Some people liken it to a bright ray of sunshine in their lives, others see it as a compass for survival in a vast desert, and some say that reading is a lifelong mentor and friend.
To children, reading is far less complex and far-reaching than we think. It is simply a way for them to help themselves explore new knowledge, to answer questions, or rather, an easy pass to the big world.
The Seeds of
the Future That are
Slowly Taking Root
As an school with advanced educational philosophy , Ardingly College Zhongshan(Kindergarten) clearly understands the children's desire to explore the world, and a silent reading culture has been embedded since the first day of school.
If you happen to visit the school, you will see the endless shelves of books in the middle of the corridor as you enter the school. This area is the most visible open library in the kindergarten, with a wide range of original English and Chinese books.
The teachers have carefully arranged the books and added some story-related dolls to make it an ideal playground for the children to explore. During class break, lunch break and even the short waiting time before leaveing school, the children always go to the library and either read quietly on their own or join their teachers and classmates in exploring.
Of course, a reading corner in each classroom is also essential. Although each area is almost the same size, but the shape, function and picture books are very different. In the K1 reading corner, children can gather around their teachers and open the door to the world of fairy tales through their enthusiastic tones and exaggerated expressions; in the K2 or K3 classes, more children will choose to sit on the floor, pull out a few science magazines from the bookshelf behind them and start exploring alien life and the vast starry sky; and for those children who are more enthusiastic about learning, they may be accompanied by their superheroes, soaring through the sea of books and venturing into the world.
These memories of reading have planted the seeds of the children's future, and have watered them step by step as they take root.
A Heartwarming
Parent-child
Reading Event
On 22 February 2023, Ardingly College Zhongshan(Kindergarten) launched its first Parent-Child Reading Festival, with 11 parent representatives coming to the kindergarten to discuss with the management team and the Chinese Homeroom Teacher on "Cultivating Reading Habits in Young Children". Meanwhile, they officially started a new reading journey for the children in 2023 together.
"Parent-child picture book shows, picture book teaching, building a picture book resource library, and a whole 100 days of parent-child reading record cards", Ms. Hannah, the Chinese Head of Early Years, who was the first person to share several new ways to empower young children's reading habits at the launch ceremony. She believes that rich and diverse reading activities will be the best option to stimulate young children's interest in reading and develop long-term reading habits!
After a heated discussion on "Developing Reading Habits in Young Children", several parents with deep insights into parent-child education took to the stage and began to share their insights with the audience.
"Book a house of gold, and reading can really help children grow up fast! As elders, we can choose books for our children based on their interests, for example, boys can buy more science fiction and animal picture books, and girls can choose books with more obvious storylines."
"The ages 2-4 are the prime-time for children's language and memory development, and we can use this opportunity to nurture their interest in reading and help them open up to more exciting worlds!"
After the informative sharing, it was time for the main event that all the children were looking forward to. The 11 parents who had received the information in advance had prepared long and hard for the children's storytelling session.
With their deep understanding of parent-child reading and ingenuity, the parents not only continued to engage the children with a variety of explanations and interactive games, but some of them also attracted the children's attention through teaching aids such as Lego blocks and homemade trolleys, and showed us that the educational effect was extremely successful!
Dear children, on your brave journey to explore the world, you may see rainbows of seven colours, breezes in the fields, leap over ethereal gorges, climb snow-capped mountains, or you may encounter brutal pirates with black eye patches and red bandanas, or big, bad wolves with sharp teeth and fierce eyes, but please remember that your mothers and fathers, as well as your teachers and classmates, all of them will be your strong companions along the way, and they will do their best to accompany you to overcome all the difficulties on your way to growth!
