Tell Me a Story

"Tell me a story..." my kids ask every night.

Sometimes I say, "Once upon a time, there were three children who were really tired, so their mother put them to bed and they went to sleep.  The end."  After some loud complaining, I'll tell them a story about when they were babies, or my childhood, or my grandma from Sweden or their grandparents from Scotland.  Even if they've heard it a hundred times, they don't get tired of it.  It anchors them, reminds them that people just a few years before them lived very different lives in far away places.

This week in Lahore, Pakistan, the country is hosting its first Children's Literature Festival.  It's a collaborative effort between international children's publishers and educational agencies aimed promoting literacy in Pakistani children.  Children from across the country are invited to listen to their favorite books, enter writing contests, take classes on creative writing, write book reviews, and draw comics.  Educators can attend training on curriculum development and lesson planning.

In a country where just 66% of children finish primary school, literacy rates for women are still less than 50%, and tribal and religious conflicts frequently disrupt schooling, this festival will help train teachers and underscore the importance of educating the next generation.

Education expert Dr. Arifa Syeda Zehra, said life would be colorless if there were no stories because we interpret our world through stories.  Everybody makes sense of things in their own way, but if you have stories, it helps.  And the bigger the collection of stories, the more tools you have to interpret your life.

I would agree.  My kids would agree.  And stories also make everything more fun!