Assalamo Alaikum
Books are everywhere in my house. What you see in the pic here is just one shelf – which I usually keep locked and only open when requested to swap the books that are outside.
There can never be enough books. The more, the better. Reading is the gateway to a sea of knowledge and having them readily accessible is key to building the love of reading in your children. If the book is within reach, then they are more likely to pick it up and read.
Literacy is deeply embedded in Islam. Everyday we read the Quran. The very first verses revealed of the Quran tell us to read! Also, Allah Ta’ala mentions “those who have knowledge”, multiple times in the Quran, telling us of their high rank. And one of the main ways of gaining knowledge is by reading.
Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees
Surah Al-Mujadilah, Ayah 11
When the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam migrated to Madinah, he established an educational policy, where the aim was to make reading and writing widespread. Also, after the battle of Badr, teaching the skills of reading and writing was one of the ways in which prisoners were released. So, reading isn’t just good for academic success, but also for deeni success!
It’s not enough to just have books lying around the house though. Children need to see you actively engaging with your own books as well. They will see that you value reading and they will copy you. It should be normal to be reading.
I don’t believe children should be rewarded for reading, once they are actually able to read fluently. Although, you may have to for a while if they are reading averse. If done correctly, they will love to read and even bug youd to get more books, rather than the other way around.
InShaAllah, I will post up book recommendations one day soon.
Here are some quick tips to get your children reading:
- Provide a variety of books at all times – but not too many at the same time! a combination of fiction and non-fiction, as well as Islamic stories
- Libraries have plenty of books to choose from. It’s easy to change books weekly or fortnightly depending on your schedule and the speed at which your kids need new books.
- Read out loud for your kids right from the start – as in, when they are just a couple of weeks old, right up to upper primary.
- Make a routine to read an Islamic book together in the day, such as after Maghrib prayer. You could read a hadith book such as Muntakhab Ahaadith.
- Let them choose their own books. But always check that they are appropriate.
- Have your own book that you read daily for yourself. This is great inspiration for kids.
- I personally prefer physical books, but if e-readers are more to your liking, then go ahead, they are still books, just in another form.
- Audio books are a great resource as well. I discovered audio books at my library, but there are many online sources too.
Have fun reading!
Wassalam
Sadia H