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15 Best phonics and reading classes in Singapore

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Best Phonics and Reading Classes in Singapore

  1. Jan & Elly English Language School
  2. The Learning Lab
  3. Merry Minds Enrichment Centre
  4. I Can Read
  5. British Council
  6. The Eton Academy
  7. Mind Stretcher
  8. Read in a Week
  9. Lcentral
  10. Lorna Whiston
  11. MindChamps
  12. Speech Academy Asia
  13. Zoo-phonics School
  14. My English School
  15. Kumon

15 Best phonics and reading classes in Singapore

Updated:
November 6, 2024

Looking to boost your little one's reading skills? You're in the right place!

A strong foundation in reading can set your child up for lifelong success.

The best phonics and reading programmes are designed to make learning fun and effective for kids while instilling a lifelong love for books.

Whether your child is just starting to recognize letters or already diving into simple books, we'll help you discover the best reading programmes that will help young readers grow!

Best Phonics and Reading Classes in Singapore

  1. Jan & Elly English Language School
  2. The Learning Lab
  3. Merry Minds Enrichment Centre
  4. I Can Read
  5. British Council
  6. The Eton Academy
  7. Mind Stretcher
  8. Read in a Week
  9. Lcentral
  10. Lorna Whiston
  11. MindChamps
  12. Speech Academy Asia
  13. Zoo-phonics School
  14. My English School
  15. Kumon
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Jan & Elly English Language School

If you’re looking to start your children young on phonics and reading then Jan & Elly English Language School is an ideal choice.

The school specialises in teaching English phonics to those from 4 to 6 years old and also has writing classes for those aged older.

Recognising that younger children require a different approach, Jan & Elly starts its phonics classes with fun and play-filled classes to lay the foundation.

It also utilises songs and visuals to make learning a breeze for your child. As your child goes up in level, the school gradually combines phonics with basic instructions, so your child learns it bit by bit, reducing stress and overwhelm. 

By the time your child is 6 or 7 and has gone through the levels with Jan & Elly, they will have learned how to recognise words with ease and have fun while at it.

The best part is the learning doesn’t stop so it goes on to develop your child’s skill in creative writing, competition, and all-rounded English excellence.

Locations: 3 locations across Singapore

https://jan-elly.com/ 

The Learning Lab

Image credit: The Learning Lab

The Learning Lab has been around for a good two decades and is great at helping students learn, no matter the subject matter.

The Learning Lab method is developed based on how children learn — it uses the principles: Encode, retrieve and apply.

It first helps students remember concepts better (encode), thereafter the school teaches them how to retrieve this information and concepts better, and lastly, it pushes them towards applying these learned concepts and knowledge in a better manner. 

From preschool level, The Learning Lab uses a structured approach to expose your child to activities that can develop their reading and phonics skills, thereby helping them construct better sentences to express themselves in a more effective way.

When it comes to reading specifically, TLL's classes focus on phonemic awareness, teaching the kids about consonant blends, vowel sounds, consonant digraphs and diphthongs. 

Locations: 9 locations across Singapore

https://www.thelearninglab.com.sg/ 

Merry Minds Enrichment Centre

Image credit: Merry Minds Enrichment Centre

Merry Minds Enrichment Centre is where little learners embark on exciting literacy adventures!

Here, children discover the joy of English through small-group classes that feel more like playdates that combine fun with learning.

The enrichment centre offers 4 key programmes that are designed specially for preschoolers: 

  • Phonics
  • Reading and listening comprehension
  • Speaking
  • Creative writing
Image credit: Merry Minds Enrichment Centre

Nurturing the whole child

At Merry Minds, their mission is to nurture the whole child. They believe education is more than academics - it’s about fostering confident, happy, and well-rounded individuals.

Their teachers are professionally trained in early childhood education and phonics, and inspire children to take charge of their educational journey. From the moment children step into Merry Minds' welcoming classrooms, they're embraced by a supportive community that believes in their abilities. This creates confident young learners who genuinely love exploring the English language.

Parents are not just spectators in this learning journey - they’re valued partners. Merry Minds’ experienced educators keep parents connected every step of the way, sharing insights and strategies to extend the learning beyond the classroom walls. 

Child-centred approach

Merry Minds’ success stems from its trusted, child-centred approach to teaching. Their team of early childhood specialists creates an environment where English is discovered, explored, and embraced.

The centre's trilingual teachers don't just teach - they inspire, nurture, and celebrate every small victory along the way. In this environment, children approach English with enthusiasm and tackle new challenges with confidence. 

In addition, through interactive play-based methods and engaging phonics activities, your child will develop not just language skills, but the confidence to use them. 

