AN IMPROVED learning support programme for primary 1 and 2 pupils weak in English has produced better results.

A pilot study of the new programme showed that 65 per cent of 402 pupils in 34 schools graduated from it by the end of Primary 2. Previously, the pass rate was only 40 per cent, said the Ministry of Education on Tuesday.

While the previous programme for pupils was like an English remedial lesson, the improved one focused on skills, said Ms Thoo Mei Lan, a senior reading specialist who led a team which came up with the new programme.

Pupils were taught in small groups to listen, speak and read to get them up to speed in literacy. Called the Learning Support Programme (LSP) for English, it targets about 5,600 pupils, or up to 14 per cent of each Primary 1 cohort.

Giving an update on the programme during a visit to Greenridge Primary School on Tuesday, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education Masagos Zulkifli said the minisry started looking at ways to improve the original LSP, started in 1998, as its graduation rate had been 'hovering at 40 per cent for a long time'.

Describing the result as 'encouraging', he said the improved version has since been rolled out to all primary schools.

Pupils graduate from the programme once they have caught up with peers in their reading ability and can pass their English exams.

Many children who enter Pri 1 may have only the reading age of five - meaning that they cannot even read words like 'on' or 'is', said Ms Thoo.

By the end of the programme, they should achieve a reading age of seven and above, and be able to read even multi-syllable words like 'sapphire', she added.