The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has recently issued regulations on awards for promoting reading culture, aiming to honor, attract, and create opportunities for organizations and individuals to participate in reading activities, spread the values of reading to the community, and promote sustainable reading culture development. In Thai Binh, reading culture development activities are being implemented in various forms. Recently, the second Reading Culture Ambassador Contest, organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in coordination with the Department of Education and Training, attracted more than 15,000 entries from students of all levels. This shows that the reading movement is developing vigorously in many schools.
Books are a close companion after every study session for Chu Pham Tram Anh, the ambassador of reading culture.
The Reading Culture Ambassador Contest not only provides an opportunity for students of all levels to express their passion for reading by sharing and introducing their favorite books, but also allows them to present their own initiatives to develop reading culture. This demonstrates the dedication and desire of young people to contribute to the community.
Books are our friends.
As one of the three first-prize winners of the second Reading Culture Ambassador competition, Chu Pham Tram Anh, a 12th-grade student in English class 1 at Thai Binh Specialized High School, has a special love and passion for reading. Tram Anh said that since elementary school, her parents have encouraged her to dedicate a certain amount of time each day to reading age-appropriate books and newspapers. Her family has a reading room, so her love for reading came naturally. She was captivated by the adventures of Detective Sherlock Holmes in the "Mathematics for Children" book, and gradually moved on to stories in history, culture, and life skills education books. As she grew older, Tram Anh became aware of the positive value of reading and the journey to knowledge through it. She shared: "Alongside my reading habit, I always proactively write down summaries, my feelings, or the things I find most interesting and the lessons I learn from each book." Thus, not only can I remember the book's content longer, but I can also train myself to improve my thinking skills and problem-solving abilities in each essay. Furthermore, I believe that reading is always necessary and beneficial for everyone because every good book guides us towards a more positive life and opens up diverse perspectives on everything. Books are also a source of knowledge accumulated over thousands of years, sometimes the product of a lifetime, so we should make good use of this "resource."
For Tram Anh, books are also close friends, and through them she has made many new friends. Living away from home in high school, she dedicates a lot of time to studying, so besides school, the Provincial Library is a familiar daily destination for Tram Anh. She not only goes there to borrow books but also frequently studies there because of its open space and diverse collection of reference books arranged logically. Whenever she needs to look up something, she can borrow the right book. Furthermore, there she is exposed to an environment with many friends who share her passion for reading, allowing her to share and increase her knowledge and skills.
Tram Anh maintains a daily reading habit at the Provincial Library.
The idea of establishing a reading club in schools.
Regularly visiting the Provincial Library, Tram Anh learned about the Reading Culture Ambassador competition. Therefore, upon attending the launch ceremony of the 2023 competition at Thai Binh Specialized High School, she immediately thought about how to encourage students to read more regularly. From daily encounters and sharing experiences with friends who share a love of reading at the library, Tram Anh considered establishing reading clubs in schools. This would create a convenient space for students to read together after class, making effective use of their free time. Furthermore, she believes it's essential to create regular activities for the reading clubs, such as building a shared bookshelf; writing reviews and introductions to favorite books; and undertaking challenges related to reading.
Tram Anh shared: "I find the reading culture ambassador competition very meaningful, encouraging us to read and appreciate books more. This is an approach that reading clubs should adopt, regularly organizing small competitions monthly or quarterly so that members can participate and express their thoughts on a specific topic. For example, when I entered the 2023 reading culture ambassador competition with the theme 'I love my homeland, my country,' I immediately thought of the book 'Ganh Ganh Gong Gong' - the memoir of author Xuan Phuong - and I wanted to introduce this book to everyone because it is a work that has touched the hearts of readers with the warmth and courage of a woman whose life sparkles with fragments of the nation's history." This book has made me appreciate and cherish the peaceful days I am living even more, and it makes me think about what I need to do to follow the example of previous generations and contribute to building a more prosperous, beautiful, and civilized homeland and country.
Books are not only friends and teachers, but for Tram Anh, on her journey of learning, training, and growing, books have become a great motivation for her to always strive for more positive and better things. Hopefully, with the attention of relevant authorities, the involvement of schools, teachers, and parents, the development of reading culture will become more accessible and practical for each student, thereby guiding them towards the values of truth, goodness, and beauty.
(to be continued)
Tu Anh
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