Happy smiles: Children from PPR Seri Alam reading storybooks at the official launch of Projek BacaBaca in June last year.
TO help primary school pupils improve their reading and learning skills, Projek BacaBaca is recruiting volunteers for its third phase, which is set to commence during the middle of next month. Since 2021, the School of Education at Taylor’s University has been championing the initiative that pairs volunteers, referred to as “reading coaches”, with primary school pupils from B40 and underserved communities to improve their reading.
Aimed at tackling learning poverty among pupils aged six to nine, the project has made a positive impact on the lives of 150 children nationwide since its inception.
Phase One of the project saw pupils progressing between 64% and 86% in their ability to read while Phase Two, which was held last year, witnessed a further improvement of between 92% and 95%.
Supported by Mah Sing Foundation and Twinkl, Projek BacaBaca, which paves the way for literary development in both English and Bahasa Malaysia, has helped communities at People’s Housing Projects (PPR) in Seri Alam, Kota Belud and Sungai Way New Village, SJK (T) Ladang Batu Ampat, SJK (T) Pusat Telok Datok and SJK (T) Seaport.
This year will see the project expanding to include SK Bandar Sunway.
The project involves three reading levels – emerging, developing and securing – with a preliminary diagnostic test given to assess a child’s reading level. The programme’s “learning to read, reading to learn” philosophy aims to get children to read, comprehend well and apply this to other school subjects, such as Mathematics and Science, so they are not left behind.
For university student and volunteer Theevya Ulaganathan, coaching Thulan Santaran, a Year Three pupil at SJK (T) Pusat Telok Datok in Banting was initially a challenge.
Having a limited attention span, Thulan showed mild signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and required different interventions to stay focused throughout the course of a 30-minute reading session.
He was subsequently diagnosed with selective mutism, an anxiety disorder where children are unable to speak around certain people or in certain settings.
“He found it challenging to read, especially in English. I engaged with him by providing kindergarten-level exercises and educational games such as matching pictures with objects and filling in the blanks. The support from his mother was also crucial to his improvement,” Theevya said in a press release.
Despite his learning difficulties, the sessions with his reading coaches, as well as parental encouragement, brought about a positive change as Thulan received a prize from his school for making significant progress in his remedial class performance.
Sharing her experience, single parent Sarah Nuraisyah Abdullah said prior to taking part in the project, she only managed to teach six-year-old Mohamad Adam alphabet sounds and two- or three-letter words.
“Adam was not responsive when I taught him and he is also hyperactive but he was excited to participate in the weekly reading sessions with his reading coach Reshvinder Kaur,” she said.Through Projek BacaBaca’s curriculum, Adam learnt phonics, and consonant-vowel-consonant and sight words. After several months of coaching, he was able to read short passages confidently and independently.
Projek BacaBaca leader and Taylor’s University School of Education senior lecturer Hema Letchmanan (pic) said even those without teaching experience can volunteer.
“We have a diverse mix of people volunteering, ranging from secondary school students to working professionals and even retirees. The pedagogy we use is also straightforward – I read, you read, we read,” she said, adding that training will be provided.Volunteers will be paired with a child from one of the seven selected beneficiaries for a duration of eight months and the reading sessions will be held twice weekly in both Bahasa Malaysia and English for 30 minutes each. The sessions are conducted over the telephone or via online video conferencing.
To become a reading coach with Projek BacaBaca, register at tinyurl.com/Taylors-PBB.
