Reporter roles get pre-schoolers keen on language, news

SINGAPORE — Channel 738 is the most popular station for a little community living around Blk 738 in Pasir Ris West, where viewers can get the latest news on topics like Zika and the haze, as well as on events taking place in their area.

The newshounds behind these productions, however, are pint-sized pre-schoolers attending the PAP Community Foundation Sparkletots Preschool at the foot of Blk 738.

These five- and six-year-olds are “recruited” under the school’s Junior News Broadcasters project, through which teachers use current affairs to engage this “YouTube generation” who grew up with smartphones and tablets.

The pre-schoolers present the news live or in the form of short video clips recorded with the help of their teachers or parents. These clips are then used in class as teaching aids and also shared with parents.

So with the recent outbreak of Zika, five-year-old Kedar Parag Borole — who is into health issues — went on stage during Wednesday’s morning assembly to inform his 119 schoolmates about the effects of the virus on unborn babies and how everyone can do their bit to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

While Kedar prefers health news, six-year-old Choo Yong Wei specialises in “news tragedies” such as traffic accidents, and animal news such as how the River Safari’s pandas Jia Jia and Kai Kai celebrated their birthdays two weeks ago.

Lead principal Kathryn Goy first set this Junior News Broadcasters initiative rolling in 2012 to narrow the learning gaps among the school’s children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. What is unusual about the school is that more than a third of its pupils come from lower-income families enrolled under the kindergarten fee assistance scheme, and 13 per cent receive the maximum amount of subsidy possible.

“Having kids report the news is my way of emphasising language use,” said Ms Goy. “Children need steps before they can get to the level of public speaking, so video recording is a way.”

To make the experience as “real” as possible, Channel 738 has its own animated intro, backdrop for newscasting, microphone flag, and video editing crew (in the form of a teacher). And thankfully, the 49-year-old principal, who spent nine years in the media industry before making a career switch to pre-school education, has the experience to direct the productions.

For her outstanding leadership in the early childhood sector, Ms Goy will be one of the three leaders receiving an accolade from the Early Childhood Development Agency tomorrow.

Parents told TODAY that playing cub reporters has made their children more interested in the news and current affairs. “Tell me the news” has now become Kedar’s constant refrain, said his mother, Ms Leena Parag Borole, 30, who recently made “Googling the news” a new parenting activity at home. Among the news they track is the construction progress of Singapore’s new tallest building in Tanjong Pagar.

The scope of Channel 738’s reportage extended into the children’s homes during the June holidays, where parents were encouraged to work with their children to create a one-minute clip on any topic that interests them. The clips made included a child creating a recycling box with slots for paper and tin cans, while another demonstrated how she recycled used water.

Recently, some of the more vocal students have also started reporting on real events, such as the school’s celebrations on National Day and Racial Harmony Day, where they interview fellow classmates on their experiences.

As Yong Wei’s mother, Mdm June Wong, said: “These factual events are even more engaging than storybooks.”