All of the Czech Republic Reads to Children is celebrating its 20th anniversary!
For 20 years now, the educational and media activities of All of the Czech Republic Reads to Children have been focused on a single goal—to remind parents and all adults in a child’s immediate circle that reading is the foundation of a person’s emotional and intellectual development. At a time when children’s lives are dominated by smartphones and other media, reading aloud is more important than ever. All of Czechia Reads to Children is undoubtedly a 21st-century initiative.
How to Get Started
All expert research shows that the most effective way to get children interested in books is through regular reading aloud. Reading aloud to children is a unique and adventurous journey that you’ll embark on with your child for many years to come. In doing so, you’ll help develop their thinking, vocabulary, and imagination. You’ll show them that they are important and loved. If you’re not sure how to get started, or if you feel that your child might not stay engaged with a book for very long at first, don’t worry. On our website, you’ll find simple tips on how to start reading aloud and how to keep it going successfully.
Parents Are Looking for Solutions
Most parents are looking for ways to get their children away from their cell phones when “all their friends are on there.” Adults, however, often lack the desire or the strength to resist this social pressure. Spending quality time together—which reading stories aloud undoubtedly is—can serve as a guide. Various observations suggest that children who are initially enthusiastic listeners to stories read aloud go on to become avid readers themselves and do not develop “cell phone addiction,” as this modern phenomenon is most commonly called.
Dads, Read!
Reading is often seen as the domain of mothers, so any ritual reserved for fathers sparks great interest in a young child. What’s more, dads tend to be more playful and imaginative when reading, and they ask more questions. Dads read more often from digital devices, while women tend to be more conservative in this regard and stick to paper. If reading becomes a regular ritual that structures the day and brings a sense of calm, the whole family benefits. In families where the ritual of reading together has been maintained for many years, you’ll often hear the phrase: “We take turns.” One day Dad reads aloud, the next day it’s the daughter’s turn.
The Magic of Printed Books Has Not Disappeared
Interest in reading on paper is waning. Although it is well known today that reading books regularly expands vocabulary, improves grammar, develops cognitive, intellectual, and emotional abilities, and stimulates creativity, the internet is winning out. This problem affects both children and adults. Reading from screens, however, trains our brains in entirely different skills, while the ones mentioned above become dulled.
