Reading for Meaning: How Purposeful Literacy Builds Bridges to Self, Others and the World
- Feb 1
- 2 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
On 18 October 2025, the Education Bureau held an experience sharing event titled "Fostering Connection for Life — The Path from Reading to Expression." This event brought together more than 300 in-service teachers to the Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre.
During the event, Dr. Timothy Taylor delivered a talk, "Reading for Meaning: How Purposeful Literacy Builds Bridges to Self, Others and the World."
During the presentation, Dr. Taylor introduced the concept of purposeful literacy—the practice of providing students with reading and writing content that is personally meaningful. He guided the teachers through an exploration of how engaging with life writing, such as memoirs and reflective essays, helps students develop a map of human values and different perspectives. This process also provides students a purposeful motivation to read autobiography and other life writing genres. Such reading enhances students’ own vocabulary and writing skills, scaffolding their reading and writing more richly and reflectively while integrating their own values and experience.
The sharing session offered practical teaching insights, including examples of how life writing can help students to deepen literacy and foster a more profound understanding of meaningful values and experience - on both a personal and international scale. Finally, Dr Taylor shared examples of life writing activities and the life writing website developed to teach the writing activities.
View his presentation slides here: Presentation Slides for EDB Experience Sharing Event 2025.pdf
(length: 25:37)
Outline of the Sharing Session:
00:00 – 04:07 Introduction
04:07 – 05:00 The Problem: The Crisis of Meaning in Education
05:00 – 14:27 A Solution: Purposeful Literacy
14:27 – 20:37 Themes and Topics in Life Writing
20:37 – 24:49 Sample Life Reading/Writing Activities
24:49 – 25:37 Conclusion
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