SINGAPORE - Reading expert Mala Sundram offers some strategies for teaching and enjoying reading. She heads speech, drama, reading and writing at Julia Gabriel Centre, which offers reading and writing programmes for children between 18 months and 12 years old.

"The process of teaching a child to read begins with reading to a child. You can make or buy games matching pictures to words, or label things around the home like cupboard or table, to help the child make connections between print and the world around them. It's important to emphasise the play aspect of such activities. If we do a lot of correcting the child's attempts, it can lead to a reluctance to read."