Providing Support for Young Students to Level Up
15 Jul 2013
Adult volunteers provide guidance as the children work in teams to play educational games.
Did you know that the roots of redwood trees are intertwined to support each other as they grow big and tall? This intermingling of root networks increases their stability in the face of strong winds and floods, allowing them to live up to 3,000 years and grow as tall as 27 storeys!
For this reason, Westwood Primary School has chosen the symbol of the redwood trees to represent their dedication to student development and growth, as well as to building relationships with the wider community.
The Young Student Programme (TYSP) is one of the school’s pilot initiatives to support 23 Primary One students from low-income households and address the societal issue of opportunity gaps. Held every Tuesday after school, students interact with adult volunteers and secondary school students from Hwa Chong Institution (HCI), to build their interpersonal skills, broaden their understanding of the world and strengthen their literacy and numerical foundation.
“There are three generations in the programme and it creates an environment to motivate the children, as some come from quite challenging backgrounds,” said Mrs Sarah Seow, vice-principal of Westwood Primary School.
Broadening Students’ Perspectives
During the first half of the programme, the group of six adult volunteers would play games, share stories that would inculcate positive values and provide students with opportunities to speak up confidently.
The Young Student (TYS) programme at Westwood Primary School aims to bridge opportunity gaps among Primary One pupils.
For example, students heard the story of Christopher Columbus, how he worked hard to achieve his dream and eventually discovered America. Many in his time expected Columbus to follow in the footsteps of his father, who was a weaver by trade, but he decided to chase after a bigger dream of being an explorer.
Through this story, the adult volunteers hoped to encourage students to dream big, and not to think that their future would be restricted by what their parents did. Students were encouraged to share what their parents did for a living and if they did not know, to find out when they got home.
“We are very grateful for these adult mentors who volunteer their time,” said Ms Jasmine Teo, who oversees the programme with fellow teacher, Ms Chong Yoke Ting.
“They bring in a different perspective and give the students greater exposure.”
Most of the adult volunteers have recently retired and hope to do their part to help students from lower income families while they are still young, so they would be able to compete with others on a more level playing field in the years ahead.
Strengthening Confidence to Learn
Students from Hwa Chong Institution act as brothers to the pupils as they play math games every week.
To add to the “family” environment simulated by the TYSP, a form of sibling encouragement and companionship is provided by 32 students from Hwa Chong Institution (HCI). The students are paired up with the younger students to conduct reading activities and math games.
“The students are engaged and look forward to spending time with their teenage ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’,” said Mrs Seow, “These are little seeds of care and concern that we want to sow in the children.”
The literacy and numeracy activities are prepared by the teachers in the school, but it is the rapport built during the constant mentoring process that motivates the students to concentrate and learn.
Reading with the pupils and tracking their literacy progress is an important part of helping pupils to level up and learn more effectively in class.
“These kids are performing on the borderline in class and need help to level up so that the gap will not widen,” said Ms Chong, who is also the school’s Learning Support Coordinator (LSC).
“We’re trying to get them interested, so they will develop their true potential and build confidence that they can do it,” Oliver Zhang, 14, one of the HCI student volunteers.