Image credit: Merry Minds Enrichment Centre

And with intimate class sizes (maximum of 8 students for Phonics classes and 5 students for reading and writing classes), every young learner receives focused attention that leads to real progress.

For children who thrive in one-on-one settings, private classes are also available, providing learning experiences that are perfectly tailored to your child’s needs.

Wondering if Merry Minds is the right fit? They invite families to experience the difference firsthand with a complimentary trial class, consultation, and assessment. 

Location: 50 East Coast Road #02-141 Singapore 428769

Contacts: 

Promos: 

  • Free assessment plus 1 Free Trial Class per student worth $75
  • Merchandise worth $50 upon sign up
  • Free 1 holiday workshop worth $80 upon sign up

Exclusive Buddy Up Promotion for 2025 Class Registrations:

  • 2 Friends Sign Up – Only $45 per lesson each
  • 3 Friends Sign Up – Only $40 per lesson each
  • 4 Friends Sign Up – Only $35 per lesson each
  • 5 Friends Sign Up – Only $30 per lesson each

Find out more about Merry Minds Enrichment Centre

I Can Read

Image credit: I Can Read

As its name suggests, I Can Read is a reputable education institution in Singapore that focuses on helping children achieve literacy skills.

The school’s classes are student-centric yet outcome-driven, ensuring that your child picks up phonics and reading in the most fun yet efficient manner.

Besides regular lessons, the school employs methods such as reader appreciation lessons, real-world simulations and activities that allow for brainstorming, critical thinking and self-expression. 

On top of having structured programmes to help your child with their learning, it also has digital learning tools that your child can utilise at home anytime - the learning truly never stops!

If you find that learning online works better for your child, you also have the option to choose web class learning so your child can sign on to classes virtually. 

Location: 20 locations across Singapore 

https://sg.icanread.asia/ 

British Council

If you’re looking to get your child equipped in phonics and reading, there isn’t a better school than the British Council, which prides itself in premium-level English classes. Located across two central spots in Singapore, the British Council offers one-on-one or small group classes for English with your child. Besides teaching them phonics and reading, its English classes also equip your child with the confidence to speak and write English.

Classes at The British Council in Singapore are well-paced and aligned with the local curriculum as well as the international school syllabus — its educators are also all highly qualified and have vast teaching experience across different environments, ages and levels. 

Location: 2 locations across Singapore 

  • 30 Napier Road, Singapore 258509 
  • 480 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, HDB Hub East Wing, #09-01, Singapore 310480

https://www.britishcouncil.sg

The Eton Academy

Image credit: The Eton Academy

Most people aren’t strangers to The Eton Academy by EtonHouse, the popular preschool. Eton Academy isn’t just like any other tuition or enrichment centres - it wants to help children learn by banking on their strong senses of innate curiosity, and honing that to its fullest potential. It believes in not just focusing on grades, but to foster a lifelong love for learning that will help your child not just thrive in an academic setting, but also in life. 

For its phonics classes, it encourages a child’s curiosity by getting them to ask questions and getting them to express their thoughts and feelings, through this the school wants to help them gain confidence in expressing themselves and eventually developing literacy. 

Locations: 5 locations across Singapore

https://theetonacademy.com.sg/ 

Mind Stretcher

Founded in 2002, Mind Stretcher has been enriching the minds of young ones in Singapore, helping them score well for their examinations and pick up skills for the world tomorrow. Its Phonics & Reading programme is highly sought-after, making use of an easy-to-understand framework to help even the youngest learners pick up literary skills. Children will find phonics and reading fun with Mind Stretchers’ multi-sensory approach, the use of songs and games as well as engaging visuals. 

Mind Stretcher’s phonics and reading class is well thought out with multiple levels, enabling your child to progress at their own pace, step-by-step. 

Locations: 27 locations across Singapore

https://www.mindstretcher.com/ 

Read in a Week

Image credit: Read in a Week

In most best case scenarios, any parent would love for their child to be able to read in the shortest possible time - at Read in a Week, which was founded in 1997, the school promises just that.

It believes that a good grasp of phonics is the answer to helping your child read and write better.

First it guarantees that your child will learn how to read and spell, thereafter it promises that your child will be able to recognise and read 500 words by the end of six sessions. 

In case you’re wondering how the school does this — its classes are a 3-in-1 programme which combines phonics, reading and spelling in one. In case its efficiency isn’t enough to sway you, in the past three decades that it's been set up, it sees 1,000 students come through its doors weekly to take its lessons. 

Locations: 12 locations across Singapore

https://www.readinaweek.com.sg/ 

LCentral

LCentral specialises in providing quality English education to children from N1 level up to primary 6. The school has been around since 2008 and focuses on all aspects of English literacy — reading, writing, speaking and listening. The school hopes to get children excited to learn English through meaningful classroom interactions. 

