A few weeks back, a daughter of a friend visited me at home. It was the first time I would be meeting the young lady, so I didn’t know much about her other than her educational accomplishments, which included a very good first degree in engineering and a master’s in business engineering. This information, coupled with my association with her father (whom I have known professionally for about two decades), already hinted at my guest’s brilliant, but our encounter blew my mind.

After exchanging pleasantries, discussing her course of study and the prospects ahead of her, our gist drifted from politics to education to healthcare, youth development, unemployment, politicians, Nigerian leaders of different generations and how they are different from their counterparts across the world. The depth of knowledge and fairness she displayed blew me away. While we both agreed that most Nigerian leaders are not shining models of what leadership should be, she understood the importance of citizenship in democratic governance and how Nigerians would do their country better if they became more involved in its administration. About ninety minutes of conversation later, her eyes fell on a novel on my shelf, and she screamed, “Oh you have read this book, sir!” I answered in the affirmative, and that started another round of exchange over books by Nigerian authors that each of us had read and not. Her enviable record of read fiction and non-fiction books made me so proud! I couldn’t resist calling her father to congratulate him for raising such a phenomenal daughter.

The young lady typifies what your child could be in another decade or more. When you train your children to read, they become knowledgeable, confident, and compassionate people who would hardly struggle to lead their peers. Oh, and you are right to think that “So, if all children read and become leaders, who will follow them? But here’s my riposte!

 First off, no matter what we say, some parents will not train their children to read. Similarly, some children will never heed their parents’ advice to read. However, if we are so successful that we get all children in the world to read, it will only make the world a better place. Everyone will lead in their areas of endeavour, and you would have a world where respect for the intellect, capacity and humanity of the other person guides our conduct. There could never be a better world, I promise.

No matter what happens, however, we must accept that reading is one timeless habit that shapes thinkers, leaders, and creators across every generation. Do everything to help your child be in this class.

Now, we agree that we live in an age of endless scrolling, instant notifications, and shrinking attention spans, but we must do our best to encourage our children to read irrespective. Let me share a few hints that can help:

Model it: Children rarely become readers by accident. They become readers when they are raised in homes where books are valued, curiosity is encouraged, and stories are celebrated. So, it starts with you. When children see parents or guardians reading, they are more likely to pick up the habit themselves. So, don’t just buy your children books, read with them, discuss the stories with them, ensure that they understand its import, because at the end, reading isn’t only about passing exams. It’s about shaping minds, nurturing hearts, and preparing your children for meaningful, purposeful lives. Share the joy of reading with them so it doesn’t become an imposed chore, which no one really enjoys!

Make it social: Reading doesn’t have to be a lonely activity. There are healthy book clubs around; find one and enlist your child. You can also have family reading nights, just as some family watch movies together. Create a playful reading challenge within your family or even with friendly families of like mind. Institute little rewards that would make books feel like fun, communal and spark conversations, laughter and connection.

Start with their passion: You can kick off your child’s reading habit by starting them on literature around their love. Many boys dream about football these days, so what about biographies of some of their idols? If a child loves fashion, what about biographies, magazines, or novels in the area? The gateway doesn’t have to be “serious” literature, once the love of reading is kindled, you can introduce other genres.

Adopt digital literature: Today’s children are digital natives who are ignorant of a world without the internet, smart phones and tablets. Fighting this reality may be mere energy dissipation. So, why don’t you just leverage it? E-books, audiobooks, interactive reading and storytelling podcasts, (which are now all available), can serve as veritable entry points into the world of reading for your child. It becomes easier to nurture a lifelong love of books once a child learns that a story can live on a page or a screen. However, you must ensure that you monitor their activity on the screens, and probably get a separate device for reading, so they don’t get distracted by all the pings and buzzes of social media. You should also ensure that they are only exposed to ethical and healthy literature.

Consider the relevance of the book: Children, if not everyone, connect most with books that reflect their world or resonates with them in some way. Choose books that showcase diverse voices, lived experiences, and relatable struggles, as this would make the books feel like reality rather than some tedious homework. Also, consider books that teach the values you want them to learn and draw out these lessons for them to understand. When children see themselves or the world, they are curious about it in a book, reading transforms into discovery rather than a tedious task. They become the ones who run after it, and you’ll be happy.

These are not exhaustive tips of what you can do to ignite a love of reading in your children, but I am hopeful that they will help. I imagine that you have other ideas you can share with me, and I’m all ears. Would you be kind enough to reply to this email with different suggestions on how to help our children read?

I look forward to your response. Have yourself a bright week.