More responses: Why should kids read?

Read Part 1 and Part 2 of our discussion on why children should read. We're having a truly fabulous debate on the subject. Join us!

What do the writers say?

aravindadiga Hello, Karadi Tales. I began by reading what my mother loved to read & I hope all children start off that way. Cheers, Aravind

ranyamanivannan Above all, to open minds. As a child, one interacts only w groups & people parents allow. There's a bigger world out there.

samitbasu i think kids should read only if they feel like it. plenty of other fun stuff to do. it shouldn't feel like a duty.

samitbasu i think there are enough kids who read because they realize books are lovely. the rest cant be forced into reading, which is ok

samitbasu its like asking kids to play football because it builds team spirit and muscles and lung power and spatial thinking.

decemberschild if books were treated as necessary luxuries and/or a treat like they were for me growing up, then I think more would.

decemberschild but if you're still looking for a "why", how about so that they have something to do if the power fails?

More Responses on Twitter:

jcharish one cant take a child to various places and make them get a feel of life...its easier to do so by giving them books :)

icecubz books also help u develop develop ur point of view and create perspectives that u can debate and discuss abt!

icecubz books r bt jus abt da words, diction and imagination, they also teach u to emote, respond, react and respect!

ambikajois Because knowledge is power. Fiction or non-fiction. The ability to imagine is knowledge too!

yorickpinto I'd rather have them discover books, rather than force them down their throats.

yorickpinto I'd rather teach my children to think straight. Reading can be escapist at times.

Responses on Facebook:

Maureen Byrnes Language development, for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Daily reading has greatly improved my son's speech in a way that TV and video could never do. Seeing the written words and connecting the sounds has been crucial for him. Generally speaking though, I don't believe that TV/Video can develop a child's imagination in the same way that books can. My children enjoy visualising the stories they read and creating their own stories, as a result. They are also excellent spellers and have a broad vocabulary, because of the extensive reading they do.

Vidya Sridharan-Balaje Reading enriches kids lives. Reading to my kids have helped them become young readers. But, i dont completely agree with the quote that "Television does not let you think, it thinks for you". I think right amount of t.v time with right set of programs can actually be a positive influence on children.

Cp Viswanath ‎"Television does not let you think. It thinks for you. Television does not let you feel. It feels for you." the great violinist Isaac Stern makes a telly-ing point

Responses on our blog: 

ChoxBox Asked my older child. Got a 'What a question' type of look in response. When prodded further said - 'Because its fun of course.' That about says it all I guess!

Also check out this video on Pratham Books!

Now tell us what you think! Why should children read? 

Continuing the discussion: Why should children read?

In our previous post, we asked you to help us come up with answers to the question, 'Why should children read?' Your responses have been overwhelming!


Here are 20 of the numerous responses our Twitter feed came up with (in no particular order):

• anushankarn because books can stimulate imagination while TV and internet leave no room for it....
• umasaxena books are one's best friends! Always there with you..:)
• vijaysankaran Every minute they read, is a minute they won't be watching cartoons:)
• daintydimwit What do they say about teaching a man to fish...? That.
• schubho because there are wonderful books worth reading and fantastic writers worth knowing!
• shachii Kids should read so that they have friends in books when they're old.
• shachii Kids should read to discover the world around them.
• PriyaSanth it is about imparting to get the best out of the reading habit that can make them think and relate to it.
• Niyantha So that they don't judge a book by its movie.
• sathyarg Kids will learn to think & imagine & dream their own world & experiences rather than just Disney's interpretation :-)
• induviduality it certainly calms them down, helps to keep their manic energy in check. ;-)
• atulagupta Improves Imagination, communication, vocabulary, vision, thinking and reading out loud boosts confidence too...
• anirudhshastry I subscribe to the 1984 line of thought. If you don't have the word for it, you can't think it.
• kiranmanral Kids should read to keep them from destroying the house.
• Vamshiavk to improve vocabulary n imagination
• Shivangiyadav Reading improves world vision, makes it more broad based.
• SistaKAA  bc it encourages creativity, builds vocabulary, introduces new ideas, helps w writing, empowers ea of us 2 find own answers
• barkhad to imagine - every word picture paints a whole world in their head. A world dat they carry in their head 4 d rest o their lives
• spymaami I think children need a little escapism too. And who else is around to tell them stories, right?
• spymaami That way when the movie is made, you can ask people, but have you read the book?

These are just some of the suggestions that our Twitter friends have thrown up. Follow us to join our raging discussion on Twitter!

We have also begun a discussion on Facebook. Join the conversation!

Our friends at Pratham Books rose magnificently to the occasion with this blog post which has a few really thought-provoking answers of its own!.

Any other thoughts? Why do you think children should read?

Why should children read?

Our CEO, C. P. Viswanath says:

At a recent interview on a television channel, I talked about the importance of nurturing the reading habit.  At the end of the programme, the producer of the show asked me if I really believed what I said.  His point was this - when television and videos can communicate information or ideas more comprehensively through words and visuals, why are we so hung up on the written word.


I gave several arguments to support my point but I am not sure that he was convinced.  So shall we try and find 10 clear reasons why a child should read.  Or should we aim for a 100 reasons? I throw the field open to all of you to come up with reasons.  


And now, we're wondering if you all can help us come up with 10 or 100 or even 1000 reasons why children should read! Can you help us?

Pratham Books has come up with some fabulous reasons of their own! Check it out here.

We're also having a raging discussion on the subject on Twitter! Come join our discussion!

