Reading is a fundamental skill that lays the foundation for lifelong learning and personal growth. In an era dominated by digital distractions, assessing and nurturing students’ reading habits is crucial. In Kerala, known for its emphasis on education, there is a growing recognition of the need to evaluate students’ reading habits as a part of the school curriculum. Thus, the Education Department has decided to include reading as part of the school curriculum in an effort to encourage reading habits among young people.
During the inauguration of the National Reading Day celebrations in the state capital, Education Minister V Sivankutty emphasized the importance of children cultivating reading habits alongside their academic pursuits. The minister further announced that reading will be included as a formal component of the school curriculum.
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As part of continuous evaluation, schools would issue internal marks based on students’ reading habits, including library books and newspapers. Students’ reading habits in a variety of subjects, such as literature, science, history, and general reading, will be assessed by an examiner. According to recent reports, students starting from 8th grade will be graded according to a soon-to-be-introduced framework.
This integration of reading evaluations into the curriculum would promote a culture of reading among students, emphasizing its importance as not just a task, but a pleasurable activity that expands horizons, fosters empathy, and stimulates imagination. More than that, regular reading evaluations provide opportunities for students to develop language skills, including vocabulary expansion, grammar, and syntax. Exposure to diverse texts helps students refine their linguistic abilities, both in written and spoken forms, contributing to overall academic success.
