Primary One, back in the 80s, was a time when learning often meant keeping up. In our classroom, suku kata was practised aloud, syllable by syllable. We stood to read, one by one. Those who got it right were allowed to sit. When you didn’t, you remained standing.
The words on the board didn’t make any sense to me then. Yet somehow, I managed to say them correctly—holding on to memorisation, hoping it would be enough.
I don’t remember how long it took before the lightbulb moment finally came—when BA + CA became BACA. It was a quiet breakthrough, but a meaningful one. Years later, I found myself sitting beside my daughter, Brea, when she was four. Week after week, we revised her spelling, breaking words down and helping them make sense. Each time, I was reminded of that moment.
Learning is rarely instant; it often begins with repetition. But it is understanding that gives learning its roots. And understanding grows best when someone is willing to sit with you, unhurried, until the pieces fall into place.
That’s why I’m deeply thankful that by the time I began revising spelling with Brea, her teachers had already walked patiently with her through all her suku kata. By then, she had also mastered every Peter and Jane book, laying a strong and steady foundation.
Looking back, I sometimes wish there had been more time, more space to pause and to explain. Perhaps that light bulb moment would have come sooner. Each week, the lessons simply advanced to a new vowel. With no materials beyond the words on the board and our textbook, we depended entirely on them—and you either kept up or you didn’t, according to your own pace of understanding. Knowing this, I want more families to have this opportunity too.
Kita Main, a programme by Yayasan Generasi Gemilang, exists for this very reason: to nurture early reading among underserved families by providing quality, age-appropriate books and toys, while supporting parents along the way. Because every child deserves someone willing to sit beside them, to guide them gently, and to stay with them until that quiet, precious moment when letters finally make sense—and reading begins to feel like home, even before school starts.
Help make learning feel like home for these children. Donate here.
Editor’s Note:
This season of giving, we’re inviting you to help more children experience these moments of connection and learning. Your donation, big or small, helps us reach the families who need it the most through Kita Main.
