Kids get help making the leap to Primary 1

FOUR years ago, doctors diagnosed Ivan Wong with leukaemia. What followed was a barrage of chemotherapy and extended hospital stays that prevented the now six-year-old from going to pre- school.

After he recovered from the cancer, Ivan had another problem: he could not read English or speak it in full sentences.

But all that changed after he attended a four-week programme designed to prepare children for Primary1. Now Ivan - whose classmates included students who missed preschool or were weak in their studies - speaks and reads well.

Last Friday, he was one of 212 children who completed the Bridging Programme, which is organised by four self-help groups: the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC), the Eurasian Association, Mendaki and the Singapore Indian Development Association.

Started in 2006, the Bridging Programme aims to help children and their parents cope with a school environment. During the course, the children are taught reading skills and basic numeracy concepts and are familiarised with daily school routines.

Fees are heavily subsidised; parents only have to pay $10.

Ivan's father Joseph Wong, 47, said he and his wife had almost given up hope that their son would be ready for primary school. Ivan contracted leukaemia when he was two years old and spent most of his time in hospital. His cancer went into remission after a successful bone marrow donation from his older sister last year.

Mr Wong, a tutor, said: 'We saw a big improvement after he attended the programme. He liked the classes because the teachers taught him through songs and were very patient with him. We are very grateful to the CDAC for introducing the programme to us.'

Madam Sadiah Balia has a six-year- old son, Muhammad Firmanizalmi, who attended the programme. The 42-year-old says she is so inspired by his progress that she, too, wants to improve her English.

'Before the programme, he was not able to form full sentences in English.

'Now, he can tell me that my pronunciation is wrong. I plan to read English story books with him every day from now on, so that both of us can learn English together.'

CDAC executive director Sam Tan says the four self-help groups want to extend the programme to even more children. Currently, 2.5 per cent of each cohort or about 900 children do not attend preschool.