A reading program was recently launched by the Chinese Children Press and other sponsors to increase reading ability of Chinese children.
Delegates from 60 plus research institutions and kindergartens attended a seminar on early stage reading of infants in Beijing.
Statistics show that children in developed countries begin “reading” in the company and guide of their parents since their birth, and an eight-year-old child can do reading independently and read as much as 700,000 words of materials within the four-year elementary schooling period.
However, Chinese children read only 300,000 words of materials within the six-year elementary schooling period. Experts said less reading of Chinese children is partly because their parents underestimate children’s reading ability.
Less reading has resulted in Chinese children’s narrow scope of knowledge and poor imagination.
The program planned to open parents-and-children libraries in part of kindergartens in Beijing to increase children’s reading volume at the guide of their parents and as well as teachers.
(21dnn.com 08/14/2001)
