Presently, in a world filled with digital stimulation and short-term distractions, we see it as a significant benefit and a requirement for young learners to develop a reading habit. Reading is a life that extends beyond the academic. It is a skill that forms thinkers, dreamers, and empathetic individuals. Passing this on to the young requires patience, structure, and, most of all, inspiration. For parents and educators, this may become a journey of their own discovery, fostering bonding, understanding, and growth. At St Peter’s Model School, we believe that books are the quiet teachers that spark imagination, expand vocabulary, and open up the large scale of what is known.
Laying the Foundation: Start young, start well.
We see building out a reading routine for kids as a foundation. Young minds do best with a print-rich environment because a seed requires sun and soil to grow. In Pre-Primary, we put out picture books in the classrooms, to which we add story corners and guided reading sessions. Thus, at St Peter’s, we ensure books are a large part of a child’s everyday setting.
Research reports that children who read to themselves at a very young age do better in terms of language development and emotional intelligence. Also, before children can read, they benefit from stories, which develop their cognitive skills and attention span. What is put forth is consistency: 10 minutes a day may work wonders.
Creating a Storytelling Atmosphere at Home and School.
At the core of what we do in reading at St Peter’s is the age-old practice of storytelling. When kids at our school hear stories from parents, teachers, or peers, they begin to see that books are not just pages of text but gates to wonderful worlds. At St. Peter’s, we have integrated storytelling into the weekly curriculum. These are not simply for sitting back and listening to, but are dynamic. We ask questions, act out stories, and use art to bring them to life.
Parents can also do this by making a daily routine of story time each night. Use different expressions, vary your tone, and bring the characters to life. This creates a positive association with reading and, over time, turns it into a habit instead of a task.
Choice Matters: Allow kids to choose their own books.
A key strategy for developing a reading habit for kids is to give them what they want. Whether it is a book on animals, fairy tales, science fiction, or comics, the child can pick what they will read. Children will naturally become more into reading when reading is a choice instead of a task.
At St Peter’s Model School, we have a library which is a repository of diversity; we stock a large range of age-appropriate books which cover many genres, cultures and languages. We encourage the students to check out, explore and discuss what they read. We take a very open-ended approach, which we find turns reading into a celebration of curiosity.
Reading is a skill that is caught, not taught.
In the home and classroom setting, children look to parents and teachers as examples, which they tend to follow. This is why at St. Peter’s, our educators present their love of reading during class breaks, library periods and also in the subject teaching, which we integrate stories into.
Parents can also create what we call family reading time, which is a time that each person reads their own book silently for 15 to 20 minutes. Also, this not only helps in the development of a reading routine in kids but also in strengthening family ties through shared practices.
Celebrate Reading Milestones
As we cheer for our children’s success in academics and sports, so we also should celebrate their reading achievements. At St Peter’s we have regular reading challenges, book fairs, and literary weeks which recognise students’ reading progress.
Create at home a “reading passport” or a sticker chart for your child to log what they have read. Also try out small rewards like a trip to the bookshop or a reading badge, which may do the trick to build a routine.
The St Peter’s Advantage: At the Confluence of Reading and Purpose.
At St Peter’s Model School, we see that what passes for reading is only a part of it; it is the core of learning. In Pre-Primary we have Reading Corners, we run STEAM-integrated story workshops, and we also put on inter-school literary fests. We have crafted a very thoughtful environment which fosters a dynamic reading culture. We take an experiential approach that, for us, stories are lived, discussed and reflected upon.
Also, we have designed our curriculum to include reading in all subjects: in the science lab we do scientific articles, in the garden we read poetry, and in history we use dramatic scripts. We have a policy that developing a reading habit is for the entire school, not just the English class; it is a whole-school initiative.
Conclusion:
A child who reads becomes a grown-up who thinks. We foster a love for reading in young ones and ensure that they are equipped not just for academic success but also for empathy, imagination, and resilience. The world may change, but the wisdom from books is eternal.
At St. Peter’s Model School, each book a child reads is a step towards becoming compassionate leaders and conscious citizens of the future.
As Dr. Seuss also said, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”
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