Interactive Chinese Language Book Reading and Sharing Between Seniors and Juniors - Writing and Responding to Letters

Contributed by ZHANG RONGHUA，Tang Yajing Juliet, Tay Soo Eng, Tye Seck Moy, Yeo Hwee Yanne, Hu Bei, Wen Di

What was the current need/gap that you were addressing?

Currently, the school organizes Chinese book reading based on grade levels, offering different reading guidance for each grade. However, there is a lack of reading interaction among students from different grades. The reading experiences of higher-grade students are not effectively shared with lower-grade students, and in turn, the lower-grade students are unable to provide feedback to the higher-grade students. This results in an isolation of reading between lower and higher-grade students.

How had it been experimented and enacted?

1. In 2022, we organized the Sec 3 students of that year to share their reading experiences based on their exploration of Chinese books. Using methods such as bookmarks, handwritten letters, typed letters, book lists, posters, and more, they created a reading sharing project. 2. At the beginning of 2023, we selected outstanding works from the previous year's Sec 3 students and assigned them to the current Sec 2 students. Organized by class, each class received reading sharing projects from the previous year's Sec 3 students (including all formats) — referred to as "Letters to Juniors." 3. The Secondary 2 students, guided by the reading sharing materials provided by the Sec 3 students, chose any book mentioned by their seniors to read. Following this, during the third semester, they provided feedback to their seniors in the form of bookmarks, handwritten letters, typed letters, book lists, posters, etc. — termed as "Letters to Seniors." 4. From the responses of the Sec 2 students, we selected exemplary works and distributed them to the various classes of the current Sec 4 students (last year's Sec 3), enabling the students to receive responses from their juniors.

Which group(s) had benefited?

Students (Selected Groups), Teaching Staff (Selected Groups)

What was the positive impact?

1. Students enhance the breadth and depth of Chinese book reading by completing works and sharing them with seniors or juniors. 2. There's an opportunity for interaction and exchange in Chinese book reading between students of higher and lower grades. 3. Book recommendations among students are more tailored to students' perspectives and needs rather than solely relying on teacher recommendations (teacher perspective). 4. It elevates students' interest and sense of responsibility. 5. Students' works can continue to be shared with the following juniors, serving as effective supplementary reading resources.

What is a future need that this IdEas@work could meet?

1. Bring together talented and like-minded students in Chinese reading to foster the creation of a Chinese reading club among students. 2. Hoping to establish a culture of Chinese reading within the school - a culture of mutual assistance and interactive reading.