My first day on the job was tough as I had not yet adapted to teaching. Thankfully, the volunteer community here is great! Everyone is so supportive, which pushed me to try my best to interact with the kids. Eventually, they warmed up to me!

Recently, I’ve been teaching a girl who is super sweet yet shy, which is tough because most of the lesson material requires her to speak. To help her feel more comfortable during lessons, I make small talk and share about my personal experiences. A memorable moment for me was the time she read a whole book by herself! I was so proud and I think she was quite happy with herself too.

This volunteer experience has been really gratifying as I’m able to connect with others in the community while picking up skills like teaching, leadership, patience, and more! While it’s really fun interacting with the kids, I have to admit the most satisfying part is when they start improving and you can see it reflected in their work and behaviour. I’m glad I can help them build confidence and a strong foundation in their language abilities!”

Supporters like Avriel help children take small steps towards fulfilling big dreams, starting with mastering childhood literacy. We Can Read is one of many programmes at Lakeside providing quality learning opportunities to children, including those from low-income backgrounds. The programme is entirely self-funded and relies on donations to support more than 160 children annually.

Donate to our Small Steps, Big Dreams campaign to support programmes like We Can Read: https://lakeside.org.sg/support-us/small-steps-big-dreams/