How Malaysia Reads: Individual, Home and

School InitiativesProf. Dr. Ambigapathy Pandian

DeanSchool of Languages, Literacies and Translation

HeadInternational Literacy Research Unit

Universiti Sains Malaysia

Content• Introduction

• Reading in Malaysia

• Key Findings

• Intervention Strategies

• Initiatives

• Conclusion

Definition: PISA [Program for International Student Assessment]

Reading literacy - the ability to understand, use and reflecton written texts in order to achieve one's goals, to developone's knowledge and potential, and to participate effectivelyin society.

READING

Reading In Contemporary Times

Reading –• Unique civilization of human behavior and social phenomena• Accesss to an important means of knowledge and information• Continuous progress of human society development• Nature of reading is constantly changing

Alvin Toffler

Reading- A Snapshot of Main Theories

Top-Down Approach ( Goodman)

Bottom-up Approach: Encoding and Decoding

Interactive Approach (late 70s and 80s):

Rumelhart( 1977)-

Mechanistic and basic in orientationBehaviouristic in notion as it valorises automaticisation

Cognitivist in orientation as it emphasizes the Cognitive and experiential processes related meaning-making

Interactive Approach: Combination of the top-down andBottom –up processes.Essentially premised onSchema theory - it is stillcognitive in orientation

From the 1990’s onwards,new theories that sought to explain emerged. Prominent of this was dual-coding theory (Paivio& Sadoski, 1991)

Reading in Malaysia

Very diversified –Ethnic, gender, age, geographical location, SES

Reading in Malaysia

Experiencing dramatic change

Reading in Malaysia

New, complex patterns of reading

Key Findings on Reading• Ambigapathy – Reading Habits (1997)

• National Library Survey (2005)

• ILRU, USM – Reading Case- Study (2011)

Reading Habits

Ambigapathy (1997)

• Reading ability & reading habits (different languages)

• Reading Reluctancy: people who can read but choose not to read.

• Attitudes towards reading

• The family as a socializing agent

• The school as a socializing agent

Explanatory Model of reading habitsB. Home Variables

B1. Variety of reading materials at

home

B2. Amount of reading materials at

home

B3. Home influence

B4. Parent/siblings as reading model

A. Background

Variables

A1. Residential area

A2. Sex

A3. Ethnicity

A4. SES

D. Intervening Variables

D1. Exposure language

D2. Attitudes towards

reading

D3. Attitudes towards

language

E. Reading Habit Variables

E1. Variety of reading materials

E2. Activeness in acquisition of

reading materials

E3. Time spent in reading

E4. Readiness to read

E5. Value attached to reading

E6. Degree of habitualness in

reading

C. School Variables

C1. Variety of reading materials in

school

C2. Amount of reading materials in

school

C3. Availability of reading area

C4. Teacher influence

C5. Peer influence

Reading HabitsKey Findings

• Female students have a positive attitude towards reading

• Reading models at home help nurture love towards reading

• Peer influence in the school setting is more powerful than teacher influence in developing reading habits

• School contributes to the nurturing of reading habits

Reading HabitsKey Findings

• Profile of a Habitual Reader in English

- Lives in an urban area rather than a rural area

- Comes from a family with a higher SES

- Comes from a home where there is a greater variety and amount of materials in English, more home influence and reading models at home

- Has attended a school with a greater variety and amount of materials in English with more teachers who encourage students to read, and more friends who read English

- Has more exposure to English

- Has a more positive attitude towards reading in English

Reading HabitsKey Findings

• Profile of Habitual Reader in Malay

- Lives in a rural area rather than an urban area

- Is a Malay rather than a non- Malay

- Comes from a home with a greater variety and amount of materials in Malay, more home influence and reading models at home

- Has attended a school with a greater variety and amount of materials in Malay, with more teachers who encourage students to read, and more friends who read Malay

- Has had greater exposure to Malay

- Has more positive attitudes toward reading in Malay

Reading HabitsKey Findings

• Profile of Habitual Reader in Chinese

- Lives in an urban area rather than a rural area

- Comes from a family with a higher SES

- Is a female rather than a male

- Comes from a home with a greater amount of reading materials in Chinese

- Has attended a school with more positive teacher influence, a wider variety of materials in Chinese in the school library, a larger reading area in the library and more friends who read materials in Chinese (i.e. more likely to have attended a Chinese vernacular school or a Chinese independent secondary school

Reading HabitsKey Findings

• Profile of Habitual Reader in Tamil

- Lives in a rural area rather than an urban area

- Comes from a family with a lower SES

- Comes from a home with a wider variety of reading materials in Tamil

- Has attended a school with a greater amount of materials in Tamil and greater reading area in the library.

