Month: December 2015

Between The Lines: If ever there was a classic children’s book, Alice in Wonderland is it

This year is the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. You need not have read the book to recognise the iconic images of a spunky girl in a blue dress, a peculiar rabbit with a pocket watch, the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts. The story includes a number of unforgettable… Continue reading Between The Lines: If ever there was a classic children’s book, Alice in Wonderland is it

Between The Lines: ‘Benign neglect’: giving kids the scope to learn, make mistakes and grow

“Benign neglect” is the phrase that best describes my parents’ approach to parenting in the 1970s. What today might be called “free-range parenting” or actual neglect, back then was just childhood. I grew up in a rural part of the American state of Pennsylvania; our home bordered a cornfield and a nature preserve with a… Continue reading Between The Lines: ‘Benign neglect’: giving kids the scope to learn, make mistakes and grow

Between The Lines: Hong Kong kids can benefit from reading quality books

Numerous studies point to the same finding that children who love to read grow up to be more astute, aware, compassionate, resourceful and resilient than those who don’t read for pleasure. Parents and teachers should pause and give thought to what they want to accomplish in getting children to read. Finding joy and comfort in… Continue reading Between The Lines: Hong Kong kids can benefit from reading quality books