Seven-year-old Yin Le used to struggle with reading in English. Her mother, Ms Wendy Kang, fretted as her command of English was not strong.
In January, Yin Le began attending weekly Story L.A.B. reading sessions at Potong Pasir Community Club, where volunteers read to children in small group settings or guide them to read on their own. Now, she loves reading English books, and will regale her mother with various tales.
“Through the sessions, Yin Le has gained confidence in reading English books and looks, forward to each session,” said Ms Kang in Mandarin.
The free 45-minute sessions run weekly on Monday nights from 7.30pm, with breaks during the long school holidays. They are open to children aged three to eight.
With a smaller group, volunteers are able to engage the children individually, said Mrs Eunice Goh, programme manager for children programmes at social service agency Calvary Community Care (C3).
C3 has run Story L.A.B. (Literacy Awareness Builders), a literacy support programme, since 2015.
“Story L.A.B. (aims to) bring the experience of ‘bedtime stories’ into the community so that children, especially those from low-income or non-English-speaking homes, can enjoy the experience and benefits,” said Mrs Goh.
Over 200 children have participated since the programme began, and 25 to 30 come every week for each session before they are split up into smaller groups.
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Source: The Straits Times, 17 Dec 2019