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Tribune News Network
Doha
Staying at home to self-isolate can be mentally challenging, but it is a necessary precaution as the country works to proactively tackle COVID-19. However, reading can certainly help alleviate stress and anxiety.
Jazi al Henzab, Qatar Reads Project Manager, says, “Reading is not tied to a physical place, a specific time, or mandatory format-wherever there are words, there are stories and opportunities for learning.”
And reading has many benefits. “It improves memory, expands vocabulary and keeps the mind sharp. It can also have an incredibly calming effect on the reader while at the same time reducing stress. And of course it can also offer people an escape that is needed now more than ever, “al Jazi said.
“And all kinds of reading is beneficial – not just textbooks. From non-fiction books such as biographies, autobiographies, handbooks, and memoirs, to fiction books with genres like crime, drama, mystery, and fantasy. Short attention span? Read a haiku.”
The initiative also works to provide the local community with learning opportunities during this time. Parents with children are encouraged to sign up for the Family Reading Programme, which allows members to receive monthly books, activity sheets and comics delivered through a specially designed out - of-home mailbox, with the team adhering to the strictest health and safety measures set out by the Ministry of Public Health.
In addition, the Mommy to Be programme will be launched in the coming weeks, which will – to begin with – only exist in the digital sphere.
Alternatively, the Qatar Reads team proposes to create online book clubs using digital video platforms to discuss ideas and themes. “It may be hard to find new conversations in quarantine, so show your children that reading a book is a way they can keep on connecting with their friends.
Doha
Staying at home to self-isolate can be mentally challenging, but it is a necessary precaution as the country works to proactively tackle COVID-19. However, reading can certainly help alleviate stress and anxiety.
Jazi al Henzab, Qatar Reads Project Manager, says, “Reading is not tied to a physical place, a specific time, or mandatory format-wherever there are words, there are stories and opportunities for learning.”
And reading has many benefits. “It improves memory, expands vocabulary and keeps the mind sharp. It can also have an incredibly calming effect on the reader while at the same time reducing stress. And of course it can also offer people an escape that is needed now more than ever, “al Jazi said.
“And all kinds of reading is beneficial – not just textbooks. From non-fiction books such as biographies, autobiographies, handbooks, and memoirs, to fiction books with genres like crime, drama, mystery, and fantasy. Short attention span? Read a haiku.”
The initiative also works to provide the local community with learning opportunities during this time. Parents with children are encouraged to sign up for the Family Reading Programme, which allows members to receive monthly books, activity sheets and comics delivered through a specially designed out - of-home mailbox, with the team adhering to the strictest health and safety measures set out by the Ministry of Public Health.
In addition, the Mommy to Be programme will be launched in the coming weeks, which will – to begin with – only exist in the digital sphere.
Alternatively, the Qatar Reads team proposes to create online book clubs using digital video platforms to discuss ideas and themes. “It may be hard to find new conversations in quarantine, so show your children that reading a book is a way they can keep on connecting with their friends.
