6 Oct 08, ST
EVERY Monday and Tuesday, after morning assembly, tens of thousands of students turn to The Straits Times.
Some read the nation's latest news in their classrooms. Others, like the students of Holy Innocents' High School (HIHS), dig right into it seated in the school's main square before the first bell.
Every article has a lesson in waiting. In each sentence, students learn about grammar, vocabulary and comprehension.
But newspapers can teach more than just language, teachers say.
'Reading the news also helps students develop analytical skills and keeps them rooted to current affairs,' said Ms Violet Ng, an English-language teacher at HIHS. 'They are connected - they respond to stories about real people and real issues.'
Ms Ng recently used The Straits Times to discuss the organ trading controversy with her Secondary 2 students. 'Afterwards, they crowded around me and wanted to know more. It is satisfying to see them keen to ask questions.'
Using newspapers to teach is not new. As early as 1795, educators in the United States have acknowledged the role newspapers play in enriching students.
Singapore Press Holdings launched IN, a 16-page tabloid-sized newspaper for readers in secondary school, in 2004. Six months later came Little Red Dot (LRD) for primary school pupils. They come bundled with a copy of Monday's and Tuesday's Straits Times respectively.
There are exercises in IN and LRD that help younger readers understand the news. Each exercise is pegged to the schools' curriculum and produced by writers with years of experience as teachers.
As the school year winds down, worksheets and study tips are included to help students prepare for their examinations.
Today, 185 schools subscribe to IN and LRD, with a total circulation of 130,000.
Teachers say they have noticed a marked improvement in pupils' critical thinking skills after introducing IN and LRD in their classrooms.
Northview Primary's English-language teacher Premnath Chandran said: 'My Primary 4 pupils are now better able to analyse and comment on the articles.'
His colleague, Ms Michelle Koh, added that with newspapers targeted specifically at young readers, they realise the newspaper is not just pages of text. 'They learn how the news affects them.'
In a recent Straits Times survey of 635 secondary and primary schoolchildren, over seven in 10 readers said they enjoyed reading IN and LRD and over 80 per cent rated them positively in terms of content.
YEN FENG & MALINI NATHAN
To subscribe to IN and LRD, call Ms Adeline Tan on 6319-1675 or Ms Shahrena Hassan on 6319-5097, or e-mail [email protected]
EVERY Monday and Tuesday, after morning assembly, tens of thousands of students turn to The Straits Times.
Some read the nation's latest news in their classrooms. Others, like the students of Holy Innocents' High School (HIHS), dig right into it seated in the school's main square before the first bell.
Every article has a lesson in waiting. In each sentence, students learn about grammar, vocabulary and comprehension.
But newspapers can teach more than just language, teachers say.
'Reading the news also helps students develop analytical skills and keeps them rooted to current affairs,' said Ms Violet Ng, an English-language teacher at HIHS. 'They are connected - they respond to stories about real people and real issues.'
Ms Ng recently used The Straits Times to discuss the organ trading controversy with her Secondary 2 students. 'Afterwards, they crowded around me and wanted to know more. It is satisfying to see them keen to ask questions.'
Using newspapers to teach is not new. As early as 1795, educators in the United States have acknowledged the role newspapers play in enriching students.
Singapore Press Holdings launched IN, a 16-page tabloid-sized newspaper for readers in secondary school, in 2004. Six months later came Little Red Dot (LRD) for primary school pupils. They come bundled with a copy of Monday's and Tuesday's Straits Times respectively.
There are exercises in IN and LRD that help younger readers understand the news. Each exercise is pegged to the schools' curriculum and produced by writers with years of experience as teachers.
As the school year winds down, worksheets and study tips are included to help students prepare for their examinations.
Today, 185 schools subscribe to IN and LRD, with a total circulation of 130,000.
Teachers say they have noticed a marked improvement in pupils' critical thinking skills after introducing IN and LRD in their classrooms.
Northview Primary's English-language teacher Premnath Chandran said: 'My Primary 4 pupils are now better able to analyse and comment on the articles.'
His colleague, Ms Michelle Koh, added that with newspapers targeted specifically at young readers, they realise the newspaper is not just pages of text. 'They learn how the news affects them.'
In a recent Straits Times survey of 635 secondary and primary schoolchildren, over seven in 10 readers said they enjoyed reading IN and LRD and over 80 per cent rated them positively in terms of content.
YEN FENG & MALINI NATHAN
To subscribe to IN and LRD, call Ms Adeline Tan on 6319-1675 or Ms Shahrena Hassan on 6319-5097, or e-mail [email protected]