- Has peers who read materials in Tamil

National Library Survey 2005 • Malaysians read less than

seven pages a day.

• Reading for passing exams.

• The older we get, the less we read.

• Age 10-24: 55% read books,

• Age 25-56: 39% read books,

• Age > 57 : 6% read books.

• Reading not a favouritepastime; prefer watching TV/Internet.

The 4 Motivations for Reading within the Malaysian Context

Reading for Knowledge• History

•Philosophy•Religion•Science

Reading for Task Performance•Job-related

•Studies-related•Functional

Reading for Leisure•Entertainment•Arts and culture•Recreational

Reading for Empowerment

•Self-improvement•Decsion-making

•planning

Reading Emphasis in MalaysiaReading for Task Performance•Job-related•Studies-related•Functional

Reading for Empowerment•Self-improvement•Decision-making•Planning

Reading for Knowledge• History•Philosophy•Religion•Science

Reading for Leisure•Entertainment•Arts and culture•RecreationalLess

More

Intervention Strategies

• Government- led

• Private - led

• University- led

• Individual

• Home

• School

Main Government Agencies Involved

• Ministry of Education

• Ministry of Higher Education

• Ministry of Rural Development

• Ministry of Human Resources

• Ministry of Youth and Sports

• Ministry of Entrepreneurship

Malaysian Reading Programme• The ministry of education has initiated a reading program

called NILAM. For the NILAM program, students need to

complete reading one book a week and give feedback either

in written or sketch form based on students' proficiency and

understanding level.

NILAM (Nadi Ilmu Amalan Membaca – The Pulse of Knowledge is through Reading)

Malaysian Reading Programme• The time allocated for reading in each language class per

week is one hour.

• Each language class is taken to the library once a week.

• Students are required to select their own reading material

to facilitate learning in class.

• The school has made it compulsory for each student to

borrow and read at least one book per week.

Implementation of NILAM

Phase I: Jauhari

Phase II: Readers’

Friend

The program consists of two phases:

Implementation of NILAM

NILAM (Nadi Ilmu Amalan Membaca – The Pulse of Knowledge is through Reading)

Phase I: Jauhari

• Build skills and interest in reading so that it becomes a habit• Students are made compulsory to follow the reading activities in

schools• Using the available facilities to borrow books through the School

Resource Center and other sources• Assessment begins from Year 1 through Year 6 (Elementary

School) and Form 1 through Form 5 (Secondary School)

Implementation of NILAMNILAM (Nadi Ilmu Amalan Membaca – The Pulse of Knowledge is through Reading)

Phase II (Readers’ Friend)

• Ability to guide students and to attract other fellow friends to read• After reading 100 book titles, students are eligible to enter Phase II• Students are guided in groups by teachers through workshops and

teaching• Books borrowed from the School Resource Centre or from other

sources will be shared with friends, family members, neighbors and others

• Marks will be given based on the frequency of activity participated, number of books loaned, number of listeners, and readers

Implementation of NILAMNILAM (Nadi Ilmu Amalan Membaca – The Pulse of Knowledge is through Reading)

Examples of Readers’ Friend activities:(a) Story telling(b) Reading together(c) Let’s talk about books(d) Borrowing books(e) Forums(f) Book reviews

Implementation of NILAMNILAM (Nadi Ilmu Amalan Membaca – The Pulse of Knowledge is through Reading)

Annual• Progress Record Books• Overall Cumulative

Card

Reward and Recognition System

After 6 years of elementary school and 5 years in secondary school• School Leaving

Certificate• School Certificate

Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) (2008)UNICEF

• Promote good reading habits among the indigenous

population

• Support from UNICEF and the Malaysian Ministry of

Education

• 30 schools across the states of Sabah and Sarawak

Government- led

• Reading month

• Moving Libraries

• Book fairs

Private - led

F&N Beverages Marketing Sdn Bhd (F&N) which has set up reading corners or Sudut Iqra F&N The reading corner is part of the company's corporate social responsibility to promote a reading culture and increase English proficency among students in schools

Print Media – & Children Products Newspaper in education Reading, story telling and Spelling Competition

International Literacy Research Unit (ILRU), USM

Reading Research :Case- Study (2011)School going population

• Individual• Home• School

Individual Initiatives• Students use free time to choose and read a book as a

requirement for the government mandated NILAM programas well as for leisure.

