Headlines
The “Reading of Tomorrow” program conducted by Dr. Tak-Wai Chan, Professor of the Graduate Institute of Network Learning Technology (GINLT), is spreading its seeds overseas to Singapore! The educational delegations from Singapore have visited twice in three years. The Educational Technology Division of the Ministry of Education Singapore are promoting Chinese-reading program, and so far there have been 13 local primary schools joining the program. This new trend in reading is spreading over Singapore. Three years ago, Madam LEE Jo Kim, Supervisor of Educational Technology Division of the Ministry of Education Singapore, Dr. LOOI Chee Kit, Professor of National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, and principals and teachers from North Vista Primary School, Si Ling Primary School, and Nan Chiau Primary School visited and had classroom observation at Chung Ping Elementary School in Taoyuan City, Taiwan. They were impressed with students’ passion for reading and the extraordinary effects that reading had brought. This June, the delegation came to Taiwan for the second time and visited Simen Elementary School, Wen Huah Elementary School, Lio Ho High School and other schools in Taoyuan in order to have a better and deeper understanding of “Reading of Tomorrow” program. To develop students’ capability and interest in reading, Educational Technology Division of the Ministry of Education Singapore initiated the Chinese-reading program. They adopt the ideas and systematic approaches of “Reading of Tomorrow” program and aim to promote the interest in reading Chinese books among students in Singapore. At the beginning, there were four schools, the previously mentioned three schools together with Montfort Junior School, participated in the program. Because students developed interest in reading as well as demonstrated significant improvement of learning outcomes, there are now 13 primary schools in Singapore joined the program to promote Chinese-reading. “The basic concept of ‘Reading of Tomorrow’ is Modeled Sustained Silent Reading, MSSR. The MSSR pedagogy puts emphasis on the interest in reading, modeled reading, and cultivating reading habit. With the support of digital technology, can gain a large amount of background knowledge in their school learning through massive reading,” explained Dr. Tak-Wai Chan.
