In the News
This section features opinions in the news, features in the media and video recordings of selected talks.
In the then 93.8 NOW studio with Susan Ng, veteran broadcaster. Amazed at the amount of work that goes into a radio episode and her dexterous multi-tasking.
Videos
NIE Education Launchpad on Reading for Pleasure with Young Children
The NIE Education Launchpad series seeks to bring knowledge about teaching and learning in bite-size online videos. In this series, found both on Youtube and the NIE website, I share about reading for pleasure with young children. The four chapters focus on: (1) reading for pleasure, (2) finding the right books, (3) developing a mini-library and (4) reading digitally.
Tips to Get Your Kids Reading
This is part of a series of parenting tips during home-based learning, brought to you by the Office of Education Research, NIE NTU, Singapore.
School Libraries and Librarians Matter
This online talk for the Open University’s Centre of Literacy and Social Justice focuses on the critical role of school libraries and librarians. Evidence from international research and Singapore is shared.
Building a Reading Culture Through School Libraries
This video by the NIE Research in Practice Series focuses on how to develop a reading culture through the school library, featuring research findings from OER5/16.
Building a Reading Culture Roundtable: Developing a Future Reading School Library Collection for Adolescents
The third and final roundtable, Developing the School Library Collection for Adolescents, was hosted by Queensway Secondary School.
For a written summary of the presentations, click here. For the full playlist of the event, click here.
Building a Reading Culture Roundtable: School Libraries and Design
The first roundtable for the Building a Reading Culture study was held on 28 February 2017 in partnership with the National Institute of Education (NIE)'s Office of Educational Research, hosted by Commonwealth Secondary School.
For a written summary of the presentations, click here. For the full playlist of the event, click here.
Reading, poverty and what schools can(‘t) do about it
The second roundtable of the Building a Reading Culture study was held on 22 September 2017 in partnership with NIE’s Office of Educational Research, hosted by the National Library Board at the Bishan Public Library.
The contents are summed up in a Straits Times Opinion. For the full playlist of the event, click here.
Media
Opinions
In Singapore, librarians have new jobs in an age of AI. (with Lee Chei Sian). The Straits Times, 11 December 2023.
Commentary: More screen time won’t ruin your kids’ ability to read books. (lead author: Victor Lim Fei, with Sun He). CNA, 10 December 2023.
Commentary: How parents, schools can help kids in Singapore derive joy from reading (lead author: Victor Lim Fei, with Sun He). Today, 27 June 2023
Commentary: Deep reading can be a balm for stress — you just need to deliberately make time for it, Today, 28 April 2023
Commentary: How to help youths use smartphones, well, smartly, Today, 3 October 2022
Commentary: Bookstores struggle to stay afloat when we need them more than ever, Channel News Asia, 5 June 2022
Home-based learning: 3 digital myths (with Sun Baoqi & Victor Lim Fei, NIE), The Straits Times, 12 January 2021
Reading can be a useful escape from the circuit breaker in ways more than one (with Tan Tarn How), Channel News Asia, 3 May 2020
Use play well to help your kids learn - without leaving home (lead author: Victor Lim Fei, NIE), Today Online, 30 April 2020
Using tech well in learning is not about giving every student a laptop, The Straits Times Opinion, 12 March 2020
Commentary: HarbourFront library a leap in use of tech but librarians remain central to learning, Channel News Asia, 15 February 2019.
Fake news: combating the larger challenge of information illiteracy (with Schubert Foo, NTU), The Straits Times Opinion, 3 October 2018.
Schools hold key to improve needy students’ reading skills. The Straits Times Opinion, 17 October 2017.
How Design Can Improve Education, The Straits Times Opinion, 18 April 2016.
A reader's journey down memory lane, The Straits Times Opinion, 29 May 2016.
Out with tuition and in with a reading nation (with Tan Tarn How, IPS), The Straits Times Opinion, 29 July 2015.
School libraries levelling playing field, The Straits Times Opinion, 3 June 2014.
Talks
Panel discussion with Professor Naomi Baron, moderated by Mr Ibrahim Tahir of Wardah Books: https://nlb.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=175c7492-eab2-4d6b-b3b7-aecd0055d39f
Featured in the Press
Bye, bye, dusty bookshelves: Reimagining the school library. The Straits Times, 12 June 2023
Daily cuts: top readers in the world - and we’re not enjoying it, CNA, 18 May 2023
Should you worry if your child reads only manga and not Shakespeare? The Straits Times, 25 March 2023
XX files: reading for good, CNA, 20 September 2022
Teens from lower-income families need more support for reading, The Straits Times, 18 September 2022
Teens are reading less and enjoying books less as they get older, The Straits Times, 18 September 2022
Comics a first step in reading journey, The Straits Times, 25 January 2021
Why bedtime stories are so important to helping our children have a headstart in life, The Pride, Singapore Kindness Movement, 4 January 2021.
Online event to introduce young readers to local literature, The New Paper, 17 July 2020.
Parenting Made Easier: Reading and Reading Right. 93.8 NOW, 17 January 2019. Transcript here.
Teenagers prefer reading hardcopy books, Lianhe Zaobao, 2 August 2018
Cultivating a love for reading while building proficiency in language, The Straits Times, 22 January 2018.
Better libraries, more readers, The New Paper 12 July 2017.
Effective Library Spaces, Singteach, Sep 2016.
Treasure trove of ideas to light up literature lessons, The Straits Times, 20 June 2016.
Teaching and Learning with Stories, Singteach, Mar/Apr 2014.