Teacher Sunita Devi Binti Arafat Paramanandan from SK Rantau Panjang, Selangor wanted to collect additional data about her Year 5 students’ reading proficiency in English. Following FINCO’s training, and using reading assessment tools, this dedicated teacher worked with parents beyond school hours to assess the reading age and reading comprehension levels of her class. Armed with these insights, Teacher Sunita taught students how to use the Five Finger Test to select appropriately levelled books from the IRC, conducted regular shared reading activities and storytelling sessions, and importantly, shared the assessment data with students’ parents.

This action laid the foundation for greater parent-teacher collaboration and the start of a transformative journey for some students, including Ahmad (not real name). Ahmad’s mother was concerned about his low reading age and, despite her limited proficiency in English, followed Teacher Sunita’ guidance to support her son’s reading practice at home via online books and paired reading. In just two months, Ahmad not only improved his reading age from 7.1yrs to an impressive 9.3yrs, but also became a more confident learner, actively engaging in English lessons.

This effort by Teacher Sunita and the parents at SK Rantau Panjang demonstrates the importance of innovative tools and supportive partnerships in improving students’ academic outcomes.