Encourage Parent–Child Reading Time in New Curriculum | KiddyNews

Parents to Play Active Role in Early Learning

Parents will be encouraged to read together with their preschool children under Malaysia’s 2027 preschool curriculum, as part of a broader effort to strengthen early literacy and family involvement in education.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the initiative is designed to ensure parents play an active role in supporting the revised curriculum.

“In this new curriculum, we are creating a specific space for parents to read together with their children,” she said at a Kota Buku event here.

Building a Strong Reading Culture from an Early Age

Fadhlina said the initiative reflects the Education Ministry’s commitment to cultivating a love for reading from the earliest years, noting that literacy and reading habits must be reinforced at all levels of education.

She added that a strong reading culture is essential to developing children who are capable of critical thinking and deeper understanding, rather than surface learning.

The move has received full support from Perbadanan Kota Buku and the ministry’s strategic partners.

Why Reading Together Matters

Education experts have long emphasised that shared reading between parents and young children plays a critical role in early development.

Reading together helps children build vocabulary, comprehension, and listening skills, while also strengthening emotional bonds and a sense of security. For preschoolers, these shared moments create positive associations with books and learning, making reading a natural and enjoyable habit rather than a task.

The Education Ministry views parent–child reading as a foundational practice that supports not only literacy, but also attention span, curiosity, and confidence — all of which are essential for children transitioning into formal schooling under the 2027 curriculum.

Reading Programmes to Remain a Key Pillar

The education minister stressed that traditional reading practices remain vital, even as learning approaches evolve.

She said initiatives such as NILAM, the national reading programme aimed at instilling reading habits among schoolchildren, will continue to play an important role in reinforcing literacy both in schools and at home.

Aligned with Broader 2027 Curriculum Reforms

The focus on parent–child reading aligns with wider reforms under the 2027 national school curriculum, which aims to place greater emphasis on character development and early knowledge-building.

Education director-general Mohd Azam Ahmad said the revamped curriculum will reposition schools as environments that nurture values, intellectual discipline, and student character rather than focusing solely on academic achievement.

From Textbooks to Meaningful Daily Practice

Azam Ahmad said values under the new curriculum will no longer be taught as abstract concepts or limited to textbooks.

Instead, they will be embedded in daily routines, interactions, and learning experiences, starting from preschool.

Education leaders believe that involving parents directly in early reading activities will strengthen children’s emotional security, language development, and readiness for lifelong learning, laying a strong foundation for the success of the 2027 curriculum.

Source:

Free Malaysia Today – “Space for parents to read with preschoolers in new curriculum”

Thoughtfully adapted by KiddyNews. Keeping parents and educators informed with the latest ECCE developments from Malaysia and beyond.