Here’s a way to get your child to love reading

Reading helps children develop their imagination, confidence, and improves their command of language. To inculcate the reading habit among children, environmental group Free Tree Society Kuala Lumpur (FTSKL) has launched a mini library and Sprouts Book Club for kids at its premises in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

Its patron Bettina Chua Abdullah hopes the move will encourage children to develop a love of reading to enhance their knowledge.

“I have loved reading all my life. Books keep me occupied and happy. As a young child, with both parents working, I read incessantly, and I believe that cultivating a love of reading is one of the best things that anyone can do for themselves and their children,” says Bettina who lives in Oxford, England. She was in Kuala Lumpur recently for a short holiday and to launch the mini library and Sprouts.

Bettina Chua Abdullah sharing the joy of reading with Soraya Ann, 6.

To kickstart the library and book club, Bettina bought 20 books from bookstores in Oxford. The topics cover a wide range from gardens to the natural world, habitats, enjoying the outdoors, and fun projects. The books cater to pre-readers and adults.

“The summer season sees many bookstores in Oxford releasing titles for children. Not only are the books compelling and exciting, they are beautifully written, illustrated and presented,” says Bettina, an award-winning newscaster formerly with CNBC and TV3.

FTSKL was set up in 2012. Working in partnership with developer BRDB Developments Sdn Bhd, it serves as a nursery that gives away trees six or seven times a year. It needs volunteers for tasks which include gardening, fundraising and hosting plants.

“I’d encourage parents to come here and read with their children. When you read aloud to your child, you stimulate the imagination, help them develop language and listening skills, and have access to a world of know-ledge,” says Bettina.

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Source : Star2.com