want to choose Option B – the dream-like situation!

However, it’s ok if your child turns the botty towards you the moment you take out a book or starts fidgeting with the surroundings whenever you start reading. Encouraging kids to read has been a challenge and a necessity ever since the concept of books came in.

Reading not just helps the child in getting grades, but it is an ever-flowing source of knowledge. Regular reading boosts a child’s imagination and gives freedom of mind. Books (beyond the ones in the syllabus) also help develop a child’s cognitive behaviour and communication skills. We are well aware of the innumerable benefits of reading, so instead of elaborating the same, let’s see how we can encourage our little ones to read.

First, try to figure out why your child doesn’t read. 

Before finding a solution, we need to figure out the root cause of the problem.

Does your child enjoy listening to stories, but avoids reading?

If so, it might be because the kid is struggling with the vocabs and finds reading books to be difficult. Thus, avoidance!

Does your baby prefer other activities more than TV?

The first cartoon that got introduced to my child was Chhota Bheem, and he was obsessed with it – I took it as an opportunity and got a series of Chhota Bheem books. And it did help to the extent, where he prefers reading the books than watching the cartoon.

Find out what your child loves to do, who’s hir favourite character, hir favourite sports, and get books on them.

Tips to encourage our kids to read

Reading should be fun

Once the child starts perceiving reading books as a compelling task, you are done for.

And it’s not their fault – from the moment we send our kids to playschool, they are burdened with classwork and homework. The structured education system introduces them to spellings and reading from the age of 3 or lesser than that. So, even when we take out a storybook, the child starts wondering if it’s something related to their syllabus, which they are expected to learn.

It generates fear in your children.

To break the taboo, use props while reading, enact and encourage the child to do a role-play. Let hir dwell over the pictures and ask your little munchkin to build stories when you both come across an illustration.

Increase the options

Build a good collection of books. I remember my aunt saying – there’s nothing called a bad book. After Class 10 exams, when I started reading Sarat Chandra Chatterjee’s novel, my uncle asked her to select the books for me. But, she gave me the freedom to pick the novel of my choice. What I want to say is: Since reading broadens your horizon, let the children read whatever they can manage to. Never resort to force. That’s one golden rule to introduce reading as a hobby.

When the children get to pick a material to read, they feel they have control over their decision. And they feel more excited to go through something from their own selection.

Include reading in your schedule

Kids love schedule as it brings consistency in their day and when they can predict a day, they are less stressed out. Even we elders dread uncertainty, don’t we? 

Fix a time in a day when you will snug in beside your baby, and you both will not only read the book but also discuss it. Speak to the child about what’s happening in the book and let hir share hir thoughts – how does the story make the kid feel? Is it giving hir joy? Has their been any new learning? Let hir express hir feelings.

Set an example

I firmly believe that kids learn from what they see and not what we say! So, if you want your child to be an avid reader, try to inculcate the habit of reading in yourself.

Once in a while, take out some time for reading together. While you read your book or magazine, give the child another book to read, or something with loads of illustrations, to keep hir engaged. Be prepared to be disturbed! Name this one hour as “we-read-time” or “family-reading-hour.”

Praise the child

Who doesn’t enjoy positive reinforcement?

Show interest in their reading and let them read any word that they come across – it might be a manual, or a recipe, or the labels on the cookie jars. When they learn a new word for the first time, they are super-excited and parents’ genuine praises motivate them further. Let them know how happy you are because they could read a word all by themselves. 

Break their fear by introducing them to small sentences and encourage them to read “bit-by-bit.”

Get the right books

We must provide our kids with the right books. Don’t opt for a book because your friend’s daughter read that book at age of 5, so your 6-year old should also be able to read it. Understand where your child stands and buy a book according to hir ability.

Read aloud

Reading aloud should start from the age of six months (or earlier than that). Psychology Today says, no one is ever too young for books. By introducing kids to books in early life and reading regularly, you can encourage your child to develop an interest in reading.

As the child grows up, let hir participate in the reading. You both can take turn to read aloud, or select characters to provide voice over.

To Conclude

Most of us are stuck at home, with schools and offices being conducted online. Due to the global scenario caused by COVID-19, work pressure has multiplied and so has stress. Finding out time to read books, that too after completing all chores, might be difficult. If you are struggling to adjust to the new normal life, don’t be shy about using technology. Let your child listen to audiobooks. Though these aren’t as effective as reading it yourself, they are better than no reading.

Recommended read: Travelling with a toddler

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