Moms For Literacy: Teach children to read with pleasure not pressure

ON International Literacy Day 2024, which is observed on September 8, is reminding parents to let their children read with pleasure not pressure.

Moms For Literacy is a non-governmental organisation that has been training children in remedial reading for over 30 years.

In a news release on September 3, Moms For Literacy said it has been consistently and successfully contributing to the children of TT towards mastery of our nation’s first language.

It said, This year Moms For Literacy joins the United Nations and the rest of the world in the commemoration of International Literacy Day under the theme “Promoting multilingual education: Literacy for mutual understanding and peace.”

The importance of literacy continues to be of global concern, one in which we have been making our own impact for over three decades. Our programme offers a unique training intervention that has been successfully benefitting children, families, communities and society.

It said, "We encourage you to read purposefully and passionately to your children. Read with commitment and necessity until they, too, can read with independent fluency that fosters their own joy of reading. Gift them books that are suitable for their age and interest and let reading be a source of pleasure not pressure for them that adds depth to their understanding.

Moms For Literacy said while commonly, literacy is usually defined by one’s ability to read and write, it is more nuanced than these lateral principles.

Literacy, it said, encompasses the basic skills and tools required for professional development, social engagement and the cultivation of a higher quality of life.

It quoted the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the organisation that declared International Literacy Day in 1966: "literacy involves a continuum of learning and proficiency levels which allows citizens to engage in lifelong learning and participate fully in community, workplace and wider society.

"It includes the ability to read and write, to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials, as well as the ability to solve problems in an increasingly technological and information-rich environment. Literacy is an essential means of building people’s knowledge, skills and competencies to cope with the evolving challenges and complexities of life, culture, economy and society.”

Moms For Literacy also highlighted the need for a multilingual education.

This it said, according to experts, exposes children to different cultures, people, and ways of life.

This cross-cultural exposure incubates appreciation and adaptability, which is a crucial element for present day’s diverse global economy. A multilingual education helps children to grow into understanding different perspectives, promotes a sense of empathy, and better equips them to navigate cultural differences in their future lives.

However, in said, to arrive at this desirable outcome, the mastering of one’s mother language must come first.

"It takes commitment and a belief in the necessity of reading aloud with your child to develop the literacy skills to master one’s home language."

Visit or contact us at:

Moms for Literacy

No. 62-63 Eastern Main Road,

Silvermill, San Juan,

Trinidad and Tobago

Telephone:638-6667/270-2202

E-mail: momsforliteracy@yahoo.com