Outstanding Community Project Award Winner – HSBC Living Business Awards 2008
Project: Smart Kid Intervention Programme (SKIP)

Way to Grow Limited, founded in 2005 by former university lecturers with a passion for child development, helps children with learning disabilities (LD) by establishing a proactive and positive attitude and making learning easier and more enjoyable for them.

SKIP is designed specially for children, aged between 6 and 15, with LD or special educational needs such as dyslexia, attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity, delayed development, developmental co-ordination disorder, autism and Asperger Syndrome. SKIP provides computer-based games for phonological awareness training, spelling, comprehension, writing and motor proficiency exercises to stimulate motor planning, cerebellum development, eye-hand and eye-body coordination, and small group participation with shared reading and discussion to enhance children’s cognitive, reading and writing skills.

SKIP was first launched at Fresh Fish Traders School (FFTS), Tai Kok Tsui, where the school principal shared similar beliefs in educating the underprivileged, new immigrants and school underachievers. The school provides free classrooms, computer facilities and space for activities. Children with LD studying at FFTS who are referred to SKIP by the principal receive free training. Way to Grow is committed to helping as many children as possible through SKIP and so children whose parents have financial difficulties are given discounts or even free tuition.

Parents of children are interviewed before enrolment and the Way to Grow trainers keep in close contact with parents throughout the programme to ensure that they understand the progress of their child. Children have to first undergo a pre-test to determine their baseline learning ability and then a post-test after completing the 20-week training sessions.

Children attending the course have demonstrated huge improvements in their learning abilities and personal development such as better concentration, literacy and discipline. Some parents and older students have also become volunteers to help facilitate the training, look after the children, promote the programme and carry out administrative duties.

SKIP is now also available at La Salle Primary School, SKH Kei Hin Primary School, Wong Yiu Lam Primary School and Caritas Chaiwan Marden Foundation Secondary School, together benefiting almost 100 children.