There are over 3500 public libraries in the UK and many more can be found in universities, museums, and schools. In contrast, in Hong Kong there are just 70!

“A school library is a school’s physical and digital learning space where reading, inquiry, research, thinking, imagination, and creativity are central to students’ information-to-knowledge journey and to their personal, social, and cultural growth”

Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Guidelines

In schools, the library is often the heart of the community. A library is so much more than an educational space, it can also be a meeting place, a quiet place, and a comfy place to relax and escape into the world of a book. 

In primary schools, it is common to have a library room, which may also be used for group work or extracurriculars. Where there is not a dedicated room, bookshelves may be found in classrooms, in corridors, or even on a mobile trolley. 

In secondary schools, libraries filled with bookshelves are less common. Many secondary school libraries are now computer spaces, often named ‘learning hub’ or ‘learning resource centre’. They are used to host lessons requiring computer access or homework clubs.

Every school will have their own policy for borrowing books, giving your child access to a much broader range of books.

Why should children borrow books? Don’t they have enough reading to do already?

When our tutors ask students the question “What are you reading at the moment?” they are often told, “We’re reading X book in school, but I don’t have time to read anything else.”

Whilst any kind of reading is going to be beneficial, decades of research has shown that there are many additional benefits when children choose a book to read themselves and read for their own pleasure and enjoyment. To name just a few, reading for pleasure makes children happier and healthier, and also improves future economic success. 

Despite this, The National Literacy Trust reported in 2023 that only 43% of children and young people say they read for pleasure. In addition, recent research has revealed that 1 in 7 primary schools do not have a dedicated library space, making it harder for children to access a range of good books to read. 

The National Literacy Trust has launched a campaign to take action and revitalise school libraries. To find out more and how you can support the cause, visit their website: https://literacytrust.org.uk/policy-and-campaigns/libraryalliance/ 

Our highly experienced teaching team say that the mark of a good reader is a child who usually has at least one book that they are currently reading and also has a plan for what they are going to read next. If you are looking for books to suggest to your child, take a look at our latest reading recommendations. 

If reading for pleasure is something your child struggles with, this may come from a lack of confidence, a lack of inspiration, or concerns about time. Our Excellence in English courses expose students to a wide range of level-appropriate texts, building their skills and confidence to inspire them to new heights in their reading. View our class timetable here: https://www.seven-springs.co.uk/resource-hub/book-online-tuition/ 

令人驚嘆的學校圖書館：這是甚麼設施？我孩子的學校也有嗎？

英國有超過 3500 個公共圖書館，在大學、博物館和學校裡還有更多呢！相比之下，香港僅僅只有70個！

「學校圖書館是學校的實體和數位學習空間，通過閱讀、探索、研究、思考、想像和創造，學生將資訊轉化為知識，這個過程更是他們個人、社會和文化成長的核心」——國際圖書館協會聯合會(IFLA) 指南

在學校，圖書館通常是一個不可或缺的核心。皆因圖書館不僅僅是一個學習的空間，它更是一個開會勝地、一個安靜的地方、一個放鬆而且遠離凡囂，讓人可以一頭栽進書海的舒適場所。

在小學，一個小小的圖書房很常見，房間也可用於小組作業或課外活動。如果沒有專門的房間，教室、走廊甚至移動推車上都會擺放書架供人隨時借閱圖書。

在中學，擺滿書架的圖書館倒並不常見。因為許多中學圖書館現在更多是電腦空間，通常被稱為「學習中心」（learning hub）或「學習資源中心」（learning resource centre）。當有需要用到電腦的課堂或課後功課班時，就會用到它。

每所學校都有自己的借書政策，讓你的孩子可以涉獵更廣泛的書籍類型。

為甚麼我的孩子需要借書閱讀? 難道他們平時還讀得不夠多嗎?

當我們的導師問學生：「你最近在看甚麼書啊？」時，他們得到的回答通常是：「我最近在學校看了X本書，但是我沒有時間再看其他書了。」

雖然任何類型的閱讀都是有益的，但數十年的研究表明，當孩子們選擇一本自己感興趣的書來閱讀時，會帶來許多額外的好處。舉幾個例子，以閱讀為樂可以讓孩子更快樂、更健康，甚至提高未來的經濟成就。

儘管如此，英國讀寫能力信託組織（National Literacy Trust）在 2023 年報告指出，只有 43% 的兒童和年輕人表示他們是為了樂趣而閱讀。此外，最近的研究顯示，七分之一的小學沒有專門的圖書館空間，這使孩子們更難接觸大量好書。

為此，英國讀寫能力信託組織（National Literacy Trust）發起了一項活動，著手振興學校圖書館。想了解更多資訊以及如何支持這項活動，請造訪他們的網站：https://literacytrust.org.uk/policy-and-campaigns/libraryalliance/

我們經驗豐富的教學團隊認為，優秀讀者的標誌是孩子應保持至少有一本正在閱讀的書，並且提前計劃下一本要閱讀的書籍。如果你正在尋找適合你孩子的書籍，歡迎查看我們最新的好書推薦。

如果你的孩子難以從閱讀中發掘到趣味，這可能是因為缺乏自信、缺乏靈感或擔心閱讀時長的問題。 我們精心設計的英語課程讓學生接觸各種適合他們程度的文本，以培養他們的閱讀能力和信心，激發他們閱讀的新高度。點擊查看我們的課程時間表：https://www.seven-springs.co.uk/resource-hub/book-online-tuition/