Analysis of Reading Forms in the "Reading across Curriculum" Initiative in Hong Kong: Insights from Two Key Curriculum Documents

The "Reading across Curriculum" initiative implemented in Hong Kong emphasizes interdisciplinary reading instruction and the development of students' thinking abilities. By classifying disciplinary knowledge and analyzing the role of Chinese language use, this study identifies three forms of reading within Chinese interdisciplinary contexts: Chinese subject reading, reading in other disciplines, and non-textual reading. Reading in other disciplines compensates for the limitations of Chinese reading in knowledge acquisition, enabling students to acquire multidisciplinary and comprehensive knowledge while providing a domain for language application and transfer. Non-textual reading addresses the perceptual and experiential constraints of textual reading, allowing students to gain direct, observable experiences through reading activities while deepening their understanding of language as a medium of expression.