Reading Programmes in Singapore: Learn How to Unlock Early Literacy Success for Your Child

It is an exciting time when children are transitioning from preschool to primary school. This step is a significant milestone as it officially opens their formal school stages.

However, as exciting as this step is, some parents may have been caught in anxiety when considering the demands Primary 1 enrolment imposes to their child.

Simply to put it, questions ranging from “Is my child ready for big school?” to “Will my child cope with primary school?”. One of the key skills that needs to be harnessed and developed is their early literacy and language skills – the basics being Reading and Writing.

Why is Early Literacy Skill essential for School Readiness?

Early literacy skills are essential for school readiness as they form the foundation for reading, writing, and effective communication, all of which are crucial for academic success.

A good command of English is a valuable skill that can support children’s development and set them up for a lifetime of learning. These skills enhance cognitive development, social and emotional understanding, and build confidence, enabling children to engage actively in learning.

By fostering attention, focus, and a love for learning, early literacy prepares children to meet the academic and social demands of school, setting them on a path to success.

Expectations and Key Knowledge for Early Reading Skills

1. Possesses the basic English phonics skills needed for a strong reading foundation

2. Gained knowledge of all the phonics skills needed for reading

3. Able to read and understand stories using letter sounds, blending and spelling patterns

4. Able to apply knowledge learnt to build core English skills like writing and comprehension

Benefits of Early Literacy in Children

Early literacy is instrumental in shaping well-rounded, curious, and confident learners who are better prepared to succeed academically and socially as they grow.

Our language and reading programmes will help your child excel beyond the basics of reading, writing and comprehension of the English language through fun activities and expert guidance.

These literacy activities also help to:

• Promote holistic cognitive development

• Build confidence and self-esteem

• Better memory, concentration and recall

• Improve word recognition and spelling

• Improve communication skills

• Increase empathy and emotional quotient intelligence

• Improve English grammar and vocabulary

• Enhance creativity through storytelling and narrative skills

• Empowers and motivates your child

Access to Reading Success

Bridging the Gap desires to create opportunities for every child to be confident readers and have access to early literacy success through our Reading Programme in Singapore.

Regardless of your child’s current learning stage and pre-reading skills, we offer reading classes for kids tailored to their skill level that nurtures a love for lifelong learning.

We meet children where they currently are in their English literacy journeys to ensure that they get the most out of their sessions with our certified educators and therapists.

Reading Programme Activities and Curriculum

Our Reading Programme has been designed to facilitate reading practices to children through fun ways that will motivate them to embrace the process.

Through these exciting and interactive lessons, we are paving way for children to be equipped literacy-wise and make sure that they have the reading skills necessary to succeed in their academic journey.

Here are some activities that Bridging the Gap integrates within our Reading Programme:

1. Letter Recognition and Phonics:

This helps children to reinforce letter-sound associations and phonemic awareness. Activities such as ice cream letter matching, CVC word spelling with Boggle and some sensory integrated plays are much helpful for young learners to be engaged and develop interest in these foundational concepts.

Phonics is the key to unlocking a child’s ability to read and comprehend written language. We lay the groundwork for effective phonics learning, making it simple for children to master the basics.

By grasping the fundamentals of letter sounds, blending sounds together to form words, reading then comes naturally. In our phonics reading programme, we explore the world of letters in detail, helping students understand every sound from A to Z. Research shows that teaching sounds along with letters of the alphabet helps students better understand how phonemic awareness relates to their reading and writing.

Combining phonics with structured instruction, we ensure reading feels as natural through steady progression. By continually evolving our teaching methods, we keep students engaged, gradually building their skills without overwhelming them.

Phonemic Awareness and Phonics provide the foundational skills needed for reading, spelling, and writing, helping children develop strong literacy skills from an early age. It is a reading journey where letters turn into words, words into sentences, and sentences into captivating stories for your child.

2. Vocabulary Building:

Vocabulary is deeply connected to reading comprehension and can be acquired both orally and through written text. Children learn most vocabulary through daily conversations, listening to reading aloud, or through independent reading.

