Acknowledged in history as an outstanding physicist,Albert Einstein was asked by a mother what books she needed to expose her young son to propel him on a path of becoming a successful scientist.
The following is an anecdote of the conversation.“In particular, she wanted to know what kinds of books she should read to her son.  ‘Fairy
tales,” Einstein respondedwithout hesitation.
‘Fine, but what else should I read to him after that?’ the mother asked. “More fairy tales,” Einstein stated.  “And after that?”
“Even more fairy tales,” replied the great scientist, and he waved his pipe like a wizard pronouncing a happy end to a long adventure.”
The mother protested this frivolity and asked for aserious answer, but Einstein persisted, adding that creative imagination is the essential element in the intellectual equipment of the true scientist, and that fairy tales are the childhood stimulus of this quality.
This is true of other professions as well. A child’s potential needs to be harnessed while they are still young. Encouraging a good reading culture in a young child has many benefits.
Looking at the many forms of entertainment the cyber agedas brought, children have many things to keep them busy.
Children can now choose from an array of hundreds of television programmes and online games to keep them busy for hours on end.
Entertaining as playing games on a console can be children need the stimulation that comes from reading a book.
There are many books depending on the age of a child that are engaging by local authors like Stephen Mpashi  and Edward Sefuke.
Mr Sefuke authored local fairy tales like Tubili tufumemu mufoko, Shikalume kalyonso and Maikalange. Other more conventionalbooks that are sure to get children onto the road of being avid readers include Aesop’s Fables by Aesop, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain and fairy tales by The Brothers Grim.
Taking the time to read with your children on a regular basis sends an important message that reading is worthwhile. Continue to expose your children to a wealth of books and eventually they will be ready for morestories.
Good stories will encourage a love for reading. And sometimes children need time to think about stories they’ve read. Reading is boring some would say. Why is reading important?
A child’s reading skills are important to their success in school and work. Reading and writing are important ways we use language to communicate.
How can we make reading part of our family’s lifestyle?
Parents play a critical role in helping their children develop not only the ability to read, but also an enjoyment of reading. There are many workable tips parents can use to get their children reading.
The first step is limiting the time spent watching television. Children are monkey-see-monkey-do creatures. As a parent, if you have books,
magazines, newspapers around your house and yourchild sees you reading them, your child will learn from an early age that reading is good for them.
Read together will show that you are interested in the things they like. Hit the library. Try finding library books about currentissues
or interests in your family’s or child’s life, and then reading them together. There are many ways to include reading in your child’s
life, starting in babyhood, and continuing through the teen years.
Focus on literacy activities that your child enjoys, so that reading is a treat, not achore. For comments or contributions email norma.siame@gmail