For children in Kindergarten One and Two, developing early literacy skills is the key to access formal learning in Primary One.
When one of these areas is weaker, reading and spelling does not “click” on its own.
Some children seem to pick up reading and spelling quickly, others face persistent challenges with alphabet knowledge, blending and segmenting, even after rounds and rounds of teaching. It is not because the child is not trying, or even trying hard enough.
This leaves parents wondering when it will finally “click”. How do we know if a Kindergarten 1 or 2 child requires specialised literacy support?
It may show up in daily routines:
At Home: You might observe your child having challenges to remember letter names, letter sounds, or guessing words even after attending phonics classes or learning it from school.
At School: Teachers might give feedback that your child is working much harder just to “catch up,” or taking a significantly longer time to complete writing, reading and spelling tasks.
Instead of asking, “How long should we wait and monitor?”
We should start asking, “Will my child benefit from specialised literacy support?”
At the SES Preschool Programme, we do not see this as fixing a problem. We see it as building a stronger literacy foundation; early, intentionally, and effectively.
We provide them with specialised tools and strategies to unlock their potential, ensuring they step into Primary School as confident learners with a joy for learning.
The SES Preschool Programme integrates the structured Orton-Gillingham (OG) instructional approach with early childhood pedagogy. Rather than rows of desks or children quietly copying from a board, our classroom is filled with learning in action through movement, touch, and play.
Our multisensory, sequential, and personalised lessons brings learning to life. Your child will be highly engaged and looks forward to class.
Small Group, Big Impact
Classes are group according to literacy level and kept small, up to a size of 6 so every child gets the attention they need.
This allows teaching to be adjusted to each child’s pace and learning style.
To ensure a big impact, classes are kept small, up to a maximum of six children, and grouped by literacy level. This small group setting allows our Educational Therapists to monitor progress through ongoing formal and informal observations and literacy assessments throughout the year, ensuring that the pace, teaching approach, and style are continuously adjusted to your child’s unique learning profile.
A Strong Parent-Teacher Partnership
Learning does not stop in class. Parents are supported with simple strategies and activities to use at home:
This Online Preschool Screening helps identify preschoolers with reading, spelling, and writing difficulties, and whether specialised early literacy support may benefit them.
What to expect during screening:
1. A 30-minute session with a DAS Educational Therapist
2. Receive verbal feedback and guidance on the next steps
3. Looks at early reading, writing and sound awareness
Upcoming Screening Details
Date: 7 September 2026, Monday
Time: Choose a timeslot between 9.30 AM and 1.30 PM
Location: Online
Have more questions? You can email us at [email protected] or call 6444 5700 (Monday to Friday, 9.30 am to 5.30 pm)
WENG YIYAO
Lead Educational Therapist
Programme Manager
RETA Associate Fellow
Jurong Point Learning Centre
Yiyao is a Lead Educational Therapist and Preschool Programme Manager with the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS). Since 2014, she has worked with preschoolers and school–aged students with dyslexia and other specific learning differences. She believes in empowering and equipping learners with the skills to overcome their challenges.
Rahayu Binte Rahiman
Jurong Point and
Chua Chu Kang
Learning Centre
Pauline Ng
Bishan and Woodlands
Learning Centre
Raihana Hashim
Parkway Parade and
Bedok Learning Centre
Shakthi Bavani
Sengkang
Learning Centre
Celia Tan
Woodlands and Toa Payoh Learning Centre
Denise Tan
Seng Kang and Tampines
Learning Centre
Jeannie Ko Chin Chin
Henderson
Learning Centre
Tan Shu Hong
Serangoon and Sengkang
Learning Centre
Joanne Tan Seok Kiang
Sengkang
Learning Centre
Roseline Marion
Sengkang
Learning Centre
Babe Chen
Tampines
Learning Centre
Kuah Li Fang
Yishun
Learning Centre
“Thank you teacher Pauline for the support given during this first term we have joined. My child enjoys the class and his looking forward to learning is something that we as parents are very touched about. He has shown more interest and more confidence in engaging in literacy activities and likes to read more with us now. Although not able to do it independently at moment, we look forward to the day he can! For that, we appreciate the efforts put in for term one to capture his attention and really get him engaged! Thank you so much! ”
“Ms Rahayu is truly a good educator, she not only helps my child to improve academically, but also pays attention to her learning needs. She bonded with my child, and allowed my child to learn and improve over the course of the program. I saw actual results under her guidance”
“Ms Sandra is a very encouraging and dedicated teacher. She has helped my child gain confidence in reading and writing and overcoming her barriers. She communicates clearly and timely which makes this a very collaborative relationship in helping my child to learn and grow.”
