More than 25 eager children downed their iPods, Xboxes and other hip gadgets to delve into the pages of their favourite storybooks during the recent staging of The Reading Room, an exciting literary event, spearheaded by Starcom Network Inc.
The Reading Room, which swings open its doors the first Saturday of each month from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in Starcom’s Studio 3, River Road, St Michael, empowers children to enter into the fascinating world of the literary arts.
Celebrity guest Minister of Labour and Social Security Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo, captured the imagination of children with her reading of Chick, Chick Half Chick, a tale exploring the themes of wisdom and overcoming adversity.
Liesel Daisley, promotions officer at Starcom, who conceptualized The Reading Room, said it was born out of a need to create a nurturing environment where parents could help to positively shape the lives of their children through the written word.
“With the rapid advancement in technology, many of our children tend to have little appreciation for reading. Unfortunately, many of them are caught up with social media sites or playing electronic games.
“We want to encourage our young generation to see reading as being vital and relevant to their lives. The Reading Room seeks to achieve this through wholesome fun, positive reinforcement and interaction with celebrity guests,” explained Daisley, who expressed appreciation to corporate Barbados for making the programme a success.
Cya Layne, ten, a student of Charles F. Broome Primary, has participated in every session. The self-confessed “bookworm”, who often falls to sleep curled up with her favourite novel, is eagerly counting down the days for the next event.
“I thoroughly enjoyed being part of The Reading Room, because there are a lot of fun activities to do such as reading new books and listening to stories,” added Layne, who enjoys reading mystery and spy novels.
Since its launch in June, more than 50 children have participated. (PR)
