“اقرأ”
Or “Read”. This was the first word revealed to Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم from the Quran.
The importance of reading is undeniable.
Whether it is from simply reading road signs to know directions or to reading the most perfect text, the Quran to understand our purpose in life and the world we live in.
With the many distractions of the modern day, reading has taken a back seat and less and less families read every day. Video games, Tablets and TV screens have replaced home libraries and reading has become only to do day-to-day tasks and school work, which even nowadays many students rely instead on videos to get information.
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This is truly unfortunate.
Children and Adults alike are depriving themselves from the most important tool to grow and develop as human beings. They are depriving themselves from exploring the world Allah created and making a bigger impact in it. We can’t all dive in the depths of the oceans nor can we all go to the moon, unless we read.
To help you encourage your Muslim child to love reading, here are 5 effective and tried ways to try, along with your young one. I’ve started with my children as young as a few months old. The earlier you start, the easier and the more lasting the effect will be insha’Allah.
5 ways to encourage the love of Reading:
#1: Have a positive attitude towards reading
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Never use reading as a negative consequence. You do not want our children to think of reading as sort of punishment.
Instead have reading as an enjoyable activity to do during the day, or before bed. Perhaps during family time, or commutes.
Have various books accessible, especially books with lots of images so that your children would be attracted to pick one up.
Also, gifting books as a form of reward or in Eid helps children get more excited about reading and feeling that books are special.
Going with your children to public libraries can also build a positive attitude towards reading. Usually libraries have interactive activities for children and comfortable child-friendly reading lounges to help children enjoy being in the library.
#2: Allow your child to choose genres of choice
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Short novels, graphic novels, guides, chapter books, picture books, magazines, etc. No matter what format, reading is reading.
Let your child choose from whatever format they like, from the various genres available.
Of course, there will be books that contain harmful ideas or ideas that go against our faith.
So here I would advise you, depending on your child’s maturity and awareness about Islam to either:
- Read the books with them and have effective discussions about the ideas in the book and how they go with our faith as Muslims
- Avoid these books and explain to your child why it is better to avoid them. With my toddler, I used to tell her, “The content is not useful” or “The content is not good” with neutral tone and provide a more exciting alternative.
#3: Read aloud together
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My children love when I read to them!
Whether we are snuggling on the couch or long car rides, they always enjoy it.
Have fun! Do all the funny voices, and be excited. When your children see you having fun while reading, they will enjoy it too.
Also, change the genres often, and perhaps the languages as well. Definitely read books that are written by Muslim authors and that have Muslim representation. Your children will be able to connect more the text.
Discuss the images as you go and ask questions about the characters; why do you think he was feeling this way? why do you think they acted this way? etc.
#4: Use audiobooks
Audiobooks are a great way to incorporate reading in your family’s life.
Play one during commutes to make them enjoyable or during your family’s downtime on the couch with a hot beverage.
Follow it up with great discussions and this could be a truly family bonding activity.
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#5: Lead by example
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You are your child’s role model.
Show your child the importance of reading and how much you enjoy it by dedicating time during the day to read.
This is perhaps the most comprehensive and effective way to encourage your child to love reading.
To conclude, raising our Muslim children to becoming readers is crucial and insha’Allah using the ways we shared with you will encourage them to love reading.
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