Research indicates a strong correlation between the number of words children hear at home and their academic success in primary school, as they are constantly expanding their oral vocabularies.

Our reading enrichment programme encourages children to expand vocabulary and improve word recognition. Picture-Word Matching with our interactive projector gives our young learners participate in the learning process.

To understand what they read, students must know the meaning of the words. Early readers rely on their oral vocabulary to interpret words in print. When encountering an unfamiliar word, their reading flow pauses until the word is learned.

Structured activities help students focus on understanding the phonetics behind everyday spelling, allowing children to recognise and read words independently, naturally and easily.

Over time, word pronunciation, sentence structure, and vocabulary come easy with consistent practice. Children will develop these skills while learning to love each step of the journey.

3. Reading Comprehension:

Students with strong reading comprehension skills can predict, infer, connect ideas, and analyse text. Bridging the Gap’s reading programme facilitates practice to develop understanding of story structure and improve comprehension skills. Story sequencing would be a good activity to retell and place pictures in correct order.

Incorporating activities like story mapping, sequencing exercises, and character analysis allows children to engage with the text in a more interactive way. These methods encourage them to explore the elements of the story more deeply, significantly improving their comprehension and helping them make meaningful connections within the narrative.

Through active participation, children not only understand the text better but also develop critical thinking skills that enhance their overall reading experience.

4. Listening and Following Directions:

Structured reading programme activities provide opportunities to enhance children’s listening skills and their ability to follow multi-step instructions. Interactive listening games, like “Feed the Bear,” provide engaging opportunities to practice and reinforce these essential skills.

5. Print Awareness and Fluency:

The goal is to help children understand that print carries meaning and to increase familiarity with common words. It’s important to distinguish fluency from memorisation, which can occur when students repeatedly engage with the same text to the point of reciting it without true understanding.

Labelling objects (visuals) around the classroom can encourage children to read the labels and use the words in sentences.

Fluency refers to the ability to read smoothly and understand text without frequently stopping to decode words. Developing fluency is crucial for fostering a student’s motivation to read.

When students struggle to decode letters and words, reading can feel laborious and exhausting, leading them to view it negatively.

As they become more adept at recognising words, it is good to practice breaking text into meaningful chunks, recognising when to pause, and adjusting tone and intonation.

With regular guidance and constructive feedback, children learn to identify these visual reading cues, enhancing their reading comprehension and overall enjoyment of reading.

6. Interactive Story Reading:

This creates opportunity to engage children in active reading and improve critical thinking skills. While reading a story, pausing before the end and asking children to predict what will happen next will target desired goals.

We facilitate read-aloud sessions, repeated reading exercises, and oral communication activities, allowing children to enhance their speaking and listening skills effectively.

7. Sight Word Recognition:

Activities that help children to build sight word vocabulary and improve reading fluency.

We utilise visual aids such as storyboards or drawings of key scenes from the book to reinforce comprehension. These creative tools help children visualise the narrative, making it easier to grasp and retain key plot points.

Additionally, discussion-based activities or Q&A sessions, encourage analytical thinking and deeper engagement with the text. These approaches promote active learning and foster a richer understanding of the story’s themes and characters.

8. Developing a Love for Reading:

Our reading programme initiative nurtures a passion for reading and encourages children to engage in discussions about books. By incorporating a variety of books into a child’s daily routine, we motivate children to cultivate a greater interest in reading.

9. Parent and Educator Collaboration:

Close communication and collaboration between parents, teachers, and children are key to enhancing reading comprehension. Regular discussions about a child’s progress and learning style offer valuable insights that help customise reading strategies and interventions.

Actively engaging in their child’s reading journey ensures that a child’s unique needs are addressed, fostering stronger reading skills and greater confidence in their abilities.

At home, parents and caregivers can continue to engage the child with phonics activities, model good reading and writing behaviours, speak clearly and help the child practise and reinforce what was learnt in the reading programme sessions.