Skip to main content
A Singapore Government Agency Website How to identify
Official website links end with .gov.sg
Secure websites use HTTPS
Look for a lock () or https:// as an added precaution. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
AST | Elis Home

Love of Reading

This study found that the KidsREAD programme improved reading attitudes among young children from disadvantaged backgrounds in Singapore. Reading clubs that focus on enjoyment, rather than classroom-style tasks, help children develop a love of reading.

Last updated 8 September 2026

Curdt-Christiansen, X. L. (2009). Love of reading: An evaluation of the KidsREAD programme in Singapore. The International Journal of Learning, 16(9), 69-85.

Background

Children from socio-economically disadvantaged families in Singapore have limited access to reading materials and limited opportunities to develop positive attitudes towards reading.

Aims

This study explored whether there was a change in children’s attitudes towards reading in the middle of a reading programme compared to the beginning of the programme. It examined children’s attitudes towards club reading activities, their attitudes towards reading at home and at school, and the relationship between reading attitudes and reading instruction.

Sample

The sample comprised 65 children between four and eight years old who had reading difficulties, and who attended three reading clubs in Singapore.

Method

Retired school teachers, student volunteers or parent volunteers facilitated reading activities in the three reading clubs. A questionnaire was administered to the children as a group in March/April 2006 and in August 2006 to measure their reading attitudes.

Findings

The data collected half way through the reading programme suggest that a higher percentage of the children responded positively to coming to the club and to the enjoyment of reading, and to reading at home and at school. More children also owned library cards at the end of the programme. The results also indicated that the children who enjoyed reading tended to read in their free time and reported themselves as more proficient readers.

Implications

The authors recommended that reading clubs should have activities focusing on students’ reading enjoyment rather than those resembling classroom activities because children needed to develop a positive self-concept as readers and to experience positive emotional responses and reactions towards the reading materials. These materials should also reflect the children’s interests and preferences.

Retrieved from EBSCO Host (Education Research Complete).