To understand the reading habits and preferences of students across Hong Kong, the "20th Top Ten Book Picks" online voting event included a simple survey. This allowed students to share their reading habits through an electronic platform. Library directors are encouraged to combine the voting results with the survey findings to develop reading promotion strategies for the upcoming year. In this survey, a total of 20,051 valid responses were collected from 274 schools. The results were announced during the "20th Top Ten Book Picks" awards ceremony and reading habits seminar, with the following highlights:
1. Students Prefer to Read at Home
Secondary and primary students who read for longer periods tend to do so at home. Among students who read for less than 15 minutes, 38% of secondary students read during school breaks, while 47% of primary students read at home, highlighting the importance of parents reading with their children.
2. Main Motivation for Reading is Leisure
The top three reasons for reading among primary and secondary students are "leisure" (primary: 34.1%; secondary: 48.4%), "to improve language skills" (primary: 21.4%; secondary: 13.9%), and "to broaden knowledge" (primary: 18.6%; secondary: 18.8%).
3. Favorite Book Genres Align with Voting Results
Primary students' favourite book genre is "comics and picture books" (39%), while secondary students prefer "science fiction" (26%). Secondary students show a higher acceptance of literary fiction compared to primary students, with more diverse reading tastes.
4. Increasing Popularity of Digital Reading Among Secondary Students
While print books remain the primary medium for students (primary: 63%; secondary: 51%), e-books are gaining popularity among secondary students, who find digital reading helps them make the most of their fragmented time.
(Students sharing their reading habits: Tan Man-chun from
ELCHK Kwai Shing Lutheran Primary School (left) and Wong Hiu-tong from SAHK B M Kotewall Memorial School(middle).)
After the report was presented, Mr. Ngai Yuen-keung, Executive Director of Hong Kong Education City, shared the "Survey Results on Reading Habits Among Hong Kong Students" and engaged in discussions with Dr. Lam Wai-yip Principal Investigator of Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS 2021), and Ms Ling Sau Wai, Assistant Vice President and Secretary of Internal Affairs, Hong Kong Teacher - Librarians' Association.
(From left: Mr. Ngai Yuen-keung, Dr. Lam Wai-yip, and Ms. Ling Sau-wai discussing the survey results.)
Dr. Lam noted that the survey findings align with the PIRLS research, emphasizing that "enjoying reading" is key to effective reading outcomes. He suggested that the education sector consider a "dual-track" approach to promote both print and digital reading.
Ms. Ling believes the survey results will help libraries and e-book providers better understand students' reading preferences. After gaining insights into how students can effectively use fragmented time for reading, schools should assist them in finding opportunities to read during breaks.
Both Dr. Lam and Ms. Ling agree that fostering parents' interest in reading and creating a reading-friendly home environment will help students develop strong reading habits.