Learning Chinese – The Rewards of Reading with Your Child

28 Oct 2008

Learning Chinese by reading with your child is rewarding for both parent and pupil.

This is the sixth article in Schoolbag’s series of 10 features on the new primary school Chinese Language curriculum.

An earlier version of this article was published in Lianhe Zaobao on 24 April 2007.

You may have tangible wealth untold,

caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.

Richer than I you can never be –

I had a mother who read to me.

In his poem ‘The Reading Mother’, American poet Strickland Gillilan compares the superficial beauty of material wealth to the spiritual riches of a child whose mother reads to him. It’s a concise reminder that the joy of reading a good book with one’s family can foster good reading habits in children.

This applies to reading in Chinese too. Long wordlists and supplementary assignments used to dominate Chinese language learning in the past. But MOE’s new Chinese language curriculum allows schools to make reading a core activity for pupils. And besides reading clubs and other school-based reading activities, parents too can play a vital role in getting their children to love reading in Chinese.

Get them hooked on books

For a start, children love stories. Even when they are too young to read on their own, parents can read to their children and spark their imagination and curiosity, and not just at bedtime! By sharing interesting plots and discussing the experiences of story characters, parents can motivate children to read on their own as they grow older and learn their ABCs and Chinese characters. Stories can also serve as positive influences, shaping how children behave and treat each other.

Reading together as a family can take place anywhere and anytime.

It helps if parents keep in touch with their children’s progress in school, so that they can actively engage in complementary activities that help their children. Parents can also lead by example, demonstrating a keen interest and enjoyment in reading that their children will want to emulate. Beyond the home, parents can also bring their families to libraries or bookshops to browse and explore new and interesting books.

Learning to read and ride

In school, teachers do their best to foster the habit of reading, but parents have to reinforce the efforts to make reading an integral part of their children’s lives. Parents could start off simply by assigning a fixed time each week for reading Chinese storybooks. With handphones, computers and TVs switched off, there are no distractions to detract from an hour of adventure in fiction and fantasy.

The family that reads together grows together.

It’s just like learning how to ride a bicycle. It might seem hard at first, but with steady encouragement and the assurance that the parents are supporting his attempt, a child will find the momentum to move forward on his own.

Children who love to read will develop a greater capacity to learn and find delight in discovery. Good books are faithful companions and by reading with their children, parents are giving them a gift that will never run dry.

How do I choose supplementary reading materials for my child?

Use your child’s areas of interest as a guide, be it sports, art or animals; curiosity is the best “teacher”.
Choose books that feature vivid and interesting characters.
Choose books with plots that children can identify with.

You can find a list of recommended Chinese supplementary readers for primary school on this MOE webpage:
https://www.moe.gov.sg/resources/files/chinese-supplementary-readers.pdf

Contributed by:
Mdm Loh Tiah Cheng
Senior Teacher

Mdm Wang Yanyan
Chinese Language Curriculum Planning Officer
MOE

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Parents and children can have much fun reading together.

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Visiting bookstores or libraries to read with your child is good way to learn Chinese.

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