Songs and skits ushered in this year's Joy of Reading programme to encourage a love of books and raise literacy levels among children.
Organised by the PAP Community Foundation (PCF), the annual programme kicked off yesterday at the National Museum of Singapore's Gallery Theatre with children from PCF Sparkletots pre-schools dancing as they sang Singapore, Our Home, a song written by principal Kelly Chong.
They also performed a skit about the country's past, present and future which began with a short verse sung by six-year-old kindergarten pupil and avid reader Jodilea Lu, giving an assured performance - despite later admitting she had been "very nervous".
The Joy of Reading event, which will last until Friday, will feature more than 300 kindergarteners from 32 centres in various performances at the theatre.
PCF Sparkletots is Singapore's largest pre-school operator, with more than 350 centres across the island.
PCF chief executive Victor Bay said the programme hopes to "promote a love for reading and inculcate the habit of reading among young children".
"This will also help to enhance parents' awareness in promoting the good habit of reading," he said, adding that reading can help to improve learning, cognitive and social development, and ignite children's imagination.
The pre-school operator's executive principal Karen Lee, who is also the organising chairman of the Joy of Reading programme, said there had been a series of activities in the centres leading up to the event to encourage children to read more - such as days when they could dress up as their favourite characters to tell stories, and explore different genres of stories and rhymes.
Parent Melony Oh, 36, who performed in a skit yesterday, said she reads two books to her four-year-old daughter before bedtime each day.
"It is good to cultivate reading habits at a young age due to its large role in language and literacy development," said Madam Oh, who works in the shipping industry.
•To listen to Singapore, Our Home, visit: http://tiny.cc/pcfsong
