New Book In Stores Now!

“Reading makes all other learning possible” – Barack Obama

Last week, a book that members of TokyoTutor team helped edit was successfully published and is currently in stores. The book title is _______. It is a fun children’s book that compares the words for animal sounds in English and Japanese. It comes equipped with QR codes that can be scanned with phones to produce the respective animal sounds. A book of this nature requires intimate knowledge of both languages as the particular way in which the sounds are made and heard is important. This makes for an enlightening educational experience as readers come to realize differences in the vocal representation of what ought to be the same animal sound.

The completion and publication of this book bring to mind the essential role of reading in the educational process. Although by now it’s almost a cliche, we here at Tokyotutor cannot stress more the value of reading as a hobby if one hopes to develop strong intellectual capabilities. It is often said that reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.

Reading:
Improves brain connectivity.
Empowers you to empathize with other people.
Improves concentration.
Teaches children about the world around them.
Improves vocabulary and language skills.
Develops a child’s imagination

For practical reasons, I often encourage students from Japanese families struggling to keep up with English classes due to the fact that Japanese is spoken in the home to read more. Beyond simply stating the importance of reading, I begin with the child’s own interests and in a casual way check in on a weekly basis to ensure they maintain the habit of reading. Once the habit of reading has been established it is important to challenge the child to read books that lie a half-step out of their current level of competence. This is where they will be most engaged. In a world of flashy mind-numbing TikTok videos and addictive Instagram, interactions reading is sure to give anyone a leg up academically.