What are you reading today?

 What are you reading today?

A question I often ask in my trainings to my participants, in my academic classes to my students.

Sometimes I get detailed answers on the book they are reading or listening to, the journal papers or some random article they read that morning.

Sometimes there are awkward silences.

Participants tell me they don't have time to read or they just don't read books; reels or viral LinkedIn posts are more entertaining.

I have often heard adults lamenting how kids dont read today and they are always on the gadgets.

Till a few years back, I would quietly judge wondering how can someone not read. But today, I am wiser I think. I try and understand the why but also how can we inculcate the habit of reading.

So, sharing what I tell my participants and students and what I tell the fellow parents, when they ask "How do we begin reading? " Or "How to get the child to read? "

1. Reading is not a competition- each of us read at a pace that works for us. There is no ideal time to finish a book. I do keep a track of how many books I read, what genre, new authors but that is only a personal benchmark.

2. Read anything you can get your hands on- a book, an article- short or long form, a magazine, a pamphlet, news shorts... Even what is written on newspaper packets or the statements on t-shirts.

3. All genres are good- let us stop being snooty about genres. We could have a favourite genre ourselves but let us refrain from imposing. Fiction, Non-fiction, Mystery, Romance, Drama, Magical realism, Translated works, Vernacular literature- all work.

4. If you are not enjoying a book, stop reading it. Don't be a victim of sunk cost fallacy... Time and life are precious. Sometimes some books just don't work for us and it is ok.

5. One is boring, want to read multiple books at the same time- Go-ahead. Over the years, I have realised that I prefer reading multiple books- one physical book and another on the kindle and sometimes all physical books... I usually read different genres simultaneously. That keeps the momentum and the interest.

6. Children mirror us adults, most times. So, if you are a parent who wants the child to read... Then you also reading helps the cause. Sometimes you could read out aloud to them or read along! Make it a family activity.

7. There is no perfect time to read. We can set aside a time everyday but also not be bound by it. I like to read when I have my morning coffee or when am travelling in the cab or when am waiting at the doctors or the bank or even at Ranga Shankara for eg. Once children take to reading, we see that they read everywhere and at all times.

8. Reading is not a tickbox activity or just a hobby. It over years becomes a part of who we are and shapes how we think, feel and act.

So, go ahead.. pick up just any book and read!

#LoveReading #ReadAnytime #ReadAnywhere #BooksIn2025 #IraLovesReading

Reading, the Ira way

                  Chipku movement, via books


Ira has recently begun reading. Till a few months back, when she claimed to read a book, she was telling the story from memory with her own additions and deletions. But mind you, she would seriously turn the pages and even know which part of the story is in which page.

We began reading to her when she was a few months old. P would read books and even newspapers animatedly and she would listen. Sometimes there was a chuckle and sometimes pure wonder in those little eyes. Our adult selves hoped that our little one would take to books and love reading some day.

Today, she sits off at bookstores and tries to read, reads on our long drives and even hides books below her pillow as she thinks she will dream of them. Yes, little human beings do the cutest things.

Now that we have begun on this reading journey, she practises her sight words and makes sentences out of them. One such evening, when we had also made a paper rocket, all her sentences had the word rocket. "I have a rocket", "This rocket goes far", "Look at my rocket"!

She has also begun taking a keen interest to know what are we reading. Am currently reading Americanah and she asked me what is the book about. I said it is about a young girl and her story. She said you mean she will travel,meet people, have adventures, learn things and there are some bad people but she wins. Ofcourse the bad people and winning theme comes from her fascination for superheroes and a narrative of the 'sheroes journey'.

I then asked her what was she reading. She said she is reading a lot of books at her school library.
The Fireman book,a book where a girl is telling her Ajji a story that never ends and also fruit and vegetable book, magic show book.

At home, we keep rotating the books on her shelf, adding a few new books every other month. She does have some favorites at any point of time. She wants lot of books and her biggest thrill is to turn a book to the back cover, check if there are pictures of other titles in the same series and tell us, she wants all of them.

This week, when I came back from one of my work travels and she saw me the next morning. She had one ask. I had to read her lots of stories at breakfast time. I read three books, one of which had about 5 stories. All in a span of 45 minutes :) This was her way to do her chipku movement. And honestly, this form of chipku movement makes us happy.

To more reading,more story telling and making more stories.... The Ira way.

#Ira #Iraisms #TalesAtFive #IraAtFive #IraReading #LoveReading #LoveBooks #ChipkuMovement #StoryTime #LittleHumanBeings #Happiness