Long before children could read they display their love of books. A book to a child is the magical key to a fantasy world. With a book in hand he gets totally immersed in the contents, oblivious to the surroundings, and is wafted to a mystic world of his own creation.
The lingering beauty of a child cuddled in the lap of an elderly relative be it mother, farther, or a grand parent enjoying not only the narration but also the warmth that only a loving relative can bestow is a sight to savour. These treasured moments of a fleeting childhood will form a part of a hidden cache of that particular individual’s cherished memories from which he will draw nostologic reminiscences in later years.As the poet William Wordsworth said,
“For oft when my couch lie,
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash across that inward eye,
Which is the bliss of solitude.”
Herein lies the enchanment of a book. To a child, it is not a gift to be relished for a while, but an endowment to be prized for a life time. A little child’s curiosity knows no bounds. As the narration unfolds, wide eyed, open mouthed he imbies every note every new word-for subconsciously he strive to enlarge his limited vocabulary.
A baby heres a new word. If he likes the tone of the word or the rhythm of a sentence he stores it up in his mind, correlating to the picture he has seen. He comes out with it in good time much to delight of the elders, and the child himself. Similarly the words so meticulously chosen by an author tickle the fancy of a child no end. He juggles and toys with such words that give expression to changing emotions like joy, anger, dissent, frustration thereby unwittingly enlarging his vocabulary.
The corner stones around which an individual’s personality is moulded, viz ability to listen assimilate, analyse, evaluate are all insidiously ingrained in a child’s mind via the medium of pictures and stories in books. Research done in developed countries has established picture story books stimiulate the brains of little children.It may interest the readers that Japan parents are encouraged to show pictures to kids whilst stories are being read-even to children as young as 5 to 6 months.
In any place where children gather, be it a house, a day care centre or a pre school, picture books are given a very prominent place. Japan is taking a lead in utilising pictures and picture books from the age of 5-6 months to enliven the child’s outlook and thereby to stimiulate the brain, to contribute to the intellectual development. May I in all sincenity commend that we follow such an example. Children are like gold dust on our hands. Any effort that strives to make that glitter and glow should encouraged. In this context, education in early childhood takes prime spot.