The school believes that it’s never too early to let your child begin to learn to read — it has a gradual, scaffolded process of teaching children to learn how to read and comprehend, eventually developing them into skilled and confident readers that are ready to tackle anything ahead, no matter whatever level they come into the school with. 

Locations: 16 locations across Singapore 

https://lcentral.net/ 

Lorna Whiston

Image credit: Lorna Whiston

Lorna Whiston, founded by English teacher Lorna Whiston herself in Singapore in the 1980s, was started because she wanted to improve the standard of English here.

Four decades on, the school continues to be built on the belief that the teachers are the key pillars of the school and are the heart of a child’s education. 

While most of its locations are preschool, its outlet at United School focuses on enrichment, with a Fun with Phonics programme being a part of its reading and phonics education.

The class posits that in order for children to read well, they must be able to master the sounds of English letters and know how they work together - Lorna Whiston hopes to be able to equip children with the building blocks necessary for them to develop their linguistic capabilities. The learning environment is engaging, fun and encourages confidence building, thanks to its dedicated educators.   

Locations: 7 locations across Singapore 

https://www.lornawhiston.com/ 

MindChamps

MindChamps was founded in Singapore more than twenty years ago, on the premise that in understanding how children learn, educators can discover the best ways of helping children attain their full potential. Mindchamps prides itself in its “3-Mind” approach and believes that the Champion Mind, the Learning Mind and the Creative Mind need to come together to propel the child towards success.

Despite being only two decades old, MindChamps utilises a 40-year science-backed curriculum to teach reading and phonics. Its programmes comprise multiple levels so that every child can join at a level that works best for them. 

Locations: 39 locations across Singapore

https://www.mindchamps.org/ 

Speech Academy Asia

Image credit: Speech Academy Asia

If you’re a parent that wants your child to learn phonics not just to read better, but to speak better, then there is no better school for them than Speech Academy Asia.

The school hopes to turn every child into a confident speaker by providing them with the right tools to speak up and have a voice. It utilises unique teaching methods to help your child pick up public speaking skills, with methodologies such as the Speech Linguistic Patterns (SLP), Neuro Somatics and Language Memory Programming Semantics (LMPS). 

More than just helping your child learn how to read and speak better, it hopes to instil a strong sense of confidence in speaking in front of others and to be comfortable while doing so.

With public speaking confidence at the core of everything it does, its phonics classes are carefully curated to ensure that your child first understands phonics, then develops reading skills, thereby giving them the skills to go on to longer and more varied reading materials. 

Locations: 10 locations around Singapore

https://speechacademyasia.com/ 

Zoo-phonics School

Image credit: Zoo-phonics

If you’re someone that believes the learning of reading and phonics should be a fun endeavour, then opt for Zoo-phonics School to help your child learn to read and write better. The school utilises a method that’s been popularised by Georgene “Gigi” Bradshaw, who used kinesthetic techniques tied to phonics to help her students learn how to read and spell. 

The “Zoo” in its name comes from the fact that this method uses animals drawn in the shapes of letters to help children remember better. While this method was first developed in the US, it has been thoroughly field-tested and later on spread to other parts of the world, including in Singapore in 2004. 

Locations: 3 locations across Singapore

https://www.zoo-phonics.com.sg/ 

My English School

If you’re looking to help your child improve their English phonics and reading, then you best believe a school with the name My English School is one of the best candidates out there for the job. The school has small class sizes and each class is catered to your child’s ability — teachers are always on the lookout for how your child follows each and every lesson. 

For its phonics classes, it begins with a foundational class to help your child gain basic skills so they can read well. Thereafter it develops this skill set before helping your child read full stories using letter sounds and common spelling patterns. The school believes that reading isn’t just about phonics — it is just one of the five elements that help a child read better. Its lessons delve into phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and finally comprehension. 

Locations: 14 locations across Singapore

https://www.myenglish.com.sg/ 

Kumon

Kumon’s a household name in Singapore and for good reason. While the school has more of a reputation for delivering robust maths education, its English classes are not to be overlooked.

For the uninitiated, the Kumon method provides students with “just-right” resources that encourage self-learning, thereby helping them pick up the skills to move onto more difficult materials. The method believes in pushing the potential of each student to develop it to the maximum level they can achieve — regardless of subject matter.

For the English language, Kumon starts with fun-filled worksheets with colourful illustrations that help your child make connections between words and everyday objects, eventually helping them to string words together. It then adds on the focus of good reading, followed by good writing, eventually equipping your child with the skills for everyday life and the world beyond. 

Locations: 79 locations across Singapore 

https://sg.kumonglobal.com/ 

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