Also follow Viswanath on Twitter here.

Leave your suggestions as comments on this post or join our conversation on Twitter or Facebook!

Artistic Experiences

Our friends at Evam blog about their experiences with the Mouse Stories once again. This time, Sunil Vishnu K., CEO at Evam, talks about his own personal experiences dealing with all the people who came together to make this series happen - and it sounds like he had a ball!

Read the post here.

We had a blast working with these talented guys too. Don't forget to check out the Mouse Stories!

If you want a sneak peek into one of the books, take a look at our free e-book edition of The Lion and the Mouse!

Two Blog Posts on Karadi Tales

Rupa Raman is a mom and a blogger. At Baby Loves Books, she writes about the wonders that can be brought about by the simple act of reading to your child. Her writing is beautiful and balanced - and we've been fans of her blog for ages. 

She writes about her experiences with audiobooks from Karadi Tales. She says: 'Whatever it is that Karadi put into its CDs, it sure makes for some very rapt listening on the part of my almost 4-year-old.  And I can tell you from the way she observes each sound, word and note, and from the fact that she asks for each CD to be played at least twice in succession, that Karadi Tales is going to be a staple in our home for quite a while.'

Thanks, Rupa! We're thrilled to hear that Baby loves Karadi Tales!

Asha Balakrishnan is another Karadi mom. She blogs at Asha's musings and ramblings. Asha writes interesting notes from Bangalore about anything that strikes her fancy. Her blog is funny, charming and brilliantly anecdotal.

In her latest blog post, she writes about her son and her daughter (Shre and Shar), who grew up reading Karadi Tales and now consider it the best possible gift for any child. 

Asha says: 'In today's world of nuclear families, where children don't have the luxury and warmth of the story telling sessions of their grand parents, Karadi tales plays a great role in educating tender minds with Indian heritage,culture and folk tales.'

Thank you, Asha! Karadi wants to give you, Shre and Shar a bear hug!

Parents like Rupa and Asha fill our hearts with joy and help us realise why we do what we do. The experience is both humbling and gratifying. 

The EvaMouse Speaks!

Here's what our friends at Evam have to say!

Ok! Boys and girls! Here is the lateshht from evam … introducing our new friend to all of you – “the mouse”… and please don’t mistake him for an ordinary mouse… though this friend of ours may seem like a “mouse next door”  but get closer to him and you will get to know all about his  “Indiana Jones” kind of fun adventures. We met him last year .when he was introduced to us by our dear friend karadi and soon became the thickest of buddies! Infact, we had so much fun listening to his adventures that we decided to actually help bring his exploits to all of you!!

Karadi tales came up with the idea of telling his stories in the form of audio books and evam said “Squeak!! Of course!” with a huge smile which went from ear to ear!

So a lot of people got together…

The Karadi Tales team of  writers Shobha Viswanath, Lavanya R. N. and Pankaja Srinivasan, Illustrator Malavika PC and the evam team consisting of  musical genius Anil Srinivasan, the talented Vedant Bharadwaj, actors Sunil, Kalyani and finally our narrator Karthik Kumar! And lo behold we had 4 exciting fun filled stories ready!!

And now, they are available for you to listen to!! You can hear and read “The Lion and the Mouse” at http://www.karaditales.com/WhatsNew.aspx right now!! And if you want to pick up the rest of the books, just visit any leading book shops and online stores in India. They also ship worldwide from the Karadi shop. They are also available at amazon.com, flipkart.com, and amarchitrakatha.com!

And yes- please don’t forget to mail in your feedback !!

And no cheesy comments, ok?!!

Cheers

Team evam!

Read the original post at the Evam blog!

A mouse in the house!

When there's a mouse in your house, what do you do?

a) Call the exterminator?

b) Set a mouse trap?

c) Start reading!

When our mouse is in your house, we suggest option c!

We have 4 absolutely fabulous new stories for you - the mouse stories! The Mouse Stories feature an extremely wily and unusual protagonist- a tiny mouse! Spunky, witty and with a knack for getting into trouble, out little hero is sure to tickle you pink in these 4 laugh-out-loud stories.

Brought alive with rich music by internationally renowned pianist Anil Srinivasan, these stories have a dramatic narrative with voices from vibrant theatre company Evam. Vivid illustrations by talented artist Malavika P. C. add to the hilarity of these 4 stories written and adapted by Shobha Viswanath, Lavanya R. N. and Pankaja Srinivasan.

Guess what! We have great news! Anil Srinivasan, music director for The Mouse Stories, has been awarded the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar Award for Creative and Experimental Music (2009) by the Sangeet Natak Akademi (Republic of India)! See award details here! Many many congratulations to Anil!

For the latest updates, look at our mouse newsletter! Read about Evam's experiences with these great stories on their blog!

These audiobooks are now available at all leading book shops and online stores in India. We also ship worldwide from the Karadi shop. We're also available at amazon.com, flipkart.com, and amarchitrakatha.com!

And here's a sneak peek into The Lion and the Mouse!

A poem!

Isha Bharati, a student of Class 5 writes a poem to Karadi:

My dear Karadi bear

he never let comes our tears

Sweet Karadi Karadi Karadi

Very intelligent storyteller buddy

Meera his sweet friend

Never let the story end

Even story of monkey

or a donkey or a child

My dear Karadi

never get wild

Roses are red

Sky is blue

Oh ! my Karadi and Meera

I love both of you !!

- Written by Isha Bharati, Age 10

Thanks, Isha!