Kutubooku, on a mission to make India read more and read better, is set to change the rules of how children read
The startup recently partnered with actor and author Sonali Bendre to spread the word and launched their special edition book boxes co-curated by Ria Zita George, chief books curator of Kutubooku and actress Sonali Bendre who is also the founder of Sonali's Book Club
Research has been consistently proving that children who are exposed to appropriate books from an early age fare well not only academically but also in life. They grow up as confident, emotionally mature, well-rounded individuals on an eternal quest to learn. But even though we all are aware of the benefits of reading and there is a lot of intent around Raising Readers, why is it that kids are not reading as much as their parents would like them to? We caught up with team Kutubooku to explore this further.
Q. Why do you think the buzz regarding Raising Readers & tackling screen addiction is getting louder in the last couple of years?
We are living in a fast-paced technology driven world where children and adults are creating their own metaverses. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the pace at which the younger generation took to screens to learn, discover, and know the world around them. The screens that were used for educational purposes was supposed to be a temporary solution and mostly for the purpose of education. However even after the schools re-opened, the time spent on screens stayed. This increasing trend of screen addiction has been bothering most parents and definitely me as an educator. I have been actively trying to understand what can be done about it. The issue with unmoderated screen time is not just about children’s eyesight, it also has a negative impact on a child’s social and emotional development. Longitudinal studies across the world have been increasingly proving a direct correlation between excessive screen time and decreased attention span. We have been reading for thousands of years and there are documented benefits of reading- an increased language competence, empathy, concentration, perspective taking skills, creativity, imagination and pure dopamine release. We need to understand that there are few basic things that can never be replaced such as healthy food, outdoors and reading books. While screens can offer educational content and interactive experiences, balancing screen time with active reading can contribute to a well-rounded and holistic approach to learning and cognitive development.
Q. How do you think this translates in an Indian context?
Now looking into an Indian context, with the pace at which India is growing, it has become all the more important to focus on the holistic development of the future generation. The Indian leadership has identified this as a critical point too and that is what is reflected in the National Educational Policy reforms over the years. With a very strong emphasis on early literacy, promoting library culture, nurturing creative & critical thinking, the policy highlights the significance of cultivating a nation of avid readers and lifelong learners. One of the important goals of the policy is the attainment of Universal Foundational Literacy and Numeracy which includes making children competent in “meaningful” reading and writing by the time they enter Grade 3 and develop skills to incorporate their experiences outside school to their classroom learning. Easy access to high quality books which cater to each child’s unique interests is one of the sure shot ways in which these goals can be achieved. Now the question remains as to how a child can get easy access to books that are catered to their interests and reading levels while keeping their holistic growth in mind. It is something schools and parents are trying to find a solution to.
Q. How are you trying to address this problem?