“Teacher Shu Hong has been a wonderful teacher who communicates well with parents, and gives a lot of thought to K’s individual struggles and progress. My child enjoys her classes and is always very happy to attend.”
“I would like to thank your teacher Roseline for her effort and patience in guiding my child for the last 3 years. English was a foreign language to my child since she spend most of the early years in another country. I can see that she had shown tremendous progress in her literacy and also her understanding of phonics."'
“I would like to thank teacher Babe for nurturing emotional awareness in my son Raphael. He really enjoyed her classes. He now knows some important words had to be remembered and can’t be sounded out. He looks forward to attending her classes.”
Bite-Sized Parenting: Tips On How To Raise A Confident Reader, From An Educational Therapist https://www.littledayout.com/parenting-how-to-raise-a-confident-reader-educational-therapist/ |
Early Identification Of Children (targeting ages 5-6) At Risk Of Literacy Difficulties |
DAS Educational Therapist on reading techniques |
Effectiveness of incorporating e-books in a literacy intervention programme to improve outcomes for early struggling readers |
Impact of preschool early literacy programme for struggling learners |
Investigating the impact of an early literacy intervention programme |
The Effectiveness of Family Literacy Programme with Preschoolers At Risk of Literacy Difficulties |
Evaluating an early literacy intervention in Singapore |
Exploring the effectiveness of the Family Literacy Programme with Singaporean preschool children at risk of literacy difficulties |
Effectiveness of an early intervention programme for preschool children at risk of dyslexia in Singapore
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Alphabet Knowledge | Difficulty learning the letters or remembering the letters taught. Recognises some letters but not most. Writing the letters is laborious and may not remember how to write the strokes of most letters. Numerous consistent, Letter and number reversals |
Phonological Awareness | Has not been able to acquire skills in identifying rhyming words, count syllables in words, match letter sound to letters, join or separate letter sounds in 3-letter words i.e. c-a-t |
Word Recognition | Does not recognise high-frequency words despite being taught such as I, a, my, the |
Difficulty with Learning Tasks | Remembering concepts taught Take a long time to recall concepts taught Frequent task avoidance Emotional meltdowns during learning tasks |
If more than 4 of the boxes are ticked, your preschooler is recommended to come for the free online basic literacy screening. Find out more here.
Have more questions? You can email us at [email protected] or call 6444 5700 (Monday to Friday, 9.30 am to 5.30 pm)
You may scan the QR code or sign up at bit.ly/DAS-Preschool-Screening
Our team will contact you according to the queue on our waitlist.
It is designed for K1 and K2 students who require specialised early literacy support.
Common challenges encountered by the children in our programme include:
Components covered in a typical lesson are:
Yes. Their expertise and training cover fields such as Early Childhood Education, Special Educational Needs (SEN), and Specific Learning Differences (SpLD)
Our team is specifically experienced in supporting children who require specialised early literacy support.
No. We group their children according to their current literacy level. This ensures that your child is placed in a class that is most suited to his or her learning needs.
No, we accept K1 and K2 students who may require specialise literacy support to pick up early literacy skills.
You can arrange for a free preschool profiling. Our EdTs will address your concerns and advise if our programme will benefit your child.
Weekday (Per Term) | Weekend (Per Term) | |
Singaporean | $1,044.00 | $1,253.00 |
PR and International Students | $1,150.00 | $1,380 .00 |
Yes, financial assistance is available to low-income households.
Lesson are 2 hours weekly, according to the MOE calendar.
Please note there are no classes during Public Holiday or when your child is on MC or travelling.
One Educational Therapist to a maximum of six students in a class.
Yes. We will try our best to find a class near your home that is most suitable for your child’s profile. In the event that a slot at your preferred learning centre is not available, we may recommend the next nearerst location to ensure your child can begin their support as soon as possible.
The programme does not offer 1 to 1 support. You may refer to Specialist Teaching instead.
Have more questions? You can email us at [email protected] or call 6444 5700 (Monday to Friday, 9.30 am to 5.30 pm)
