Reading is a regular activity that starts in Walnut from NURSERY. Click here to see how it is done in the kindergarten years.
Dedicated reading classes:
Dedicated reading classes:
- Std 1-2: 3 classes per week.
- Std 3-4: 2 classes per week.
The problem we solve:
If English reading/understanding is weak, children need tuitions as they get older. They end up doing everything twice (school + tuition), run out of time for additional learning, and begin to hate studying. This holds back overall progress.
Our approach: Banded book system
- Individual assessment at start of year to determine reading level.
- Progressive difficulty through ~100 graded books in bands.
- One on one guidance as teacher helps each student level up.
- Context learning – students learn to guess word meanings from context.
- “Free readers” – after completing all bands, students choose any library books.
Remarkable difference:
There’s a huge difference between students who’ve grown up in Walnut from the beginning versus those joining in higher classes!
Why reading matters?
- Expands vocabulary and improves fluency.
- Better comprehension across all subjects.
- Builds confidence and independent learning.
- Improves homework quality and exam preparation.
- Develops analytical and communication skills.
- Eliminates need for private tuitions.
Time, effort, and money saved:
Home support encouraged:
Time, effort, and money saved:
When this one skill is developed properly, the need for tuitions disappears. Students can handle core subjects, understand what they read, and study independently.
Home support encouraged:
We encourage parents to read with children from Nursery onwards, but sadly very few dedicate time to this activity, which is why we prioritize it in school.
How did we come up with this? Here is an article from long ago which gives you a peek into how the reading program came to be.