Let's Make Reading a Habit

Nowadays, reading opportunities come in abundance. These opportunites are sometimes free of charge - like the free newspapers, free pamphlets, internet materials, leaflets - which we sometimes take for granted. University students can access latest journal articles as well as reports via on-campus database. We even read in the comfort of our bedrooms, home, not to mention nearby libraries as well as spacious book stores or when we're on the move, using communication gadgets.

When I take my children to Pizza Hut, or any family restaurants, one main attraction is the activity sheets laid out on the tables to keep customers occupied while waiting for meals to be served. The puzzles and mazes are simple yet engaging ideas which appeal not only to children but also parents.

Besides, major bookstores like MPH, Borders and Kinokuniya prepare reading corners as well as children's corner to encourage reading for pleasure. Like adults, children also scan through pages, skim for interesting content, not to mention pictures and activites. Other reading-related activities included are story-time and puppet shows which promote children's favourite cartoon characters.

I have only given two examples of reading materials as well as reading opportunities that come in an attractive package. I'm sure we have our own ways and means of encouraging our children, students and younger siblings to read. Some houses have a reading corner, small library, or even a study stacked up with all kinds of books. Some families subscribe educational and leisure magazines be it local or international publications.

Realizing how rich reading opportunity has become, we would expect more than half of our nation to proudly enlist reading as a hobby, or a habit. We would also expect the number of our reading population to increase, compared to the previous decades. Well, is this the scenario? May be, we can start by asking ourselves, first.

Recently, one of my students, Ira, wanted to write an academic paper on reading habits among Malaysians. I supported her interest and I encouraged her to find answers to her own curiosity - references include research papers, reports, newspaper articles, etc. **Ira will be invited to respond to this blog article soon, perhaps with latest statistics.

By now, I think reading facilities and promotions have been satisfactory. Most libraries in Malaysia have organized reading campaigns as well as activities. Most neighbourhoods would have a public library within the vicinity or a bookstore within travelling distance. Most homes have at least cultivated the habit of reading.

What we actually read becomes secondary - story books, comics, novels, magazines, academic articles, newspaper articles, or internet articles...

For reading to become a habit, it has to be like a culture - we learn about it, appreciate it, practice it, and pass it on to others around us. Reading can be very pleasurable indeed. If movies can help to create interest in reading, so pick a movie and then, read the novel. Many readers have done that - of course, some discover that they enjoy reading more than watching the screen for you are not confined to the movie director's imagination and creativity.

Let's hear it from you. What's your favourite reading material? How did you start your reading habit? Who encouraged/s you to read?