Parents urged to promote digital reading among children

DAR ES SALAAM: PARENTS across the country have been urged to encourage their children to adopt the culture of reading useful online books and support the government’s goal of using information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching and learning for modern literacy development.

The call was made by Room to Read Quality Reading Materials Programme Officer, Mr Dickson Msuva, during a Children’s Book Writers workshop organised by the organisation as part of the recently concluded 32nd International Book Fair in Dar es Salaam.

He said digital books have interactive features that boost reading, enhance learning continuity and complement physical libraries.

“At a time when there is a lot of misleading information on the internet, it is the right time for parents to invest more in online education for their children,” he said.

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Mr Msuva noted that books play a crucial role in building vocabulary, strengthening creativity and critical thinking, and predicting academic success, all of which contribute significantly to a child’s academic development.

He added that the organisation has established a digital library known as Literacy Cloud, which currently hosts a total of 741 children’s book titles—215 in English and 526 in Kiswahili.

All the titles have been approved by the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) and are being used by children across the country.

In addition, the organisation has supported the establishment of 392 physical libraries nationwide. Speaking at the same event, TIE Director General Anneth Komba said the government is working closely with various stakeholders to ensure that all books used in schools contain relevant content that equips learners with useful life skills.

She explained that the government has introduced a new education curriculum which focuses on enabling students to become self-reliant after graduation. She added that improvements have also been made to key textbooks used in schools.

“We have two types of books in our schools—key textbooks and supplementary books. Before the new curriculum, key textbooks were mainly theoretical. That has now changed, as the books include more illustrations to help students follow their subjects with ease,” she explained.