Sonali’s Book Club has been my passion project for almost 7 years now. At SBC, I connect with fellow book lovers, and together we delve into the world of literature—discussing books, engaging with authors, reading with children, and discovering literary gems from around the globe. It’s a bibliophilic adventure that has been incredibly fulfilling.
When I first learned about Kutubooku, I immediately resonated with the concept. I vividly recall prioritizing reading with my son, recognizing all the benefits it brings. I was eager for him to develop into an avid reader, and our shared reading sessions not only fostered his love for books but also became invaluable quality bonding time. As a working mother, I cherished these moments immensely, using books as a tool to initiate meaningful conversations with my son, ultimately strengthening our connection.
Exploring the world of books with my son opened my eyes to the enchanting realm of words and illustrations in children"s literature. When Kutubooku shared their vision of handpicking books tailored to each child, with the intention of curating a collection that nurtures young readers, I knew I had to be part of this initiative. Having personally experienced the challenge of meticulously researching books for my son"s bookshelf, I understand the profound impact that the choice of books can have on cultivating a love for reading. And hence, here we are, and I am very excited to be part of the journey to Raise Readers.
Q. Could you double click on matching right kids with the right books. How do you do that?
Finding a book that matches a child’s interests, reading level, developmental stage and themes/ ideas their parents/caregivers would want to explore is not an easy task. It requires an understanding of how kids learn and absorb cues. Although the idea of Kutubooku came to us around 3 years back, being an educator, I knew that this is something that cannot be rushed into. Over the past 3 years, we’ve been devouring books at a rate of 3-4 books per day. With that, we have created a proprietary algorithm to match kids with the right books. The algorithm is supported by a database of more than 1000 books which have been handpicked by us from the vast ocean out there.
Over the past 3 years, I have also had the chance to understand children’s reactions to these books and the activities to fine tune the recommendation algorithm. We choose good quality books which are inclusive by nature and keep social-emotional learning at the heart of it all. Over the years we have been identifying the themes each book explores and reading levels they cater to. As an educator, the voices of children are important to us and that’s why the books we choose would reflect children’s real data-based choices.
Along with the books, each Kutubooku box contains something called a reading guide, which will help parents who struggle to meaningfully engage with a book, read actively and engage consciously with their children. These guides provide practical tips such as conversation cues you could have with the reader while you are reading with them and follow-up hands on activities that will encourage them to engage with the book with more than just reading such as measuring inclusivity quotients, nature hunts, scrap book activities etc.
When a child and caregiver sign up for a Kutubooku box, they are asked to fill in a detailed questionnaire where we try to learn about the child in detail so as to curate the books for them. This questionnaire that captures the very essence of the child along with more details that parents would like to share about their children so that we can understand how the books would connect with the child is the basis of our curation. Based on the input we receive regarding ideas like specific life events in a child’s life & themes the parents/caregivers would like to explore with the child, we put together the Kutubooku box for each child.
Q. There are a few subscription options right now. Could you help us understand how you are different from others?
There are a couple of things that we claim to be are uniquely us. If you have noticed, you’ll find a lot of book subscription boxes that are put together for each age category. My experience with children coupled with what research claims about reading levels has proven that a child’s age group is not indicative of their reading levels which is why it is quintessential to pick out the books for a child based on their reading levels and not age. At Kutubooku, we believe in “partnering" with parents in the process of Raising Readers. We do this by keeping our communication channels open with parents where parents are encouraged to share their feedback on certain books and we sort of co-curate the books for the child with parents having very simple tasks to do such as filling in a questionnaire. Our collection of books covers a lot of themes such as environmental consciousness, inclusiveness, empathy, community and friendship etc. Each child gets a unique book box with a unique collection of books. We curate based on children’s interests, developmental stages, life events which are to be coped with or celebrated etc.
We also stand out from the rest of the boxes because of our reading guides that come with each book which helps children extend their reading to play and learning.
We have seen startups making strides in providing nutrition for kids, bringing great toys to the market and building childcare brands. It’s a fresh breath of air where Kutubooku has chosen the path less chosen and decided to focus on the very basics of child development and their learning journey. Parents and caregivers can know more about Kutubooku via their website www.kutubooku.com or drop a note at hello@kutubooku.com to book a complementary session with Ria to begin their journey of “Raising Readers"
Ria Zita George is an educator and a published researcher who has co-authored papers with education researchers from Finland & Singapore. Excerpts from her research papers can be found on their website www.kutubooku.com. She holds a Master"s degree in Curriculum and Teaching from the prestigious Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, renowned for its cutting-edge educational practices. Ria has an MBA from IMT Ghaziabad, one of India"s top business schools. Her solid foundation in technical education is established by her B.Tech degree from NIT Calicut, a premier institution in engineering education. Her diverse and high-caliber educational background positions her uniquely in the realm of educational leadership and innovation.
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First Published: Dec 29, 2023, 16:32
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