LEARNING poverty, which is the inability to read and understand a short, age-appropriate text by the age of 10, is a real problem in Malaysia.
According to a 2021 World Bank report that took into account children who were not in school, 43% of Malaysians at the end of primary school age were not proficient in reading.
In an attempt to address learning poverty in the country, a group of individuals led by Taylor University School of Education Senior Lecturer Hema Letchamanan reached out to children in B40 and underserved communities struggling to read. Dubbed Projek BacaBaca, the volunteer-based initiative offers personalized reading sessions in Bahasa Melayu (BM) and the English language to children ages six to nine to help them read at grade level.
We have children who came to us without knowing how to read. By pairing them with volunteers or reading coaches who work with children, we see children begin to read and, most importantly, enjoy the process. The coaches are trained to constantly motivate and encourage the children they work with, Hema added.
With the dedication of the coaches, Hema said that children who started out with low self-esteem or were shy have also become more confident and are now able to compete in public speaking competitions.
Through the initiative, some 150 children have seen an improvement in their reading proficiency in both languages.
According to its 2022 annual report, Projek BacaBaca saw a 92% and 95% increase in children’s English reading proficiency and BM, respectively. There was also a 96% increase in interest in reading among children.
Parents and volunteers, Hema said, have given positive testimonials about the improvement in children’s reading, as well as how the project has motivated the adults themselves.
Many parents have learned new words and phrases simply by sitting with their children during reading sessions, he added. Sometimes we are not aware of how privileged we are until we come into contact with those who are going through difficulties.
Projek BacaBaca has helped us realize that there are children who are less fortunate than others and it is our civic responsibility to support them. Our goal is to empower local communities to read and teach their children to read, whether in schools or other public spaces, Hema concluded.
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