• Students from the school that was observed were readingbefore the assembly as well as during lunch time.

• Students individually do visit the library during lunch breakand after school hours.

• Students were seen to have used their own laptops tocomplete reading tasks.

Key Findings

Individual Initiatives• Apart from reading traditional print, students were also observed

reading online materials and browsing through websites to gaininformation in the computer labs and individual laptops.

• Students are aware of the availability of reading material apart fromprinted texts and are taking advantage of available technology toaccess more reading materials. It appears that these students arebehaving like computer natives.

• A large portion of the students are observed to focus more ontraditional printed texts because of its convenience, however thenew media has made an impact on these students as it is moreattractive, contemporary, swift in providing information andbecause of their savyness.

Individual Initiatives• Students utilise technology in helping to interpret

reading material, for example using onlinedictionaries and encyclopaedia software to get betterunderstanding on texts they encounter.

• The attitude towards reading has moved on fromconforming to the need to read for education toreading for knowledge, interest and leisure.

• Most of the reading reported by the respondents isdone via traditional methods i.e, popular magazines,newspapers, story books. However, 26% attest toreading online.

Home Initiatives• Based on the findings, parents spend their time after dinner every

weekend facilitating their children in reading.

• There is no specific reading area in the houses but there is a minilibrary in the houses of the respondents.

• Children are able to select a book and read it at any time and at anyplace in the house.

• Since each house has its own mini library; there is no immediatenecessity for parents to take their children to the public library.However, occasionally respondents bring their children to localbookshops to select some new titles.

Key Findings

Home Initiatives• Other than parents, older siblings assist their younger brothers and

sisters in reading.

• 85% of respondents mentioned that they observed their parentsreading at home, indicating that there is a reading culture in thehousehold.

• This is supported by the finding that 75% of respondents attest tohaving a reading corner at home, showing that printed text likebooks and magazines are still the most prevalent type of readingtext though there is a rise in the emergence of new media.

Home Initiatives• Parents tend to use traditional texts more than online texts because

of its handiness, mobility and convenience (in the bedroom, livingarea, kitchen, garden) compared to online texts.

• New form of media do facilitate reading at home to a certaindegree (26%)

• 65% of the respondents read with their family members while therest read alone. This illustrates that the students prefer to read in asocial setting with their family members than reading alone whichshows that parents and family members play an important role inmotivating student to read

School Initiatives:• Novels in curiculum

• Co-curiculum

- Debate, storytelling, public speaking- reading basedactivities

Key Findings

School Initiatives:• From the findings, 90% of the respondents reported that they read

outside school. This indicates that reading is not confined to

academic purposes only.

NILAM (Nadi Ilmu Amalan Membaca – The Pulse of Knowledge is through Reading)

Reading Records: Each

student records books read in a specific book.

Confirmation of Reading:

Teachers confirm records of

pupils’ reading.

Recognition: Recognition is

given to students based on the

number of books read.

Promoting Reading Practices

Individual

• Background variables: sex, ethnicity, SES

• Readiness to read

• Active in acquiring reading materials

• Value attached to reading

• Interest in the act of reading

• Focus and support from home and school

Promoting Reading Practices

Home

• Variety of reading materials at home

• Family promoting the love of reading

• Involvement in literacy events

• Positive role models at home

• Reading in Malay and English

• Access to library, bookshops and other reading resources and events

• New global setting : Reading in many languages

: Multi-modal reading

Promoting Reading Practices

School

• Positive school environment

• Facilities, library & reading resources, classroom organization, instructional variables

• Teacher-student relationships

• Student peers

University Initiatives

Role of Institutions of Higher learning

The case of USM Book Club

OUR QUEST

Book Club as a Reading Platform

The Reading Association/ University has endeavoured to locate a suitable and efficacious model to promote reading and critical literacy skills amongst its students.

Opted for the Book Club Model given its informal and non-stressful orientation which made reading both a fun and educative activity.

Use the Book Club model as a language and critical literacy teaching and learning platform in order to achieve utilitarian targets.

