Don't sell short the power of the pen

In advocating literacy, we have mostly discussed the importance of reading aloud with children. But there's a second part we haven't addressed as deeply: writing.

Writing is powerful. Consider this: history happens, but the one who writes it down becomes the arbiter of its future understanding. The writer shapes public opinion, provides context, persuades and inspires. We would know virtually nothing of the past were it not for writers. Time changes everything, but in books, it will always look as the writer wishes.

Writing has to be nurtured. Like reading, writing instruction in Hong Kong sometimes unintentionally prioritises performance over pleasure and the need to develop a deeper insight into the world. Learning to write is so much more than cultivating beautiful handwriting and perfect spelling. In fact, those skills are somewhat beside the point.

The process can be therapeutic for teenagers who are trying to figure out who they are and what they believe. It allows one to express frustration, to explore connections and relationships and to develop consciousness. Writing works only when it is truthful and honest, and the process itself often helps the writer determine what they think about a topic.

Deborah Wiles, an award-winning American author of children's books, spent nearly two weeks in Hong Kong working with students and teachers at both Hong Kong International School and Chinese International School this month. She demonstrated how fiction can convey ideas, inform and convince as powerfully as non-fiction. "Think of the power you have if you hold the pen," she says. People become what you can imagine. For example, three crotchety aunties who had always reminded Wiles of chickens feature prominently as such in her award-winning book, Love, Ruby Lavender.