How we promote reading Chinese in Early Years

As educators, we see that parents are increasingly aware of how important it is to develop reading habits early on in their children’s lives. However, English picture books or their translated versions are more commonly used and more popular. In the long-term, this may have a negative influence on our children's Chinese language abilities. They may grow accustomed to just using the more casual phrasing of the spoken language or lose the ability to distinguish between spoken and written language altogether. 

The way we use language profoundly influences the way we perceive and articulate our perception of the world, so such developments can have far-reaching implications.

The beauty of the Chinese language lies in its ancient system of ideographic characters. The four-tone system gives the language a musical quality. Its capacity for multiple meanings makes its works of literature infinitely intriguing and open to endless interpretation. Teaching our early years pupils to read Chinese opens their minds to a deep and rich literary tradition. But it is not just about cultural appreciation. Encouraging literacy at an early age also promotes cognitive skills, logic, reasoning, and empathy. As such, it is an important part of what we do at Huili Nursery Shanghai.

Reading cannot be measured solely on vocabulary and sentence comprehension. Language ability is a sum of several skills. It comprises the ability to generalise, comprehend, judge, and imagine.

The language used in many classic Chinese stories is concise but dense and rich with meaning. The book "The Little Horse Crosses the River" tells the reader, "Have your own ideas, be brave enough to take risks." Such language helps children to accurately express and summarise their ideas.

Most early Chinese reading activities are conducted through picture books in which there is a certain logical relationship between plots and pictures. This makes it easy for children to use their prior knowledge and experience to understand the meaning of the stories and express it through their own language.

Vivid images and storylines can immerse children in different worlds. After reading, children consider characteristics and relationships between people and objects and concepts using language, gestures, and symbols. Through such immersion, they learn to formulate their own ideas and opinions.

We teach children to understand the content of a poem or nursery rhyme through easy-to-understand marks and symbols. For example, "The sky is a cradle, rocking baby clouds, the wind blows gently, and baby clouds fall asleep". These lines allow children to unleash their imagination, conjuring up vivid images in their minds.

At Huili Nursery, we design Chinese book-reading activities that encourage pupil participation. Teachers provide individualised reading support for children through a variety of teaching methods.

When we read books to pupils, the teachers will ask occasional questions that prompt them to comment on the images or the stories. These may be questions like "How many bunnies were playing hide-and-seek just now?" or "Why does the sun only show half of its face?" These questions are intended to reinforce comprehension and encourage pupils to think beyond the content of the story, which will lay the foundation for further independent reading.

When reading Chinese stories aloud, teachers will often add mimetic words or adjectives to the story to develop children's listening skills.

When children do not understand a story, teachers allow them to use their imagination first and discuss it together to discover the answers themselves. This provides ample opportunities for developing creative and critical thinking skills.  

After telling a story, the teachers will prompt pupils to discuss the themes and ideas conveyed in the story. During the discussion, teachers will help the pupils to improve their language organisation, guiding them to evaluate characters and explain key points within a plot.

After a period of observation and practise, we find that children become more curious about reading Chinese books and want to explore more. They are confident in expressing themselves and find that reading brings them a sense of happiness and satisfaction. This builds strong foundations for their lifelong learning journey.                                                                                    

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