With this aim in mind, we set out to conceptualise the requisite framework and its implementation.

Factors taken into account in outlining the framework included:

a. local socio-cultural norms : the essentially predominant “sit -eat – talk” culture that define the Malaysian socioscape.

Book Club as a Reading Platforma) The emphasis on tangible

outcomes : reading as withother intellectual pursuits arepursued for their measurableoutcomes.

b) Differing proficiency levels:different readingcommunities are constitutedof members with differingproficiency levels.

c) Objective –based learning:local education frameworksare often defined by set goalsand objectives.

d) Informality and stress freeenvironment that allows forthe syncretism of intangibleoutcomes

IQRA’ literally ‘read’ in Arabic

Features of the Book Club Theoretical Frameworka. Informal and convivial ambience:

discussing books over tea and scones gelled with the sit-eat-talk culture.

b. the original Book Club concept contained a degree of flexibility that enabled it to be modified to meet local needs and objectives.

c. the club image was designed to serve as an attraction to get prospective participants to join in the reading activities.

d. the empowering principles underpinning the Book Club model facilitated its easy receptivity compared to other prescriptive and centralisedmodels.

The implicit theoretical framework of the Book Club model was one that is grounded in the socio-cultural learning theory as postulated by Vygotsky (1978), a learning theory that promoted community learning which was in sync with the prevailing trend in EL teaching and learning within the wider educational framework in the Malaysian context

Why we Adopted the Book Club Model

Features of IQRA’s Theoretical Framework

Facilitates Community

Learning

• Transactional in nature Common Purpose and

• Shared Interests

Public and private space

movement

•Traverses the public and the private

•Allows for induction, postulation, transaction, mediation. contemplation and inculcation of information

Man is a social

animal

•Man interacts with society and not functions in isolation

•Social setting especially via immersion in learning communities enhances learning

Advantages of IQRA

Facilitates interaction, discussion and analysis of issues thuspromoting more insightful and meaningful learning that willenhance productivity and performance over the long-term.

IQRA facilitates reader empowerment by devolvingresponsibility of text selection and activity framing to theReading Activity and Discussion (READ) groups.

Absence of direct/indirect forms of assessment whetherformative or summative in nature. The only “test”mechanism involved is programme evaluation that seeks toanalyse the attitudinal and transformational impact of theprogramme

Strengths

IQRA in action

Advantages of IQRA (cont.)

IQRA can be tailored to meet specific needs in order to enhance vocational or

academic or social performance

Egalitarian in scope due to its classless orientation.

Facilitates the nurturing of critical thought and analysis via deconstruction/reconstruction activities

Avoids the indoctrination features of top-down determined reading activities.

Official Launching of Book Club

Reading Literacy as a ‘happening event’

Implementation framework

The IQRA Programme

READER ADVISORY BOARD(RAB)

READER ADVISORY BOARD(RAB)

READING ACTIVITIES & DISCUSSION group (READ)

READING ACTIVITIES & DISCUSSION group (READ)

READING ACTIVATED ACTIVITIES (REACT)

READING ACTIVATED ACTIVITIES (REACT)

Set objectives and goalsDevise protocolsProvide reading listEstablish evaluation criteria

Select books for reading sessionsDiscussions related to the bookDevise activities/topics related to reading

Interactive Collaborative Exchange (ICE)Selected Creative Read-related Improvised Tasks (SCRIpT)

CONCEPTUALISATION

IMPLEMENTATIONEVALUATION

QUALITATIVE•Reading logs•Journals•Diaries

QUANTITATIVE• Attitudinal testson cognitive and behaviourial changes

GROUP 1

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF COHORT

GOAL : IMPROVED WORKPLACE LITERACY & PRODUCTIVITY

GROUP 2

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT COHORT

GOAL : IMPROVED PROFICIENCY LEVELS AND DEVELOPMENT OF CRITICAL LITERACY SKILLS

GROUP 3 : POST-GRADUATE STUDENT COHORT

GOAL : DEVELOPMENT OF CRITICAL ACADEMIC READING SKILLS

GROUP 4 : ENGLISH PROFICIENCY COURSE PARTICIPANTS (TO BE INDUCTED FROM JULY

2010 )

GOAL : ENHANCEMENT OF PROFICIENCY LEVELS

COMPOSITION OF GROUPS AND OBJECTIVES

THE 4 QUADRANTS OF THE IQRA PROGRAMME

STEP 1 : READER ADVISORY BOARD (RAB)

Establishment of a ReaderAdvisory Board to set the goalsand objectives of the club.

