August 19, 2010 | Posted in Education/Learning/Activities | Post a comment | Share Article |
by Irene Wong
Head of Operations / Principal Trainer of ATCEN Learning Centre
Many have voiced out their opinions and generally agree with the government’s proposal to abolish the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) exams, but they have also requested for a revamp of the education system on the whole. The authority is urged to replace this culture of examination-oriented education with one that can nurture thinking skills. This is echoed by the secretary-general of the National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP), Loke Yim Pheng, recently in theSun. “It is time we create a new culture of thinking teachers and students,” she said.
Another concerned mother wrote in The Star on the related issue, and I quote: “As a parent, I would like to at least see our schools help cultivate the habit of reading in students as well as encourage them to think and speak up by having more debating or discussion classes. These are skills that our education system needs to cultivate in our children rather than rote-learning and scoring A’s”.
Oh I love quotations in my articles. Firstly, with quotations around, my articles carry weight. We normally quote people’s works or opinions in our writings to make them credible. Secondly, when we quote, it shows that we do read. We can make connections of what we have read and after analyzing the information, we produce more by expressing our own or adding to the existing information. In other words, it makes us smarter. All right, at least, it makes us sounds smarter! But hey, jokes aside, reading does make us smarter, don’t you think so? With increased knowledge and more reasoning skills, you have to agree with it.
Studies have also proven that students who have a good reading habit tend to have higher IQs compared with their friends who don’t read. Now that’s my first reason why reading is cool: reading definitely makes you a smarter student! By the way, can you make the connection between the two quotations above?
Second, reading is affordable. Okay, I hear you: books in Malaysia are not that cheap. But again, try ignorance! It is definitely going to cost you quite a lot in the long run. Let’s be more pro-active and creative: we don’t have to always part with our parents’ hard-earned money in order to buy books. We can borrow from our older siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, teachers, friends, our friends’ friends, and we lend them ours in return. Someone told me about how well-equipped our local libraries are today, so do check them out. These libraries are doing pretty well: they do have more supplies than the demand! Please read those books and make their existence worthwhile.
Third, reading improves your language skills. Besides making you a knowledgeable person, it helps you in your grammar, increases your vocabulary power and makes you a better communicator. All these are made possible in meaningful contexts, and they are not learnt in isolation. For example, you can learn all these at your own pace of time, and you can actually acquire them unconsciously if you read enough. It is like killing two birds with one stone: your language skills improve without you even realizing it while you are enjoying reading the books of your own choice. In short, you can express yourself better with greater ideas using new words.
Fourth, reading is a mobile entertainment. You can read books at anytime, and everywhere you wish. It is not like watching TV shows at home where you have to be in front of the box just to make sense of what you are watching. Books can be brought anywhere you like; from the bedroom to the kitchen, and even to the bathroom, and you are not dependent on the electricity supply to have it switched on. Well, at least, provided that you are not reading in total darkness in the middle of the night! And oh yes, there are no commercial breaks in reading.
Fifth, reading enables you to travel around the world. This is the classic reason, and my dear old mother told me that many years back then. As students, we may not have the financial ability to get to travel everywhere we want now, but at least through reading, we also get to “travel” using our imagination in an inexpensive way. From Rome to Morocco, Japan to India, New York to California; you name it and you get it! All these are also made possible at our fingertips: sampling local cuisine, getting to know other cultures and lifestyles, and learning their languages.
Sixth, reading is cholesterol-free, non-fattening and non-oily. Ladies, this is the most innovative idea in watching your diet. You will fall in love with reading.
Seventh, you have more to write on Facebook. Imagine a friend of yours who writes “Am bored!” on his status via Facebook every possible time, whereas you can write “Just finished reading Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. It is definitely the most provocative novel of the year. Try that folks…” Wow, you are somebody that we can ask for opinions rather than the poor bloke who has nothing to offer in life, and he is literally not doing anything to change his status! You earn the bragging rights…
Eighth, your parents will be very proud of you. Tell me which parent isn’t proud of his or her five-year-old who can read Shakespeare’s Hamlet with great ease? My five-year-old girl can now read books on her own, and my two-year-old can remember lines from Sly Fox and Red Hen every night when I read to her. And I am, of course, a proud mother! Trust me, if you read a lot and really enjoy your reading, your parents will not ask you to do the household chores anymore.
Ninth, good books are like good friends. Your friends at school can turn their backs on you. On the contrary, books are always there whenever you need them, and they can provide you with all the joy, solace, encouragement and even the spiritual boost that you badly need at times. Good books are like friends that are sincere and tell you what you need to know, and not what you want to hear. Unassuming and unpretentious, they are definitely a great companion to anyone who chooses to be their friends too.
Tenth, reading makes you a better human being. What is more important of all in our quest of reading is to be individuals of character and substance. Reading helps us develop and expand our boundaries to encompass nations, races, cultures and even religions. What you read and learn when you are young establishes the foundation on which you build the rest of your life. So, please start reading now as what you read will become a valuable experience and asset for forming your own ideas and philosophy in life.
Boys and girls out there: reading is undeniably cool; why don’t we all start reading today?
About the Author
Irene Wong is the Head of Operations/Principal Trainer of ATCEN Learning Centre. She passionately wants all the young Malaysians to develop the confidence and ability to express themselves. Besides indulging in good local food, she loves reading.
About ATCEN
ATCEN Learning Centre is the leading English & Personal Mastery Development Centre in Malaysia and is part of the ATCEN Group of Companies. Founded in 2003, ATCEN is the largest corporate training and personal development provider in Malaysia. For more information, log on to www.atcenlearningcentre.com or contact Irene (03-7806 4998 / Tmn Megah, PJ) or Mak (03- 3325 7115 / Klang).
