With children unable to attend school and confined to the house during this extended break, how can parents keep them occupied? Libraries remain closed and the books at home have been read through – what can be done?
Parents can make good use of free online resources to easily access e-books at home, ensuring ‘Suspending Classes without Suspending Learning’. This enriches children's holiday time while strengthening parent-child bonds.
EdCity's Free E-books: Learning Through Joyful Reading
Hong Kong Education City remains committed to providing diverse digital learning resources that transcend classroom boundaries and support educational needs during school closures. Parents need only register for a free public account to access over 600 complimentary e-books via the ‘EdBookshelf’. Below are four recommended free e-book collections:
- Chinalane
This series distils profound Chinese cultural knowledge into accessible, engaging e-books, encouraging children to absorb cultural nourishment while fostering reflection, appreciation and identification with Chinese heritage.
Suitable for primary and lower secondary students, the Chinalane offers 38 e-books across themes including historical figures, history, Chinese virtues and seasonal customs.
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For the full list of Chinalane, please refer to our previous article: E-book Shared Reading: Stories of the Lunar New Year
- NET Series
Suitable for lower primary students, this series offers 237 e-books organised into distinct collections. Each collection includes multiple English e-books for students to read.
Selected series: ‘My Sister’, ‘My Friend, Oscar’, ‘Grandma and the Birthday Cake’, ‘The Magic Science Museum’, ‘Our Cousins in Canada’
- English Classic Series
Suitable for primary and secondary school students, this series curates 102 English classics from popular sources, such as A Midsummer Night's Dream and A Study in Scarlet.
- Common Sense and Money Management Curriculum Kit (Student Edition)
The Chin Family provides this complimentary curriculum kit to primary schools, aiming to instil sound values, cultivate savvy consumers, encourage reflection on consumerism, and equip pupils with essential financial literacy skills.
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Hong Kong Reading City offers members complimentary subscriptions to e-books across diverse themes. After selecting free e-books, users may read them via the ‘EdBookshelf’ e-reader. The platform features Chinese and English interfaces, supports mobile phones and tablets, and links to multilingual dictionary functions on tablets.
Steps to Download eBooks from the EdBookshelf
- Download the ‘EdBookshelf’ application from theApp Storeor Google Play.
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2. Use the ‘Explore’ function to find desired books.
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3. Select your chosen e-book and press ‘Get’ to download and read the book.
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Additionally, parents may encourage children to participate in the ‘Chinese eWorks’ and systematically record their reading journey through the ‘Reading Charter’. This helps children develop independent reading habits from an early age and encourages them to share their reading experiences and insights with others.
