Rita’s goal in reading stories to children was simply to convey information. But she faced a real challenge: how could she capture the attention of children in a hall filled with toys and playful distractions?
Rita Al-Khattabeh, from Ajloun, joined the “We Love Reading” training program online this year after her friend, who is one of the program’s ambassadors, encouraged her to participate.
Rita works at a children’s play center that offers recreational, educational, and developmental activities. She studied child education and constantly seeks to create activities that develop children’s mental capacities while channeling their energy into meaningful, beneficial experiences.
It was here that Rita discovered the secret of “We Love Reading”: making reading a joyful, engaging experience rather than a dull task. Using the program’s books, she established a small library within the play center and began sharing stories with children in a captivating way, adding enthusiasm and interaction, and encouraging children to participate indirectly whether by acting out characters or engaging with puppets.
Through this approach, Rita managed to capture the children’s attention, drawing them to the stories even in a room full of toys.
Rita recalls one particularly moving experience: “I read “The Word Chef” book, and a few days later, a little girl came to me deeply inspired. She wrote her own story based on the original, drew the characters, and applied what she learned in real life, teaching other children how to cook beautiful and kind words.”
Rita says the program enhanced her language skills and strengthened her storytelling abilities, giving her confidence and encouraging her to propose and implement ideas independently while sharing them with others.
For Rita, the “We Love Reading” methodology deserves to be applied everywhere. She believes that reading is not a luxury but a necessity of life: “It is a divine act, nourishment for the soul, and a way to expand a child’s imagination and boost their self-confidence.”
She encourages parents to read to their children, even just a line a day, as its impact on the subconscious mind endures, influencing behavior, opening horizons of imagination, all of which the program seeks to promote.
Rita also notes that having a “We Love Reading” library within the play center is a new and unique concept that has attracted attention. Many children began borrowing books to read at home, helping the library and program’s impact spread far beyond the center.
She concludes: “Every book opened is a window to a vast imagination, an adventure waiting for those who dare to dream. Through each page, we learn that life is richer when lived with books, and every child finds in a story a friend and an inner voice that accompanies them endlessly.”