Before they read, they must hear.
Building the literacy and numeracy foundations that last a lifetime — through structured phonics, writing, and reading readiness. The steps most programmes skip are the steps we never do.
K1 - K2
The two years that determine how a child experiences Primary 1
#1
Phonemic awareness is the single strongest predictor of reading success (National Reading Panel, 2000)
PRESCHOOL · K1 – K2
From $110
Monthly · community pricing · no registration fee
English
Mathematics
P1 Ready
English at preschool is about building the ear before the eye. Children need to hear and distinguish sounds clearly before they can decode letters reliably. Our English programme follows a structured phonics sequence — from sound awareness to letter recognition, to blending and reading — so that the skill builds in the right order, not the fastest order.
Phonemic awareness — alphabet sounds and sound discrimination
Letter recognition — upper and lower case
Letter formation and pencil grip
CVC words — consonant-vowel-consonant blending
Simple word reading and sight words
Oral expression and listening comprehension
Simple sentence reading (K2)
Curriculum
What your child will learn
Mathematics at preschool is about building number sense, not number speed. Before children can add and subtract reliably, they need to understand what numbers mean — to count with intention, see patterns, and connect quantity to symbol. We build this foundation concretely and carefully, so that Primary 1 Mathematics feels like extension, not a new language.
Numbers 1–20 (K1) and 1–100 (K2)
Counting, ordering, and comparing
Number bonds and simple addition
Subtraction as the reverse of addition
Shapes — 2D recognition and sorting
Patterns — identifying and continuing sequences
Measurement — length, weight, and size comparisons
English
Mathematics
HEAR
Each lesson begins with structured phonemic awareness — alphabet songs, sound chants, and rhythmic repetition that train the ear to distinguish sounds before the eye is asked to decode letters. Research shows that phonemic awareness is the single strongest predictor of reading success. At YPS, we never skip this step. A child who cannot yet hear the difference between /p/ and /b/ is not ready to read words that depend on that distinction — and no amount of phonics worksheets will fix an ear that hasn't been trained.
National Reading Panel (2000). Teaching Children to Read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature.
Methodology
How we teach
Hear · Trace · Read
H
T
TRACE
The hand teaches the brain. Before children can write fluently, they need to build the fine motor pathways that connect letter shape to letter sound. Our structured tracing sequences — from individual strokes to full letters to simple words — develop the muscle memory that makes writing feel natural, not effortful. When a child traces a letter, they are not just practising penmanship. They are encoding the letter's identity into their body — and that embodied memory is what makes the letter retrievable under the pressure of real writing.
Berninger, V.W. (2012). Strengthening the mind's eye. American Educator. Fine motor development and embodied cognition in early writing.
R
READ
Through systematic synthetic phonics — the most evidence-backed approach to early literacy — children move progressively from individual sounds to blends, words, and simple sentences. The sequence is deliberate: each new step is introduced only once the previous one is secure. By the time a YPS preschool child enters Primary 1, reading is not a struggle. It is a skill they already own. They arrive at school with something their peers may spend the first year acquiring — and that head start compounds.
Johnston, R. & Watson, J. (2005). The Clackmannanshire Study. Systematic synthetic phonics produces superior reading outcomes.
A TYPICAL LESSON
What 50 minutes looks like
Every preschool lesson follows the same five-stage rhythm — predictable enough to feel safe for young children, structured enough to move every child forward.
1
5
4
3
2
WARM UP
HEAR
TRACE
READ
REVIEW
5 min
10 min
15 min
15 min
5 min
Alphabet song or sound chant — primes the ear for the lesson ahead
Mentor introduces new sound or letter with rhythm and repetition
Children trace the letter — building fine motor pathways through structured sequences
Children decode simple words using the new sound — phonics applied immediately
Mentor checks comprehension and addresses gaps before the next lesson
PRIMARY 1 READINESS
What your child enters P1 already knowing.
The transition from preschool to Primary 1 is the sharpest step-up in a child's academic life. In one term, the expectations shift from exploration to structured learning — and children who arrive without strong phonics foundations and number sense spend the first year catching up, not moving forward.
At YPS, P1 readiness is not a programme add-on. It is the outcome of two years of structured, sequenced teaching. By K2, every child in our programme is reading simple sentences, writing legibly, and working confidently with numbers to 100.
Reading simple sentences independently — not just decoding individual words.
Writing letters legibly with correct formation — the foundation for composition.
Number sense to 100 — counting, ordering, simple addition and subtraction.
Confident oral participation — used to speaking in a structured group setting.
Stamina for focused learning — the habit of sitting and engaging for a full lesson.