By Sheila Mckenzie-
A three-year-old boy transformed into Prince Harry, with an oversized copy of his memoir Spare, for World Book Day has made headlines around the Uk, and will do well on social media.
World reading day, designed to encourage reading in children by dressing as book characters, generally fell short of highlighting the importance of reading.
Ellis Wright(pictured) has dressed as the Duke of Sussex , after his mother, Melissa set up the entertaining idea. Melissa used children’s hair spray and face paint to create the ginger hair and a beard for Ellis’s first World Book Day at preschool, but did not reveal how much reading exposure she gives her young child.
Neither did mum Melissa reveal her take on the controversial big selling book, or what perspective she conveyed to her young son about the book, in terms of whether she is for or against the idea of the book, and what lessons there are to learn from it.
The value of books go beyond mere reading and necessarily include the mental benefit and developmental value of the book.
Education experts say it is good practise for parents to read to their children as early as three, to encourage them to develop a passion for reading, and even explain the meaning of various words contained in books to them.
According to research, some parents expose their three year old’s to books two years above their age, in order to develop their minds from an early age, and boost their appetite for reading. Most parents match their three year old’s with books their age, which nevertheless is good for their development the children are carefully taken through stages of the book.
Melissa told The Mirror: “I was a bit worried because I guess it is a controversial topic because everybody does have quite a big opinion. Essentially, it is just fun.
Melissa added: “As he’s only three, I was giving him some suggestions; the typical sort of Julia Donaldson characters or things three-year-olds would like to be read. Then, he was like, ‘no, no I don’t want that one.’
“He is quite feisty, he’s definitely got an opinion, which then kind of led me to Harry.
Mum and two kids, one boy and girl smile in white formal wear
Melissa Wright works as a make-up artist (Image: Melissa Wright)
She added: “As a family, we do quite love the royal family. He loved the Jubilee. My mum threw a huge party and he still talks about that now. He is a bit obsessed with being a prince as well so I thought it would be perfect.”
Melissa said: “There are some boys in his class that are refusing to dress up but Ellis is not that boy. He really loves it. If he didn’t love it, I would never have done it. He just wouldn’t have done it – he’s three. Don’t mess with three-year-olds.”
Many three year old’s who have a passion for reading on their own and read often are generally perceived to be more gifted than those who do not have that natural passion, but some analysts say other factors can influence such a tendency in young thee year olds.
Reading to children regularly before they are two can instil that appetite in children, especially if they see their mother reading a lot. Children generally copy what they see their parents do, in particularly their mother, because of the bonding they have with her.
The story of Ellis Wright dressed as prince Harry is a big hit, and will do well on social media, but not as beneficial or productive as that of the writer and historian, Sophia Akel.