Eighteen years of success in early childhood education
AS children are our most important asset, it is vital that we provide them with a solid foundation for the acquisition of knowledge and skills to be successful in the future.
Early childhood education plays a key role as a child’s first learning experiences deeply affect her cognitive, emotional and social development.
Entering its 18th year in the industry, Smart Reader Worldwide has successfully established itself as the premier provider of early childhood education in Malaysia with a focus on giving children an excellent, unmatched educational experience.
From year to year, Smart Reader Kids has proven to be the leading education brand through numerous prestigious awards and recognitions presented by local and international institutions.
With the goal of providing access to quality early childhood education across the globe, the establishment is committed to investing in research and development to continuously improve its globally acclaimed programmes.
To date, there are more than 300 Smart Reader Kids centres nationwide, while another 150 centres are located overseas in countries such as Australia, China, Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates.
The organisation, backed by its dedicated and passionate franchisees, is committed to maintaining quality preschool education in every centre. These edupreneurs have demonstrated zeal and determination and excelled in building their franchises.
Remarkable icons in education
The Smart Reader Creative Teaching Methodology, created by Smart Reader Worldwide’s group executive director Datuk Dr K.H. Wang, was a breakthrough in transforming the early childhood education landscape in Malaysia.
Exclusively available to Smart Reader Kids centres, this unique, simple and exciting learning approach allows children to perceive knowledge with curiosity and interest. The methodology’s effectiveness is testified by more than a million students who now form the Smart Reader Kids alumni body.
Dr Wang says, “Educators have the power to open doors to the greatest possibilities for the younger generation, be it in creating respectable future leaders, reputable scientists or honorary professors, and I believe it begins with delivering the best academic experience from an early age.
“Therefore, it is crucial that we foster passion in pursuing knowledge in them through inventive and fun lessons.”
In recognition of her contributions to the academic industry, Dr Wang was presented with two prestigious awards this year – the Women Icons 2018 award during the Women Icons Summit & Awards organised by the Business Excellence & Research Group on Jan 30 and the World’s Mother of Education in The Bizz Awards 2018 organised by the World Confederation of Businesses on Nov 14.
The achievements are testament to a brilliant mind, as endorsed by The Malaysia Book of Records as the woman entrepreneur who has garnered the highest number of international and local awards on a personal level.
During The Bizz Awards 2018, Smart Reader Worldwide’s chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Richard Ong was named the Greatest Entrepreneur of Our Time by the World Confederation of Businesses.
This extraordinary achievement is a tribute to his perseverance, persistence and strength in the face of countless challenges over the last three decades towards transforming Smart Reader Kids into the award-winning international brand that it is today.
The World Confederation of Businesses has also conferred Smart Reader Worldwide with the Diamond Award 2018, the highest category of awards in the Bizz Awards 2018, for the achievements and contributions of the Smart Reader Kids brand.
The accomplishments of the Smart Reader Kids brand can be credited to its strong team within the organisation and its franchisees.
With the guidance and encouragement of the franchisor, Smart Reader Worldwide’s franchisees have built successful franchises that have also earned them accolades.
During the Malaysia Franchise Awards 2018 on Sept 18, Vijaya Laskhmi Raji of Smart Reader Kids Taman Nusa Bayu, Nusajaya, Johor, won the Emerging Homegrown Franchisee of the Year.
Ellisa Tan Yen Chep of Smart Reader Kids Bandar Tasek Mutiara, Simpang Ampat, Penang, came close as the finalist in the same category.
Beyond offering quality products and services, Smart Reader Worldwide has established itself as an organisation that contributes to the environment and community.
On April 22, in conjunction with Earth Day, Smart Reader Worldwide organised Earth Walk 2018, a charity family walk held at Taman Metropolitan Batu, Jalan Ipoh, to promote environmental awareness within families and raise funds for the National One Child One Hope Education Scholarship Programme.
With 560 children in attendance on the day, the event set a record in The Malaysia Book of Records for the largest number of children participating in a tree-planting event.
In the same month, Smart Reader Worldwide was granted the Community Leadership CSR Excellence Award 2018 by Miss Malaysia Kebaya and One Caring Heart Malaysia.
This is a result of the numerous corporate social responsibility activities organised by the company for paediatric patients in local hospitals, orphans and povertystricken youth, as well as its very own National One Child One Hope Education Scholarship Programme, an initiative that has funded more than 500 underprivileged students nationwide through their preschool education.
These efforts are aligned with Smart Reader Worldwide’s mission to ensure accessibility to quality childhood education regardless of creed, background, gender and socio-economic status.
Range of quality programmes
Smart Reader Kids’ range of international award-winning programmes was developed by certified and experienced professionals to ensure the best educational experience for every child.
The innovative programmes emphasise enhancing students’ academic excellence, sharpening their thinking and learning abilities, and refining their fine motor skills.
Utilising the Smart Reader Creative Teaching Methodology and Smart Reader Phonics, the curriculum is designed to provide an exciting preschool experience for children.
All Smart Reader Kids programmes implement a holistic approach, with Smart Reader English, Smart Bacaan, Smart Maths, Smart Science, Creative Arts and other fun and stimulating subjects at its core.
Apart from the classic Smart Reader Kids programme, Smart Reader Kids Islamic is a popular choice among Muslim parents. The educational programme comprises subjects such as Iqra’, Al-Quran, Ibadah, Aqidah, Akhlak, Jawi and Arabic besides the foundational preschool curriculum, including languages, arithmetic and science.
For parents who wish to prepare their children before entering Chinese primary school, the Smart Reader Kids Mandarin Medium programme will be the perfect choice.
Applying the Hanyu Pinyin approach, this efficient programme prepares young learners for Chinese medium primary school and assists them in mastering the Mandarin language effectively.
