Little Readers’ Nook offers age-appropriate books and related activities for kids aged below six. What’s more, you can have them delivered right on your doorstep! Devaki Bhujang Gajare, Founder of Little Readers’ Nook spoke to me about reading, story-telling and how she makes a difference.
1. When did you begin LRN and under what circumstances?
I started on September 25 2012 as a library – an online library with theme based books for kids, which you could exchange once in a month. I must admit that it did not take off very well since it was very heavy on logistics management. I changed the offering in September 2013, selling the same theme based kit.
2. Tell us more about what are your offerings at LRN?
We encourage parent led story telling through our kits. Our parent-child reading kits comprise of 3 or more books, a craft kit for 1 book and a worksheet, activity ideas and reading tips for parents designed around each book.
The other offering we have is story telling by our story tellers or affiliated story tellers. This is also a theme based approach. We have sessions around a theme with 3-4 books around a theme. Each story narration is followed by an art and craft session or an enactment of one of the books we read out to the kids. The kids are also given an early literacy, fun worksheet. It has something from the book that the child can relate to and a synopsis of the book on the worksheet for the parents’ reference.
The focus each time is making the child love the book and not to make the child read.
Our story tellers conduct sessions in multiple locations around Mumbai – Colaba, Smaash at Lower Parel, Ashok Garden at Parel, The Big Umbrella playschool at Kemps corner, Vile Parle (E), Orlem at Malad West, Mulund West, Sion, Nerul, and Vashi (Gold Crest High International School)
3. Why do you think reading is important for the current generation?
When it comes to developing a love for books, an early start makes all the difference. Brains develop at an astonishing pace in the first six years of life and habits form early. So it’s best to start early. A lot of parents come to me after their child is 6 years of age and doesn’t like to read. I believe in beginning early, as early as toddler years. The idea is to inculcate into them that reading and books are fun. Reading takes care of all other areas of development – from English language to phonics. Children can learn a lot from stories – attention, detail, empathy and fuels their imagination
4. Do you think reading is giving way to mobile apps and too much interactive television watching these days?
Mobile apps and interactive television can serve as a distraction for an hour or so but they don’t compensate for reading. They don’t serve the same purpose. Research has proven that very little brain activity actually happens when a child is watching moving images – be it on a mobile app or on television.
Books help you bond with a child. When parent reads to a child, it brings about all around development of a child. You can pass on our values to a child through stories. Reading also serves as a tactile stimulation for a child. All five senses of a child are engaged when reading. I would say that even a story session with a story teller doesn’t replace the parent-child interaction during a story reading process.
5. How does Little Readers Nook help moms get back to work after taking a break? I know of several mothers who are your story tellers.
So far it has been based an informal interaction, most story tellers are either friends or friends of friends whom we met informally. Most of these are moms wanting to get back to work or starting off on their own.
So far there hasn’t been formal training for story tellers.
We have been getting requests from other cities and most of them we don’t know well enough. We are therefore putting together a formal training programme in association with an expert in early childhood education. The training programme will grant the story teller a certification after which will allow them to work as our affiliates from anywhere in India, using our material.
6. How much more fulfilling is your job now as an entrepreneur?
I am a Software Engineer and have worked as an Analyst with software majors in Pune and New York from 2004 to 2011. Life changed in 2011 when my son, Mihir was born and we returned to Mumbai after a 5 year stay in the US. I quit my job to stay home with Mihir, a decision I consider the best I ever made!
Little Readers Nook is born out of my passion for reading. It started off with creating kits for Mihir and his friends. I started with introducing them with children’s books from India and abroad. The children and I were hooked, and thus began Little Reader’ Nook – a Read Aloud Program designed to nurture a love for good books in young children between the impressionable ages of 1 and 6.
7. What’s next for little readers’ nook?
As a company we have been primarily in Mumbai. We intend to expand to other cities, increasing our footprint across India. We will continue with our two major areas of focus – creating theme based kits for kids with newer books and activities and increasing our affiliations through our story tellers.
8. Advice to SHEROES out there
Follow your passion. If you believe in what you’re doing and can make a difference by what you do, money will follow. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, learn to collaborate and work with others. Have fun!