XN000022-1990-11-04 — Page 3

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1990

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ENCOURAGED BY THE POSITIVE RESULTS OF THE PILOT PROJECT WHICH WAS AIMED AT IMPROVING THE CURRICULUM AND THE STANDARD OF ENGLISH IN HONG KONG SCHOOLS, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION HAS DECIDED TO LAUNCH A HONG KONG EXTENSIVE READING SCHEME IN ENGLISH IN 200 SCHOOLS ON A PHASED BASIS OVER SEVEN YEARS BEGINNING NEXT SEPTEMBER.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE INSTITUTE EXPLAINED THAT WITHOUT A READING PROGRAMME IN THE CURRICULUM, STUDENTS' READING TENDS TO BE SPASMODIC, HAPHAZARD AND UNREWARDING.

"A WELL-ORGANISED PROGRAMME UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF A TEACHER, ON THE OTHER HAND, CAN HELP THEM ΤΟ GRADUALLY PROGRESS TOWARDS INDIVIDUALISED READING AND LEARNING, HE SAID.

IMPLEMENTATION

"EXAMPLES OF THE SUCCESSFUL

OF EXTENSIVE READING SCHEMES IN OTHER COUNTRIES SUCH AS SINGAPORE, FIJI AND MALAYSIA HAVE TESTIFIED TO THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A READING SCHEME.

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THE FIRST PHASE OF THE HONG KONG EXTENSIVE READING SCHEME IN ENGLISH WILL BE INTRODUCED TO SECONDARY 1 CLASSES IN 20 PUBLIC-SECTOR SCHOOLS IN SEPTEMBER NEXT YEAR.

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS WILL BE PROVIDED PACKAGE FOR EACH SECONDARY IMPLEMENTATION.

WITH ONE RESOURCE

1 CLASS IN THE FIRST YEAR OF

THE PACKAGE CONTAINS 400 BOOKS, BOTH FICTION AND NON-FICTION, GRADED INTO EIGHT DIFFERENT LEVELS; 120 READING CARDS AT TWO DIFFERENT LEVELS TO PREPARE THE WEAKER STUDENTS FOR ENTRY то THE READING PROGRAMME; RECORD CHARTS FOR MARKING PROGRESS; AND TEACHER'S GUIDES.

"STUDENTS WILL START READING AT A LEVEL APPROPRIATE ΤΟ THEIR READING ABILITY AND THEY ARE EXPECTED TO WORK THEIR WAY THROUGH THE READING LEVELS AS THEY MOVE UP TO SECONDARY 2 AND SECONDARY 3.

"IN THE SECOND YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION, THE CLASS WILL SHARE THE RESOURCE PACKAGE WITH A NEW SECONDARY 1 CLASS. AND BY THE THIRD YEAR WHEN THE CLASS IS PROMOTED TO SECONDARY 3, .IT WILL BE SHARING THE PACKAGE WITH A SECONDARY 2 AND YET ANOTHER NEW SECONDARY 1 CLASS.'

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SCHOOLS TAKING PART IN THE SCHEME WILL BE ADVISED ΤΟ DEVOTE ONE TO THREE PERIODS IN THE SCHOOL TIMETABLE FOR TEACHERS TO PREPARE THE STUDENTS FOR THE PROGRAMME, CHECK PROGRESS, ANSWER QUERIES AND SHARE READING EXPERIENCES.

THE INSTITUTE WILL ORGANISE SEMINARS AND INDUCTION COURSES FOR TEACHERS. FOR SCHOOLS USING CLASS READERS, SPECIAL GUIDELINES WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED TO HELP THEIR TEACHERS TO ADOPT AN EXTENSIVE READING APPROACH SO THAT THEY CAN FINISH ONE BOOK IN FOUR TO FIVE PERIODS.

"THIS WAY, STUDENTS WILL READ A LARGE NUMBER OF BOOKS, INSTEAD OF STUDYING IN DETAIL A FEW READERS IN A YEAR, AND DEVELOP THE HABIT OF READING EXTENSIVELY, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

SCHOOLS INTENDING TO JOIN THE SCHEME MAY CONTACT THE INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION ON TEL. 771 9418.

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