RAB formulates readingprotocols for the conduct ofBook Club meetings

RAB develops a non-intrusiveevaluative framework toevaluate IQRA’s impact

IQRA Implementation framework : Details

STEP 2 : READING ACTIVITY and DISCUSSION (READ)

Reading Activity and Discussion(READ) group empowered withtext selection based on the listof objectives framed by theRAB.

In addition, the READ is alsoempowered in charting themodalities of the post readingactivities based on textualknowledge.

IQRA Implementation framework : Details (cont.)

STEP 3: PAR, ICE and SCRIpT

Protocols outlined by the ReaderAdvisory Board (RAB) arepracticed and the activities arefocused on discussing variousaspects of the text.

Participation in thought provokingactivities such as Post- ReadingActivated Response (PAR),Interactive CollaborativeExchange (ICE), and SuggestedCreative Read-related ImprovisedTasks (SCRIpT) designed to elicitreader responses and gauge innerunderstanding of the text as wellas provide a forum to test one’spostulations within the public andprivate spheres as envisaged inthe Vygotskian paradigm (McVee,2008)

IQRA Implementation framework : Details (cont.)

IQRA- Evaluation

Parameters in Initial Evaluationa. attitudinal – the nature and scope of attitudinal transformations effectedvia participation in IQRA, the types of attitudinal changes experienced, didIQRA facilitate behavioural transformations in terms of perceptions of self,perceptions of others. Were attitudinal transformations linear or multifariousin nature.

b. motivational – did the IQRA sessions enhance motivation in general. Whataspects of vocational or academic motivation that were enhanced via IQRA?Were they integrative or instrumental in orientation?

c. cognitive – the cognitive transformations attained through participation inIQRA. Has cognitive aspects like critical evaluation of texts, opinions beenenhanced via involvement in IQRA? Did the infusion of viewpoints fromfellow participants contribute to a re-examination of prevailing notions andthe validation or rejection of prior postulations? Have writing styles,discourse strategies provided insights on how to frame arguments, thepresentation of ideas etc.

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF GROUP

Relaxed and convivial ambience gave them an opportunity tointeract with colleagues/peers in a less inhibitive manner.

Collegiality was at its peak as the staff perceived a sensefriendship and office comradeship akin to that felt bymembers of a family unit.

Motivated to find ways on how to connect the social problemsthey read to their office scenario. For instance; they sensedthey were more critical of how information was transmittedand processed.

Learn about the need for openness in communication in orderto avoid misunderstanding.

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF GROUP

Morale boosted through participation in such activity as theyfelt their views were valued and there was mutual respectaccorded to all.

Increase in motivation as voicing opinions and feelingsregarding certain issues had a liberating effect.

Provided them with a period of reflection as the sessionconducted after office hours allowed them to reflect and selfanalyse their actions in relation to the text read.

Preliminary Findings : Undergraduate Group

Improvement in reading and writing skills (it should cautionedthat this is a subjective assessment with no empirical datacollated as yet). Participants logged their improvements in theirreading log and attributed such improvements to peer influence

It provided a platform to meet and exchange ideas and in theprocess allowed for the enhancement of speaking skills.

Good semi structured activities afforded a right balance thatfostered both spoken and written responses.

A congenial and conducive ambience contributed a lowering ofinhibitions which resulted in heightened confidence.

Preliminary Findings : Undergraduate Group

Better understanding of the Other (Said, 1978) in terms of cultures andlifestyles. A perusal of their reading logs indicated that attitudinaltransformations were being effected through reader-text interaction aswell as peer discussion of the text.

Participants were generally motivated to explore other genres asconstant exposure to reading via the book club lowered their “anxiety”towards reading.

Had a better grasp of how to critically evaluate differing viewpoints aswell as how such viewpoints are transmitted within a communicativeenvironment.

Preliminary Findings : Post-Graduate GroupAble to generate a variety of interesting perspectives regarding the motivations of individuals and communities and how such motivations were linked to the personal and the collective.

Able to critically evaluate viewpoints and differentiate subjective and objective notions.

Able to locate voice and decipher silences within texts and characters

Able to relate incidents and content to ideologies, socio-cultural factors etc.

