I found an old news article on the Internet.Children’s reading promoter Ajia: Parents of new students, please read aloud to your childrenLooking at the photos, I recall a discussion with parents of new students at Hefei Weigang Central Primary School during the start of the school year last year. The content seems well-organized by the reporter from the Hefei Evening News. Many thanks! I’ve reprinted it below (date is approximately September 1, 2010):
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Recently, Mr. Ajia, a well-known children’s reading promoter in my country, gave a vivid reading promotion class to parents of first-grade students who came to learn from him in some primary schools in Hefei. He suggested that parents should insist on reading aloud to their children.
Read aloud to your child
Ajia said that reading aloud to children is recognized as the simplest and most effective way to cultivate children’s reading habits. The “loud” here does not mean making a very high decibel sound, but “reading aloud.”
Reading aloud to children is a long-standing tradition in the West, and we can see these heartwarming scenes in many films and television shows. In 1979, American painter and columnist John Trelease, who had just become a father, was deeply concerned about the general decline in children’s reading levels in the United States and wrote a book advocating for “reading aloud to children.” More and more people joined in advocating and researching this practice, turning the promotion of this form of reading into a social movement.
““To be fair, there are many effective ways to cultivate children’s reading habits. The traditional Chinese method of reciting classics is also very effective, and bookworms are often naturally born in scholarly families,” said A‑Jia. He added that in modern lifestyles, reading carries more burdens, and we don’t want our children to become bookworms who only read books. However, the fast pace of modern life means that working parents often can’t dedicate much time and energy to their children’s reading. Therefore, from an economical perspective, consistently reading aloud to children every day may be the best approach.
Reading aloud to children isn’t inherently difficult; the challenge lies in persistence. Ajia recommends choosing a suitable timeframe, reading for at least 20 minutes daily, and enjoying the process with your child. It’s best to start as soon as the child is born, and if possible, continue until the child graduates from elementary school, or until they clearly express a desire to stop.
Dad’s involvement is important
Contrary to many people’s expectations, Ajia said that children’s early reading should not be just “women’s business” and fathers should participate in parent-child reading activities as much as possible.
Numerous surveys have shown that in nearly 90% of families in China, mothers are responsible for reading to their children. In nearly 90% of families that engage in parent-child reading activities, mothers also primarily read to their children. Furthermore, nearly all kindergarten teachers are currently women, and in lower-grade elementary schools, over 95% of Chinese language teachers are also women.
What consequences might this situation bring? There is a similar situation in the United States. One notable consequence is that in the fifth and sixth grades of elementary school, the vast majority of students with obvious dyslexia are boys! In modern society, dyslexia is almost synonymous with learning disabilities.
Therefore, the Argentinean League advises families with boys to pay special attention and that fathers should take more responsibility for their children’s reading. They can take their children to the library while playing ball with them, read to them, and set an example by reading in front of them. They can also buy their children a few books along with roller skates as a gift.
Reading is a shared experience
During the lecture, A‑Jia stated that reading isn’t just for children. In today’s materially abundant world, the fast pace of life and increasing social barriers can be significant. Sharing experiences, including reading together, is one way to bridge these gaps. A‑Jia quoted, “Give your child a big hug for 30 seconds every day, listen to them for 3 minutes, and spend 30 minutes doing activities with them (including reading). You’ll find that your child is yours, not someone else’s.” A‑Jia suggested that replacing “child” with “husband” or “wife” would be just as appropriate, eliciting laughter.
Finally, A‑Jia mentioned a poem in America that everyone loves: “You may have unlimited wealth, chests of jewels and cabinets of gold, but you will never be richer than me, because I have a mother who reads to me.” From these heartwarming words, we can understand how important and meaningful it is to be a parent who reads to their child, and how children are proud to have parents who read to them. A‑Jia believes that no matter how many benefits of reading are explained, nothing compares to the feeling of a child being proud of their parents. Reading together is the most important part of cultivating parent-child relationships. “Even richer than having a mother who reads to me is having a father, grandfather, and grandmother who read to me,” A‑Jia humorously concluded.