FEATURE

TEXT_Kiki Bai
PHOTOS_Kiki Bai
ILLUSTRATOR_Lao On On

The City of Reading encourages lifelong learning. As said by Zhu Xi, “reading without understanding implies the need to think and thinking without understanding implies the need to read”. Reading allows us to understand the world and explore the unknown. As the spiritual heritage of a city, reading is also a way to nourish life. Over the years, the Public Library of the Cultural Affairs Bureau has encouraged people to read by various means, making books available for lifelong learning for citizens at different stages of life. In this issue, we have invited three social figures who have promoted reading and education for many years to share with readers the importance of reading from three aspects.

“Parent-child reading” is an important reading enlightenment. Many studies have found that reading story books, singing nursery rhymes and chatting can improve parent-child intimacy, and can also promote children’s brain, develop their language skill and learning ability. Liu Nai Hua, an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education of the University of Macau, said that children’s reading can be divided into two stages: “The first stage is ‘learning how to read’, whereas the second stage is ‘learning by reading’. Infants under 1 year old, through storytelling by their parents, could stimulate their senses such as hearing and touching, thereby fostering their cognitive development. The age of 3 is an important enlightenment period for young children to read, and until the age of 8 is a critical period for establishing children’s independent reading ability to gradually achieve proficient reading ability and in-depth reading comprehension.”

In fact, reading is not something that can be acquired “naturally” as children grow older or go to school. Liu Nai Hua pointed out that at present, many countries are trying to implement the “Bookstart” activity, and encourage parents to attach importance to reading by giving their children books. “Reading gift pack is a key to promote reading among infants and young children, leading them to enter the world of reading, and making good use of library resources to jointly cultivate the next generation that loves reading.”

She stressed that the key to cultivating children’s reading habits lies in parents’ “setting up a role model”, followed by a sense of participation in the process. She suggested that parents should first establish an enriching family reading environment for their children, and then transform it into diverse experiences such as writing, reading aloud, painting, and performing for their children. In addition, parents are advised to set a fixed family reading time for children every day, for instance, a storytelling session of 30 minutes after meal or before bedtime. Making good use of library resources in spare time, and participating in storytelling activities and book author meetings, etc. are also good opportunities for parents and children to read together.

Assistant Professor Liu Nai Hua said that infants with parent-child reading experience would develop the concept of words and a stronger motivation for reading from an earlier age.

For a long time, the SAR government and schools have shouldered the mission of education in Macao, which is crucial in promoting the reading of young people in Macao. Kou Kam Fai, Principal of the Pui Ching Middle School, believes that compared with Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009, the reading literacy of young people in Macao has been significantly improved. Public libraries and schools complement each other, not only improving students’ reading literacy and 5C skills (including communication and coordination, team cooperation, complex problem solving, independent thinking and creativity), but also building a platform for comprehensive development so that students can showcase their strengths.

He pointed out that it is a golden opportunity before the children turn nine, to effectively cultivate children’s interests in reading, adapt to the enhancement of their reading ability, gradually increase the difficulty level of reading materials, keep on reading, and develop a lifelong reading habit. In addition, with the advancement of technology, the reading mode is no longer confined to books. In the era of the Internet, it seems that readers are reading refined contents in a fast manner. This is a challenge and also an opportunity. “We can use the refined content on the network platform as a basis to extend children’s reading to a broad and in-depth understanding, thereby improving their comprehensive literacy, and keeping their reading skills up to date.”

In addition to the different ways of reading, he believes that pioneering and innovative ways of promoting reading are of great importance, “For example, the Public Library of the Cultural Affairs Bureau has gradually strengthened its cooperation with schools, to set up parent-child reading areas and carry out unique themed reading activities, so that young people can experience the diversity of reading. This year, the SAR government plans to build a “City of Reading”, equipped with both software and hardware configurations, such as holding lectures inside and outside the campus, and reward programmes, etc. The hardware part will include the future construction of the “New Central Library”, and, in response to the situation of each district, the implementation of systematic planning and library buildings, so as to fully infiltrate reading into the community. These are conducive to young people making good use of library resources to cultivate reading habits and create an atmosphere of reading in the city.”

Principal Kou Kam Fai (second from the right) believes that by extending the reading space from schools to public libraries, young people can get a variety of reading experiences.

As the saying goes, “opening a book is beneficial”, reading can enlighten people’s mind and benefit their whole life. However, how could adults who have not cultivated the habits of reading enjoy the joy of reading? Chan In Wa, Chairman of the Macao Association of Literacy Promotion, said frankly that modern people have all kinds of entertainment choices. For adults, integrating the information they receive with their real life is the only rule.

To open up their interest in reading, the first step is to guide people into the library, from “promoting books”to“promoting reading”, emphasizing the functionality of reading. “For instance, women prefer books on parenting, Danshari, cooking and psychology. While men are more fond of functional books such as finance, computer, and business and will actively read with purposes of life practice and problem-solving, and seek answers through reading, so as to enhance their desire to read. In addition, in the age of information explosion, we should actively explore the benefits of reading through self-media, promotional slogans, and multiple promotions, and guide people to visit bookstores or libraries repeatedly.”

Chan In Wa believes that different from the reading habits of teenagers, adults can read more flexibly, which means they can select, skip or read quickly according to their preferences. Therefore, adults can turn reading into any interests they want, so as to apply the information they learn in their real life and cultivate their motivation for reading. She further emphasized that the best time to cultivate reading habits is the adolescent stage, and it is especially vital to create a reading atmosphere at home. “Parent-child reading seems to be an act of ‘parents accompanying infants and young children to learn’, but it is actually a driving force for adults to cultivate their interests in reading. Parents can also read independently in the same space even with teenagers with the ability to study alone, make good use of public library resources, and develop the habit of lifelong learning.”

Chairman Chan In Wa suggested that adults should first read books that are closely related to themselves and feel the joy of applying what they have learned in their real life.

There are a variety of books available, however, as long as young children, teenagers, and adults choose appropriate reading materials, they can all understand the benefits of reading, such as mastering their reading speed and efficiency, parents being able to build precious parent-child reading time with their children, and even promoting parent-child reading in Macao even through local picture books, so that parents and children can read about and understand Macao, and adults and children can explore the treasure of knowledge in books and jointly build Macao into a city of reading.