The Nigeria Centre for Reading, Research and Development (NCRRD), Bayero University, Kano (BUK), has organised a stakeholders conference, with a view to improving reading skills among Nigerian children at early stage.
The Director of the Centre, Prof. Talatu Musa-Garba, who disclosed this in Kano on Friday, said the conference was named “3rd National Conference on Children’s Books and Teaching of Early Grade Reading in Nigeria”.
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The conference has theme: “Children’s Books, as Tools for the Effective Teaching of Reading Skills in the Early Grade in Nigeria”.
Musa-Garba, who decried dearth of reading culture among students, stressed the need for parents to provide relevant textbooks for their children, as part of measures to address the problem.
The director further called on parents to formulate a reading time-table for their children, so as to inculcate the reading culture in them.
She urged the stakeholders in teaching, research and education, to come together and proffer solution to the problems of early grade reading in the country.
“Reading culture is gradually fading off, but there is the need to revive and enhance the way we teach at early level,” she said.
Musa-Garba further explained that the conference would advice on the best curricula on teaching of reading skills at different levels in school systems.
She added that the centre wanted to see Nigerian pupils reading in English and all the prominent languages in the country fluently.
The director further stressed the need for parents to continue to send their children to school.
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Prof. Ramlatu Jibir-Daura, from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, in a keynote address, noted that the best way to encourage children to read more was to provide books that interest them.
“There are children who love adventure stories, others enjoy books filled with fairy and fantasy or facts about the world.
“Other children enjoy books about family life and the schools.
“And for children to master vocabulary, they need both direct and indirect instructions.
“Parents should, therefore, endeavour to supply them with books in their homes and read them out to their children at the appropriate times,” she said.
She also urged parents and teachers to choose books that were rich with illustrations and photos that help to enhance reading compression in the early grade.
“Poor readers cannot develop proper writing skills or become self-guided learners in other subject areas,” she said.
Mr Aminu Musa-Kanoma, from Zamfara SUBEB, who spoke on behalf of the participants, said that teachers were more dedicated in the 80s.
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He said that: “now, parents jump their children to the next class, and this tells much about the education in future”.
“The issue should be tackled and treated from the grassroot, while teachers should not tolerate any of such act, to build responsible society and good leaders of tomorrow,” he said.
