Carissa* is a bright, chatty, and enthusiastic girl who joined our Preschool Programme in August 2024. She has an older brother currently in secondary school who has been diagnosed with dyslexia and is also supported by DAS.
With strong oracy skills and attentiveness in class, Carissa had never shown any obvious signs of struggling in school. There had never been formal feedback indicating learning difficulties. It was only after her transfer to a new school in March 2024 that her parents were informed she was having challenges with literacy development.
Challenges Behind The Bright Smile
Her mother soon realised that despite Carissa’s best efforts, she was unable to blend short words like ‘cat’ or ‘sip’. To cope with classroom demands, Carissa had been memorising books and imitating her peers, using strategies that helped her keep up temporarily but could not support long-term learning. The family initially tried to help her at home, but eventually sought guidance at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where they were referred to DAS for early literacy intervention.
At the time of her referral, Carissa was only able to blend and segment a few simple two-sound words such as ‘at’, ‘is’, and ‘on’. Although she recognised many phonics sounds, she was unable to put them together into complete words. Once she began attending structured sessions tailored to her learning profile, her progress came quickly. Through consistent phonics instruction and personalised support, Carissa began reading and spelling three-letter decodable words such as ‘dog’ and ‘rip’.
Developing A Love For Reading
The moment she understood the process of blending sounds, Carissa’s excitement about reading grew. She began practising with a phonics game account provided to her and soon found joy in exploring words on her own. Her confidence soared as she recorded herself reading independently using the DAS library account. As her skills improved, she started using sight words in simple phrases she wrote herself, proudly showing what she could do.
By November, just four months after enrolling, Carissa reached a significant milestone. She was able to read simple books independently, an incredible achievement for a child who had only emergent blending and segmenting skills in August.
Carissa continues to receive literacy support while awaiting a formal dyslexia assessment. Today, she can read full paragraphs and complete comprehension activities with increasing ease. This progress means she is better able to follow instructions and actively engage in classroom learning.
From Uncertainty to New Horizons
Her journey is a meaningful reminder that learning differences can be easily missed, especially in children who appear well-behaved, compliant, and socially engaged. Even with a family history of dyslexia, challenges may remain hidden unless the right signs are recognised and the proper support is given. Without early identification by her new school, Carissa’s learning gap might have widened significantly.
At DAS, we are committed to providing personalised learning support for children with different educational needs. Our financial assistance programme ensures that every child has access to quality education, regardless of their financial situation.
Find out more about our Preschool Programme here.
*The name in this story has been anonymised for privacy reasons.