Improvement in terms of critical writing skills as well as in formulating cogent arguments through exposure to different writing strategies and genres

Better equipped to interpret events and gained profound insights into the subtle nuances of local culture and lifestyles .

Improved capability in textual deconstruction

PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

Discussion

Preliminary findings: All 3 groups displayed a marked improvement in attitudinal, cognitive and motivational spheres.

Preliminary responses also indicate that participants from the administrative staff group experienced a marked improvement in collegiality and teamwork.

Both academic cohorts evinced improvements in academic oriented aspects.

IQRA, facilitated the subtle activation of learning as internal monologues, personal perspectives and subjective postulations were tested within communal learning environment in keeping with social learning theory orientation of IQRA.

Overall, the findings reveal that the programme had an impact on both the ideational and affective levels

PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION

FUTURE PLANS

Preliminary outcomes have motivated us to further

examine the viability of IQRA as a teaching platform to

enhance vocational productivity and academic

performance.

The next phase of research be devoted to comprehensively

evaluating the efficacy of IQRA through a deployment of the

various quantitative and qualitative research tools.

Constraints and Solutions

DIFFERENCES IN PROFICIENCY LEVELS

Solution: Promoting other activities such as relay writing, mini-projects based on the text that will serve to generate output which will be subject to peer review and comments. Also the use of L1 as in the administrative group.

Constraint : Differences in proficiency levels amongst group members impede discussion sessions and truncate the free exchange of ideas.

Constraints and Solutions

MATERIALS: AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES

Solution : Use of alternative reading materials sourced from newspapers, magazines, travelogues etc.

Constraint : lack of accessible and affordable reading material especially in Third World reading environments.

Constraints and Solutions

SCHEDULE AND READJUSTMENTS

Solution: Members had a discussion and came to a consensus that they would conduct the sessions during lunch-break and opted to bring along takeaways and packed food as a form of potluck

Constraints : Initial Schedule (after office hours) not suitable for Administrative Staff Group as they were fatigued after a day’s work and had to fulfill family commitments.

MOTIVATION

Constraint : Motivating members toembrace the Integrative QualityReading Approach in improvinglanguage and critical literacy skillsthrough active participation in theBook Club initiative.

Solution: Encouraging readers tomaintain a reading log that will detailtheir progress in language acquisitionas well in the development of criticalliteracy. Facilitating appropriate textselection via discreet intervention inthe selection process. Basingclassroom activities on texts read.

Constraints and Solutions

MAINTAINING INTEREST

Solution: Diversifying post readingactivities that engender moreparticipation such as dramatisation ofcontent, social interaction with externalcommunities , engagement with differentsocial strata etc.

Constraint : Maintaining participantinterest in the programme over the longterm in view of boredom, the lack ofmotivation or other emotionalimpediments.

Constraints and Solutions

Constraint

Encouraging enrolment into the Book Club model given that the BC model has to compete with the attractions

afforded by New Media as well as the perennial challenge from traditional

electronic media.

Constraints and Solutions

Solution

Create a sense of special belonging through specially designed

paraphernalia that fosters an air of exclusivity. Engender a relaxed

atmosphere via informality and a sense of equality by seating peers across hierarchies within a room

where ideas are freely transacted to facilitate learning. “Club Ambience”

via tea and scones, potlucks etcetera. Where possible, a virtual

book club forum can be established to enable exchange of views via

electronic means.

Conclusion

• Reading- promoting the desire to read

• Reading as a path to:

• Success (the need for mastery),• Curiosity (the need for understanding),• Originality (the need for self-expression),• Relationships (the need for involvement with others).

• Decision making (the need to participatein society)

Confronting new global setting• Diversities and unpredictable currents

• Impact of new media technologies

• Reading in multi languages and multi modal forms

• Building reading communities

Conclusion

ConclusionCreating reading communities:

• Book rich environment

• Language rich environment

• Knowledge rich environment:

Print, Television, Multimedia, Interacting with outside world

• Nurturing:

- The individual

- The home

- The school

Individual, Home, School

Reading Communities

Knowledge Communities

Participation in human society development

Conclusion

In America…

In Malaysia…

THANK YOU…

Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life-Joseph

No matter how busy you may think you are, youmust find time for reading, or surrender yourselfto self chosen ignorance

-Confucius