Buk bilong Pikinini teaches the science of reading with great results.

A 3-year-old child able to read, highlights the importance and the impact of Early Childhood Education.

Buk bilong Pikinini (BbP) has spent the last 3 weeks enrolling thousands of children into the organisation’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) and After School programs. The students will attend an action-packed one-year program providing them with solid foundations for school and for the future.

Most of the 5-year-old children attending BbP’s program will be able to read sentences or short books by the end of the year. They will be able to do basic maths, and have had digital learning on the BbP App. They will also have obtained general knowledge about health and hygiene topics that affect them directly (such as malaria, TB and snake bites) and learn about PNG’s culture, flora, fauna and much more.

Donatella ready for school.

The earlier children are introduced to looking through books, listening to stories and reading, the better long-term academic outcomes they will have. This is evident in international research but also through what BbP has been able to observe at its Library Learning Centres (LLC) for a number of years.

This is a case in point recently observed at one of BbP’s LLCs.  Jullieth Feroze Ross has had three of her daughters Jade, Chloe and Donatellah - attend BbP’s ECE program at the organisation’s LLC, located at Lae Showgrounds sponsored by the Sir Brian Bell Foundation. Her two eldest daughters Jade and Chloe have done exceptionally well at school (having consistently duxed their years) after each taking turn to spend a year with BbP. However, longer-term exposure to BbP’s program experienced by her youngest daughter Donatellah clearly demonstrates the impact of BbP’s ECE program and the child’s ability to learn.

Donatella with her former teacher Elise Josiah

Donatellah has been accompanying her older siblings to the LLC since she was a baby and has been quietly absorbing the teaching taking place in the library. From the age of 2 she started attending the After School Program and borrowed books every day and surprised everyone by being able to read one of her favorite books in the library by the time she was 3. When she was finally old enough to attend the ECE program in 2023, she scored top marks on all tests and continued to impress everyone with her confident reading skills. She graduated from BbP’s ECE program in December 2023 and is now at school.

In order to obtain such results, BbP teaches the science of reading through what is known as “structured literacy”. This is anchored in phonics and involves breaking all the key components of reading (sounding out, blending and segmenting) into lessons taught to the students every day. This very explicit way of teaching gives the children

confidence, as they know exactly what to do and are not left to have to work it out by themselves.

This approach has also seen BbP develop an interactive phonics routine, which is fun, easy to remember and empowers the children to read independently. In addition to the actual teaching, BbP also enables children to borrow books from the library every day. Parents are also encouraged to read aloud to their children from the books the children take home and assist with fostering a positive attitude to reading.

BbP is currently experiencing an overwhelming demand for the organisation’s programs which students are free to attend, thanks to generous support from corporate partners. However, given the important community service provided to increase literacy levels and improve overall education outcomes, BbP would welcome support from district administrations and local governments to allow for further students to attend.

Quality teaching is what will enable children to learn from a young age, which will make all other subjects easier to approach once they are at school. Every minute counts when it comes to supporting the children to master reading through “structured literacy” which gives them the right tools in the toolbox.

Donatella dressed up as a Pastry Chef for Literacy Week 2023

From L-R: Getta Sioni, Brian Bell Lae Branch Manager, student Donatell Feroze Ross and Nash Mali, Brain Bell Warehouse Manager at her graduation from BbP's Lae Showground Library Learning Centre.