For 7-year-old Yugandren, his dream is to become a teacher when he grows up. This dream seemed impossible when he first joined our We Can Read programme early last year. He faced significant challenges with literacy. He struggled with letter sounds and he could only recognise a few simple words. He wasn’t able to read basic three-letter words and knew only six out of 20 common words tested. He also had difficulty learning spelling and his mum expressed concern about whether he would be able to cope with Primary 1 the following year.

Yugandren’s initial difficulties with reading likely stemmed from limited early exposure to literacy. He had little access to books and fewer opportunities to build foundational literacy skills. This likely delayed his reading development compared to his peers.

After joining our We Can Read programme, Yugandren made great progress. By the end of K2, he could confidently read short and even some longer words. He was able to read simple Primary 1 sentences and actively participated in storytelling sessions, proudly reading out story titles and pages aloud with confidence and understanding.

His transformation goes beyond just literacy skills! Yugandren is now proactive and often volunteers to read stories to the entire class. He is usually the first to respond to questions, showing growth in his confidence and understanding. He is also more vocal in expressing his feelings and emotions. His mother noticed a tremendous improvement in many areas of his life since he joined programme, and eagerly looks forward to what he will grow up to be.

At Lakeside, we believe that no child should be limited by their circumstances. Your one small step in supporting children like Yugandren can help them dream bigger and reach their potential. Our fundraiser Small Steps, Big Dreams raises funds for programmes like We Can Read, which supports children aged 4 to 8 from low-income families with quality learning opportunities. Let’s help a child to achieve their dream today. Find out more and support our work here: https://lakeside.org.sg/support-us/small-steps-big-dreams/