A love for reading gives children far more than an enjoyable way to spend their free time. Regular reading introduces them to new ideas, strengthens their vocabulary and gives them models of how thoughts can be organised and expressed. These skills can support clearer writing and more confident comprehension as they progress through school.
This September, Singapore marks its inaugural National Reading Month through the National Library Board’s ReadSG campaign, encouraging families to make reading part of everyday life. This goal has long shaped The Learning Lab’s English programmes, where library visits, storytelling sessions and carefully selected texts help students grow into thoughtful readers, writers and communicators.
The key is to make reading meaningful rather than treating it as another task to complete. When children have access to suitable books, can connect ideas to their own lives and are encouraged to discuss what they read, they are more likely to return to books with curiosity.
Reading exposes children to vocabulary, sentence patterns and ways of presenting information that they may not encounter in everyday conversation. Over time, this gives them a wider range of words and structures to draw on when they write.
It also encourages them to follow a sequence of events, identify important details, infer meaning and consider different viewpoints. These are the same habits they use when answering comprehension questions, planning compositions and explaining ideas during oral discussions.
Parents do not need to turn every book into a formal lesson. Simple routines and thoughtful conversations can help children notice more, think more deeply and enjoy what they are reading.
Make library visits a familiar part of your family’s routine. A library gives your child access to fiction and informational books across many subjects, reading levels and formats, making it easier to explore new interests without feeling limited to what is already available at home.
Give your child room to choose their own books while gently guiding them towards a mix of stories and factual texts. Children may be drawn to the same author, topic or series for a time, and that is not necessarily a problem. Familiar choices can build reading confidence before they branch out into something new.
At The Learning Lab, we believe that tomorrow’s leaders must be today’s readers. Our TLL Libraries support reading beyond immediate academic needs and help students see books as sources of knowledge, imagination and enjoyment.
With more than 28,000 titles for Nursery 2 to Primary 2 students, our specially curated libraries take pride of place in our facilities. During library visits, teachers help students select books that suit their reading proficiency. Students also receive recommendations in class across a variety of genres, so they can continue discovering titles that match their interests and abilities.
Comprehension and cloze passage exercises in our Primary English Core Programmes are also commonly based on excerpts from popular children’s books in the TLL Libraries. This can make the exercises more engaging and may encourage students to browse or borrow the complete books for leisure reading.
Primary 3 to Primary 6 students enrolled in our English, Maths or Science programmes can also access SORA, TLL’s digital library. With approximately 1,200 titles across genres and subjects, SORA makes it easier for students to read at home or while travelling.
TLL students can refer to our SORA guide for instructions on signing up and navigating the digital library.
Children often engage more deeply with a text when they can relate it to something they have seen, felt or experienced. Before, during or after reading, invite your child to make a connection between the book and the world around them.
For example, before a family holiday, your child could read a story set in the destination or an informational book about its history, landmarks or culture. During the trip, ask what they recognise from the book and whether the real experience has changed their understanding of what they read.
Books can also help children process personal experiences. A story about friendship difficulties, disappointment or overcoming a challenge may reassure a child that others face similar feelings. Rather than asking only what happened in the story, try questions such as:
· Why do you think the character made that choice?
· Have you experienced something similar?
· What might you have done differently?
These questions encourage children to interpret a character’s actions, compare perspectives and support their answers with details from the text.
At The Learning Lab, themes in our comprehension and cloze passages, together with our Staying Plugged-in current affairs series, help students connect personal experiences with real-world events. Classroom discussions expose students to different perspectives, build content knowledge and give them opportunities to practise speaking clearly for oral examinations.
Invite your child to retell a story or share an opinion about what they have read. Talking about a book helps them recall key details, organise their thoughts and explain ideas in their own words. It also gives you a useful sense of what they understood without making the conversation feel like a test.
Use open-ended prompts instead of questions that can be answered with one word. You might ask which character they found most interesting, what surprised them or whether they agreed with the ending. For factual texts, ask them to explain one new idea or choose the most important fact.
Children can also share favourite books with siblings, relatives or friends. A small book club or informal book swap gives them a reason to recommend titles, listen to different opinions and revisit parts of a story that others interpreted differently.
These shared reading experiences show children that books are not only private activities. They can also be starting points for discussion, debate and connection.
Some children connect with a story more readily when they first hear it read aloud or see it presented visually. Storytelling sessions can introduce expressive language, rhythm, tone and character voices, helping younger readers follow the narrative and imagine the world of the book.
After a storytelling session, extend the experience by borrowing another title by the same author or illustrator. Your child can look for familiar themes, visual styles or character types and explain what they notice.
At The Learning Lab, storytelling is an important part of nurturing a love for reading among Nursery 2 to Kindergarten 2 students. Our curriculum specialists select engaging titles that connect classroom learning with the wider world, while teachers bring these stories to life through weekly storytelling sessions.
Movies adapted from books offer another opportunity for close observation. Encourage your child to read the book before watching its adaptation, then discuss the differences. Which version did they prefer? Was a character portrayed as they imagined? What was removed or changed, and why might the filmmakers have made that decision? Such comparisons help children evaluate creative choices instead of simply recalling the plot.
Singapore’s public libraries also organise storytelling sessions, workshops and screenings for children. Families can check the National Library Board’s programme listings for suitable activities.
A broad reading diet helps children build background knowledge and become comfortable with different styles of language. Encourage your child to explore fairy tales, mysteries, adventure stories, biographies, encyclopaedias, news articles, poetry and other text types.
Each type of text offers something different. Fiction introduces voice, character and narrative structure. Informational texts show how facts can be grouped and explained. News articles help readers identify key information, while poetry draws attention to rhythm, imagery and precise word choice.
Reading widely can expose children to natural word combinations, varied sentence structures and vocabulary used across different topics. This gives them more language to draw on when writing compositions and helps them adjust their reading approach when tackling vocabulary questions, cloze passages and comprehension texts.
At the same time, let your child retain ownership over many of their reading choices. A recommendation is useful, but enjoyment matters too. Giving children time and space to follow their interests can make reading feel personally rewarding rather than imposed.
Through our termly recommended reading lists, The Learning Lab introduces students to a wide range of authors and genres. These lists are available on TLL.360 for Kindergarten 2 to Primary 6 English students, and recommended titles can be borrowed from the TLL Libraries or accessed through SORA where available. Families may also explore our school holiday reading recommendations for more ideas.
Make reading easy to access and enjoyable. Visit the library regularly, let your child choose suitable books, talk about what they read and connect stories or facts to their own experiences. Consistent, low-pressure exposure is more useful than forcing a child to finish every book.
Reading exposes children to vocabulary, sentence structures, text organisation and different ways of expressing ideas. When they read across genres, they gain more examples of how stories, explanations and arguments can be developed.
There is no fixed age. Children can begin visiting libraries as soon as they can enjoy being read to and looking through books. At The Learning Lab, library-based reading experiences begin from Nursery 2 as part of our effort to build positive habits early.
Yes. SORA is TLL’s digital library for Primary 3 to Primary 6 students enrolled in our English, Maths or Science programmes. It contains approximately 1,200 titles across genres and subjects.
A love for reading is rarely built through one book or one activity. It develops through repeated positive experiences, access to suitable material and conversations that show children their ideas matter. By making books part of family life, you can support stronger comprehension, richer writing and a lasting curiosity about the world.
The Learning Lab is now at 10 locations. Find a location that suits your family, then register for a class to help your child strengthen the reading, writing and comprehension skills covered above.
For questions about our programmes, email enquiry@thelearninglab.com.sg or call 6733 8711. Our team will be happy to assist you.