Language is the foundation of learning. Strong language skills help children acquire knowledge across different domains, and cultivating these skills starts with developing a love for reading and the ability to read effectively. If parents wish to build their children’s reading habits, starting with role‑modelling and reading together can create powerful positive effects.
Reading Charter: Unlocking Reading Skills
Reading Charter is one of the programmes under the PICCKS Student Scheme at Hong Kong Education City (EdCity). It aims to encourage students to take their first step into reading and systematically record their reading journeys. This helps them experience the satisfaction that reading brings and develop long-term reading habits.
The scheme offers two sets of eight Reading Charter Cards. Students are encouraged to collect the cards while they read. Each phase includes Gold, Silver, and Bronze Reading Medals. Parents and children are encouraged to set yearly reading goals together and to read widely across different types of books, enriching both their knowledge and their parent‑child bond.
Fun Post Video Learning Library Enhances Reading Skills
In addition, the PICCKS Student Scheme also offers the Fun Post Video Learning Library, featuring videos such as how to quickly grasp the key points of a story, the history and evolution of books, recommendations from "Top Ten Book Picks" authors, and more. By watching these self‑learning videos, students can discover the sources of authors’ creative inspiration and experience the joy of reading, helping them enhance the effectiveness of their reading.
“Top Ten Book Picks” Helps Parents Choose the Best Reads
With so many books on the shelf, how can parents choose the suitable ones for their children? EdCity organises the "Top Ten Book Picks" Election, where students and teachers vote for their favourite books and authors. The annual list provides helpful recommendations for parents selecting books for their children. The 22nd "Top Ten Book Picks" Award Ceremony was recently held successfully. It is one of the most signature book selection events in the academic community, promoting the “Love Reading · Enjoy Sharing” culture while cultivating a reading environment on school campus. This year’s theme, “A Relaxed Journey Through the Cloud Library,” symbolizes the boundless possibilities of online reading across time and space.
This year’s ‘Top Ten Book Picks’ were selected through separate elections in the primary and secondary divisions. Students and teachers in each division voted for five books, and the combined results formed the final list of ‘Top Ten Book Picks’. The results not only reflect students’ preferences but also showcase teachers’ expert recommendations. Parents may notice that several titles are popular among both groups, demonstrating shared tastes and making them ideal for parent‑child reading. Below are the award‑winning books of the 22nd 'Top Ten Book Picks" Election:
Primary School Awarded Books:
Most Popular Books Among Primary Students
- 《大偵探福爾摩斯》第66集︰ 猩仔神探
- STEM 少年偵探團 - 05 地獄火海的紅色惡鬼
- 繪本工作細胞（1）敵人入侵！白血球與細菌大對決
- CMS 天文調查隊 - 03 風與雲的警號
- 查理九世彩圖版．不可思議事件簿（11）：真我的迷宮
Teacher-Recommended Books
- 趣味歷史繪本：100歷史大人物
- 繪本工作細胞（1）敵人入侵！白血球與細菌大對決
- 《大偵探福爾摩斯》第66集︰ 猩仔神探
- 香港好時光
- 閃耀的童年（2）必讀温情故事 50 篇
Secondary School Awarded Books:
Most Popular Books Among Secondary Students
- 哈利波特魔法圖鑑
- 吃透中國史‧唐
- 平行森林
- 今天不會都是壞事：已發生的讓你牽掛、未發生的讓你擔憂？SNOOPY史努比的定心禪智慧
- 山海之城
Teacher-Recommended Books
- 遊走香港屋邨誌
- 最後的故事──殯葬禮儀師之晝夜行事錄
- 哈利波特魔法圖鑑
- 今天不會都是壞事：已發生的讓你牽掛、未發生的讓你擔憂？SNOOPY史努比的定心禪智慧
- 外界的聲音只是參考，你不開心就不參考
(As this is a Chinese reading‑selection activity, only a Chinese book list is provided.)
Parents and students may visit the Hong Kong Reading City website and access related books under the “My Books” section.
Conclusion: Don’t Outsource Thinking to Machines — Build Reading Habits from Childhood
In an era of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence, it is even more important for parents to cultivate children’s reading skills and habits. Children should learn to read proactively and learn independently, rather than outsourcing thinking to machines. Even spending just fifteen minutes a day on reading can gradually help build a reading habit and strengthen children’s language skills. Let us work together with our children to build lasting reading habits and explore the "A Relaxed Journey Through the Cloud Library"!