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“Ding ding” is not just a signal for Hong Kong’s iconic trams – it is also becoming a reminder of the importance of reading.
In honour of World Reading Day last month, local charity Bring Me A Book encouraged young Hongkongers to read with a tram parade. The group transformed the city’s oldest form of public transport into a moving hub for stories. It hosted live readings and interactive workshops.
Jeannie Leung is the executive director of Bring Me A Book. She explained that the event aimed to help children build a habit of reading by bringing together the whole family.
“We are very much pushing for family literacy, where we’re getting parents involved with reading. How you build children’s interest and love of reading is through modelling,” Leung said.
Part of the event was also hosted with the Hong Kong Public Libraries. There, children joined workshops to make books and learn from local authors.
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Need to read
The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study is a global research project that tests youngsters’ reading abilities. It is conducted every five years for Primary Four students.
In the most recent assessment in 2021, Hong Kong ranked third out of 57 countries and regions.
But the city’s pupils placed much lower in their reading confidence and enjoyment. Only 32 per cent of students said they were “very confident” in reading, as compared to the international average of 43 per cent. Thirty per cent of pupils said they “very much like reading”, while the global average was 42 per cent.
The research also found that only 16 per cent of the city’s parents “often” engaged their children in literacy activities before primary school. This is much lower than the international average of 42 per cent.
It shows that Hong Kong parents still have room for improvement in reading with their children.
Leung also said that many parents were too focused on academic goals. This could make reading feel like a skill to work on rather than a way to relax and have fun. This mindset can also affect family reading time.
“In Hong Kong ... the parent thinks, ‘Oh, I’m here to educate you, to ensure you know all your words,” she said. “It does take the joy out of reading.”
According to Leung, many families in the city rely too much on electronic devices. This takes time away from reading books.
“While we can’t get away from screens, we should be very mindful about how we use technology,” she said.
An event for the whole family
The ReadConnect Tram Event attracted hundreds of parents and children. They rode the tram and joined activities at the Hong Kong Central Library in Causeway Bay.
A father, Billy Tsui, said he and his daughters just happened to stumble upon the event in the library.
Tsui said that he sometimes read books to his children, Bethany and Bella.
Bethany, who is nine, enjoys graphic novels. Bella, 11, prefers chapter books. They both think other kids should prioritise reading too.
“You can learn more words and ... learn more about the world,” Bella said.
Another attendee was English teacher Wu, who only gave his first name.
Wu said that to get his son interested in books, “we read together with him”.
“I think we need to accompany [our kids] to read together – especially for younger teens – and let them choose the books they like,” he said.
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