Academician of European University of Lefke (EUL) Dr. Fazıl Küçük Faculty of Education Assist. Prof. Dr. Ayşegül Ergişi made some statements on the occasion of “World Children’s Book Week” and conveyed detailed information.

During Children’s Books Week, children are encouraged to build their own bookshelves and present books to each other.

Pointing out that every year in the world, the second week of November is celebrated as Children’s Books Week, Ergisi said that “These days, exhibitions of new children’s books are opened; writers and children meet on signature days; cultural activities such as fairy tales, narrative or reading, cartoons and staging of children’s theater are organized; children are encouraged to build their own libraries and offer each other books. Through these activities, the importance of reading is emphasized and the child is given the love and habit of reading.

Books should be changed according to age as the child grows up

Ergisi stated that children’s books are suitable for the child’s world of perception, attention, emotion, thought and imagination and reflect the child’s perspective and child reality and added that children’s books are the works that enable the child to develop reading and artistic and aesthetic aspects and prepare them for adulthood. She further emphasized that it is very useful to present these works to the child as they begin to speak. Ergisi also said that  the relationship of the child with the book should be initiated by parents’ rhyme, fairy tale and story reading to the child in the 0-2 age period and went on to say that this relation should be continued with pictorial books and that books should be changed according to age as the child grows up.

Children’s books help children develop their native language starting in preschool

Giving information about the advantages of reading Ergisi said that “The value of reading a book in terms of child development and participation in society is priceless”. Pointing out that as the children identify themselves with the hero of the book they are reading, they develop emotional qualities such as empathy, imagination and creativity, Ergisi said that reading books helps the child relax emotionally, spend time in a quality way and gain aesthetic awareness. She also said that children’s books help children develop their native language starting in preschool and added that “The child who sees the effective usage of the language learns the rules of language, the structure of the language, the possibilities of expression and develops the vocabulary”.

Parents should read books with their children at the appropriate time of day

Ergisi pointed out that there are some crucial pointS in ensuring the child gains the reading habit and listed some of these points as; It is more effective than the advice and warnings that the parent reads as an example to the child. First, books should be selected according to the interests, curiosities and desires appropriate to the age level of the child. Together with the child the time should be spent in the bookstore, children’s libraries and parents should try to understand what the books are of interest. The child should be provided with a library of his / her own books, and parents should read books with their children at the appropriate time of day.

Ergisi finally said that “It should not be forgotten that the foundation of the reading habit is laid in the family institution between the ages of 0-6 and this habit is maintained at school”.