Dandelion, a subscription based, Chinese reading program for children in Singapore

Today, we are happy to announce a new educational service, Dandelion, that helps parents establish a robust Chinese reading program at home.

Educators have long known that reading is important for children in developing crucial language skills. Scientific studies have found that stronger early reading skills predict higher intelligence later in life.

At Sprout Language Centre, our core belief has always been that reading is the foundation of language learning. Our team also believes that reading should be done outside of school, as a form of leisure activity together with the family. These inspired us to create Dandelion.

​Dandelion is a subscription-based, Chinese reading program for children between 5 & 9 yrs old in Singapore.

We aim to inculcate the love of reading in children by guiding you, parents, in realizing a reading program at home. This quality time spent reading with your child also strengthens bonds in the family, which in turn support learning and the cultivation of good reading habits.

Each Dandelion issue features 2 Chinese books from a selection curated by our team of experienced, MOE-trained educators, and is ideal for children 5 - 9 yrs old. We believe in the use of picture books. Exquisite and detailed illustrations that accompany text are laden with meaning and serve to create genuine sustained interest in reading and provide ample opportunities for in-depth story discussions that are difficult with dull, text-heavy books.

A list of discussion topics is provided with every issue to help you, parents, carry out engaging reading sessions with your child. Topics cover various aspects of the book such as emotions, behavior and moral values, which allow for learning beyond the story.

Post-reading activities are provided with each book. These activities are related to the story and are designed to be fun and hands-on so you can enjoy taking part in them with your child, thus strengthening the family bond. This in-turn aids in your child's learning and cultivation of good reading habits. Art materials will either be delivered together with the books, or be available in the form of printable templates on our website. Goodies related to the story or reading in general will be included with issues periodically, so your child will look forward to receiving books every month.

Every book comes with a literary log designed to reward your child's involvement in the reading of each book and the completion of its activities. It is an ornate index card with a list of post-reading activities. Your child can earn badges (included in Seed Pack) by completing the activities with you. At the end of the year, a collection of 24 completed literary logs will prove to be an achievement and a record of your child's reading journey.
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Dandelion launches officially on 18 Feb 2017.

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