Students with Reading Difficulties
Diagnostic Testing
At the beginning of Grade 1, a screening tool is used to identify children without developmentally appropriate English language and basic early literacy skills. These students will be placed in the Learning Support Program for additional instructional support on top of their regular English lessons. This support is sustained for one or two years to build students’ basic English literacy skills. In the middle of Grade 2, students who have not made sufficient progress in the program are identified and screened for dyslexia. Students diagnosed with dyslexia are then placed in the School-Based Dyslexia Remediation program to receive further literacy support for two years (in Grades 3 and 4).
Instruction for Children with Reading Difficulties
Students in the Learning Support Program attend specially tailored lessons conducted daily by Learning Support Coordinators (LSCs). Teaching in small groups of eight to ten students, LSCs focus on the development of basic oracy and literacy skills. The lessons are systematic and skills focused and provide a conducive environment for multiple practice opportunities with modeling by the LSCs. Students leave the program upon achieving age-appropriate reading competency and passing the school’s English assessment at the end of the year. Those who require further support will continue the program in Grade 2. The Reading Remediation and School-Based Dyslexia Remediation programs continue to provide support to struggling readers who still need help in Grades 3 to 4.
Besides these programs, children with reading disabilities have access to additional support in school from Allied Educators trained in specific interventions. Ten percent of teachers in primary schools have been trained in special needs support so that they are able to cater to the needs of these children.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) works collaboratively with community-based agencies to provide additional support and intervention to address the learning needs of students. One of these is the Dyslexia Association of Singapore, to which the MOE provides grants for specialized literacy remediation for students with dyslexia in the community. The MOE’s educational psychologists also work with the Dyslexia Association of Singapore to support students with dyslexia.