All K1, K2 children to get SPH Media mother tongue publications monthly from 2027 to boost learning

SINGAPORE – All children in Kindergarten 1 and 2 will receive their own copy of a mother tongue publication every month from April 2027 to boost their learning of language.

This is part of an expanded initiative by the Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism, said Education Minister Desmond Lee on Oct 27 at the fund’s 15th anniversary.

“The early years matter for language learning, and parents and grandparents play a very big part through storytelling, songs and everyday conversations in and outside the home,” he said at the event held at the SPH Auditorium.

Around 72,000 pre-schoolers will each receive one of three SPH Media publications: Thumbs Up Little Junior in Chinese, Cilik Cerdik in Malay and Balar Murasu in Tamil.

Supported by the bilingualism fund, the publications currently reach about 43,000 pre-schoolers, who share them at MOE kindergartens, anchor operator pre-schools and pre-schools run by social service agencies.

From 2027, these periodicals will also be distributed to partner operator and private pre-schools.

They feature age-appropriate content rooted in local culture and values to encourage early reading habits and interest in the three languages.

Two new mobile apps will also be launched from 2027 to complement Cilik Cerdik and Balar Murasu, joining the existing Thumbs Up Little Junior app.

Available in English and the respective mother tongue language, the new apps will offer stories, songs and games to help parents and children learn together at home.

To further encourage parent-child engagement, parents can access electronic versions of Thumbs Up Little Junior, Cilik Cerdik and Balar Murasu via the app’s Parent Centre. They will be able to set screen time limits.

Lee noted that English is now the main language spoken in many homes, and said Singapore must keep finding ways to make mother tongue learning relevant and engaging.

Bilingualism remains an “asset for life”, he added.

“Singaporeans who can use two languages well are better able to build bridges across cultures and seize opportunities in a globalised world.”

The fund was announced in 2011 at the launch of Lee Kuan Yew’s book, My Lifelong Challenge: Singapore’s Bilingual Journey. Since then, it has committed close to $35 million to support nearly 290 projects, ranging from workshops and performances to publications and multimedia resources.

From 2024, it expanded its outreach to post-secondary youth, working with institutes of higher learning, content creators and community organisations to build their confidence in using their mother tongue languages.