In similar pursuit, the Smart Reader Kids Tamil Programme uses phonics to train students to understand, read and pronounce Tamil words as well as enhance their vocabulary.
With its comprehensive range of programmes, Smart Reader Kids caters to the needs of the different races and religions in Malaysia.
The Smart Reader Kids Intensive English Programme is an evening programme that aims to ensure children master public speaking skills, expand their vocabulary and improve their writing ability.
This full-day programme helps to ease the minds of working parents by ensuring that their children are in a safe and comfortable environment. It assists children to build a good foundation in the language, allowing them to attain higher levels of English proficiency in the future through interesting and entertaining projects.
As an extension, the Smart Reader Kids++ programme caters to children from two to 12 years old through the provision of fun, safe and affordable childcare services.
Different from regular day care services, it provides extra care and education for children, carefully balancing between the delivery of an educational experience and not overburdening them.
Upon completion of the programmes, alumni of Smart Reader Kids will be well prepared for lessons in primary school, standing out among their peers as creative, articulate and confident individuals.
Incorporating technology
Especially with the incorporation of technology, the landscape of education has progressed tremendously over the years. The use of technology has been proven to bring a positive impact in children’s development and learning when used effectively.
On Oct 30 this year, Smart Reader Worldwide launched the Smart Kinder-Tech and Smart Student Management System.
These approaches feature techbased applications that will revolutionise not only the learning environment but also the entire schooling ecosystem, including students’ well-being, safety and progress in school.
The grand launch was officiated by Datuk Azman Ayob, head of Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department, Kuala Lumpur, and livened by the attendance of celebrities such as actress Ayu Raudhah, television host Lavin Seow and radio DJ Aanantha Rajaram.
With the introduction of the innovative Smart Student Management System, parents can access a child’s information, such as live attendance, activities and achievements, from the convenience of an app. This ensures that parents are aware of their children’s well-being, safety and daily progress in school at all times, giving them peace of mind.
It complements the high-end security systems that include automatic door locks and CCTV cameras in all Smart Reader Kids centres to ensure students will always be in a safe and comfortable environment.
The Smart Kinder-Tech is an interactive e-learning programme designed to create a stimulating and engaging classroom. Through its introduction, teachers now have access to more innovative and improved teaching methods that allow them to promote learning and create an active learning environment for children.
Smart Kinder-Tech will be available to the four core subjects of English, Bahasa Malaysia, mathematics and science.
Kevan Ong, executive director of Smart Reader Worldwide, believes the introduction of this new techbased environment complements the international award-winning programmes at Smart Reader Kids, ultimately presenting a wellstructured syllabus with a holistic focus on the development of cognitive, motor, emotional and social skills to make Smart Reader Kids truly every child’s dream school.
He says, “The success and achievements of Smart Reader Kids alumni and the overwhelmingly positive response from parents towards the programmes have motivated us to continuously develop and enhance our approaches and systems.”
Further international expansion
For years, Smart Reader Worldwide has represented a home-grown brand that successfully expanded to the international arena. The brand continues to promote quality education around the world after its successful expansion last year to Medan in Indonesia, Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and Melbourne in Australia.
Last year, Smart Reader Worldwide made its first step into Australia through the launch of the Smart Reader International Language and Enrichment Centre in Melbourne. The success of the centre was proven by the overwhelming positive feedback from local and foreign students in the area.
This led to the opening of the first Smart Reader Kids centre in Yarra Junction, Victoria, Australia.
On Aug 26 in Melbourne, Dr Richard, Dr Wang and Kevan visited the opening of the centre with partners Ashley Ong and Datuk Joon Ong.
The early learning centre in Yarra Junction will be utilising the complete English-based Smart Reader Kids programme and received much praise from visitors who were impressed by the facilities and programmes at the centre.
On Sept 21, a momentous event took place as Smart Reader Worldwide executed the Master Franchise Agreement with its new partners from China, Chen Yi and Datuk Joon Ong. The new centre will be located in Wuhan, China, and is expected to be launched early next year.
Dr Richard believes this move is not only a win for the brand but also for the country, saying, “Thanks to our innovative, reliable and sustainable business plan, the international expansion will greatly contribute to the boost of Malaysia’s economic growth.”
Franchisee Award Nite 18 – Arabian Night
This year marks the 18th year Smart Reader Worldwide is organising the Franchisee Award Nite. The objective of the event is to commemorate exceptional franchisees in its fraternity for successfully running the Smart Reader Kids and Smart Reader Kids++ child enrichment centres across the country through the presentation of distinguished awards.
With the theme Arabian Night, the dazzling event celebrates more than a hundred franchisees who will be rewarded in various notable categories, namely Radiant Diamond, Diamond, Platinum and Gold.
Outstanding individuals will also be highlighted during the event through special recognitions, including Franchisee of the Year, Emerging Franchisee of the Year and New Impressive Franchisee. The event will take place this Saturday at Royale Chulan Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.
Reflecting back at the successful year, executive director Keefe Ong concludes that while the productive and effective operational strategies and promotional campaigns are contributing factors, the achievements lie in the high standards that have been put on product development.
“The demands in school syllabus are always evolving in this rapidly progressive era and we have the responsibility to ensure that our children will grow up with the necessary tools to succeed,” he says.
“Through continuous research and development in our programmes, we aim to provide children with the best educational experience. With the support of our remarkable franchisees, we intend to maintain our status as the nation’s leading early childhood education provider and will strive to achieve greater milestones in the coming years.”
Parents are welcome to visit one of the 300 centres nationwide and learn more about the international award-winning programmes, facilities and enrolment. n For more information, call 03-6279 5555 or SMARTLine at 1300 885 555, or visit www.smartreader.edu.my