Unlocking a digital wonderland

Every successful person ends up having one thing in common- their thirst for knowledge. And what do they do to gain such intellect? They read! They read and read about everything on god’s green earth and then form their own thoughts about the many things they’ve read. Sounds easy enough, right? However, it is not.

Let’s be honest, none other than habitual readers can pick a book and start reading it. Developing this habit is a lot harder when you are 30 years old. As consumable content duration shrinks and our tolerance with it, parents must recognise that now is the right time to develop a love for reading early in kids which will surely help them when they grow up. This will give them an early advantage and set them up for success.

Reading storybooks should be a part of every child’s life and it should start as early as possible. One can even start with reading board books to one’s 6 months old baby. In fact, reading books early has many lesser-known benefits such as:

• Reading plays a crucial role in a child’s development and overall well-being. The importance of reading and exposure to storybooks cannot be overstated, as they contribute to a wide range of cognitive, emotional, social, and educational benefits.

• Reading stimulates brain development by encouraging critical thinking, imagination, and problem-solving skills.

• Exposure to books and reading from a young age lays the foundation for early literacy skills, such as letter recognition and understanding the structure of written language.

• Storybooks often address emotions, feelings, and social situations that children might be encountering for the first time. Reading about characters who experience similar emotions helps children understand their feelings and develop empathy.

• The habit of reading is something that pays off for a long time! Children who enjoy reading are more likely to seek out knowledge and continue exploring new ideas as they grow older.

However, the screen time dilemma has become every parent’s nightmare. No matter how much parents try, the screens dominate every child’s life and it is close to impossible to keep them away from screens all the time. Finding the right balance and managing screen time effectively is crucial for the healthy development and well-being of children.

But in a screen-dominated world where do the pretty little paperbacks fit? How does one walk the tightrope between screen and story? While we are surrounded by technology, we often forget that we are living in the age of knowledge where we can find solutions to many challenges. Here is a list of platforms that took this challenge head-on. These platforms are constantly working on bridging to make screen time worthwhile by helping kids develop cool reading habits in a digital playground

Jumbaya

Jumbaya brings a curated library of just the best storybooks from around the world covering genres like folktales, mythology, adventure, animals, morals, sci-fi, bedtime stories and many more! All their storybooks are done in a thoughtfully animated read-along format with SLS (Same Language Subtitling) that can help significantly improve a child’s reading abilities as well as develop vocabulary and language skills. They also have storybooks in Hindi and plan to bring storybooks in other Indian and global languages.

Epic

Epic is a platform dedicated to bringing storybooks from the page to the screen. This app makes books more accessible to kids. A lot of their books have a read-aloud feature that makes it easier for kids to follow the words while reading.

StoryWeaver

An initiative by Pratham books, this is a free library of multiple books from around the world for kids. Most of their storybooks are also available in many Indian and international languages. They even follow a unique system of ‘Levels’ which can be used to map out a book to a kid’s reading ability.

In a world where screens beckon from every corner, finding meaningful experiences becomes a need of the hour. But with moderated content and platforms you’ll soon find that your child’s screen time can be a source of smiles through the pleasure of reading! In the digital playground, let literature be your guide to a more fulfilling and enriching use of technology. With these cool reading habits, the digital world becomes a playground for the mind and soul.