Between The Lines: Why a good tutor improves a child’s mindset, not their grades

  Until recentlyI equated tutoring with cheating or laziness. I reasoned that if I was paying for my children to attend great schools, they should be able to do the work and should turn to the teacher for help if they encountered any difficulty. An outside tutor was a lazy indulgence of the well-heeled and… Continue reading Between The Lines: Why a good tutor improves a child’s mindset, not their grades

Between The Lines: How young children learn to enjoy reading

I was quick to stock our bookshelf at home with Frog and Toad, Ling and Ting, Mouse and Mole and other great character pairings in early chapter books, ready for when the children start to read independently. Yet for all of her first year in primary school, my daughter preferred to have me read aloud… Continue reading Between The Lines: How young children learn to enjoy reading

Between The Lines: How to cut through the chatter and cultivate your child’s most important qualities

Have you ever heard a parenting expert say push your kids to breaking point, sign them up for multiple extracurricular activities, make them take all honours classes, allow technology in their bedrooms to keep in touch with friends all night, eating on the run is fine, and free time is a waste? Neither have I.… Continue reading Between The Lines: How to cut through the chatter and cultivate your child’s most important qualities

【第六期】書伴我行 X 菜姨姨讀書會

  Sorry, this entry is only available in Traditional Chinese.

Between The Lines: Vocal heroes: how children of all ages benefit from being read to

I recently read an article about a woman whose marriage improved after her husband read aloud to her while she was sick in bed. Everyone loves being read to, no matter one’s age. Hong Kong has an emerging read-aloud culture. In the beginning, parents and teachers only read to children who were learning to read,… Continue reading Between The Lines: Vocal heroes: how children of all ages benefit from being read to

Between The Lines: If ever there was a classic children’s book, Alice in Wonderland is it

This year is the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. You need not have read the book to recognise the iconic images of a spunky girl in a blue dress, a peculiar rabbit with a pocket watch, the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts. The story includes a number of unforgettable… Continue reading Between The Lines: If ever there was a classic children’s book, Alice in Wonderland is it

Between The Lines: Hong Kong kids can benefit from reading quality books

Numerous studies point to the same finding that children who love to read grow up to be more astute, aware, compassionate, resourceful and resilient than those who don’t read for pleasure. Parents and teachers should pause and give thought to what they want to accomplish in getting children to read. Finding joy and comfort in… Continue reading Between The Lines: Hong Kong kids can benefit from reading quality books

Between The Lines: Let children play musical instruments, their way

If your evening routine includes arguments, incentives and timers in order to cajole your children to practise an instrument, you might want to rethink your approach. While creating music should be a joyful lifelong experience, the path towards mastery of an instrument can be tempestuous if the motivation is wrong. Music, like competitive sports, Advanced… Continue reading Between The Lines: Let children play musical instruments, their way

Between The Lines: How high-quality picture books can encourage kids to read more

High-quality children’s picture books are the building blocks to a lifelong love of reading. When I disparage commercial products in book form that are based on cartoon characters, my friends protest, insisting their children love storybook versions of their favourite animated TV series. I counter that recognising and enjoying stories about familiar television characters is… Continue reading Between The Lines: How high-quality picture books can encourage kids to read more

Between The Lines: Reading from the same page

Many will be surprised to learn that Hong Kong has the world’s lowest rate of family literacy – a term used to describe parents (or extended family members and other adults) and children learning together. Just 12 per cent of children in Hong Kong have that experience compared to an international average of 37 per… Continue reading Between The Lines: Reading from the same page