Restoring Reading Culture

Hello Family,
Happy New Month to you!
Discussing yesterday on the issue of Eroding Reading Culture and the Way Out with Bayode Treasures-Olawunmi, the holder of the Guinness World Record for the Longest Readathon was an amazing experience!
Our hosts, Justin Akadonye and co., spiced up the show with thought-provoking questions that explored the issue really deep, bringing intelligence, excellence, charisma, and fun on display.
The programme was aired live on Galaxy TV from 10-11am via the following channels: DSTV 258, GOTV 99, STAR TIMES 110.

We highlighted some factors eroding our reading culture including lack of awareness on the importance of reading, low literacy levels in the country, inadequate parental involvement, short attention span due to early exposure and subsequent addiction to social media, incompetence of teachers, especially primary and secondary schools, etc.
To solve these issues, we pointed out that it is better and easier to prepare children than to repair men. Hence, we need to proactively take responsibility on time to avoid damage control later. Like Ben Carson’s mother, Sonya Carson, parents need to help their children develop good reading habits early. This begins with reading to children while they are still babies and continues with creating time to read with them as they grow up as well as mandating them to read regularly.
As an adult, cultivating the habit of reading entails following a simple, strategic process that helps you evolve daily. Like I usually say, a chapter a day keeps ignorance away. Create time to read daily. Start with a chapter each day. That can last you about 15 mins. Then you progress to 30 mins, 60 mins, and so on.
Like bodily exercise, it might not come easy at the beginning, but it gets easier and interesting, and pays off greatly with consistent practice. Habitual reading helps to exercise your mind and keep you mentally fit. It aids your writing and communication skills. It expands your vocabulary. It exposes you to wealth of ideas. And it enhances your imagination as well as your critical and creative thinking abilities.
Audio books are good as they help you explore knowledge quickly, especially when you need to multi-task. But reading is a more concentrated mental process and it helps you gain more virtues can you ever imagined. Reading books, physical or digital, sharpens your mind better than listening to audios. Through reading, you learn to focus, analyze and process the information you are taking into your mind. It also helps you to listen better because you learn to keep silent and concentrate on what is being said by the other party.

Bayode shared briefly on his journey to the world record while I recalled my adventure into writing. For me, it all began with wanting to share what I know with others. As I grew my mind, I wanted to help others grow too. I ventured into public speaking at 11 with little aid, but someone guided me through my early days in writing and that boosted my competence and confidence greatly. This hand-holding approach that smoothened own journey is what I have been using to help others evolve into exceptional writers and I’d like to help you too, if you are interested. (I am always a phone call within your reach.)
Did you miss all or part of the show? Don’t worry too much, I will broadcast the link shortly so that you can watch the replay.

Thanks for standing with me. And I’d be glad to write with you!

To your greatness,
Bright UkwengaThe Chief Scribe

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