The Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) and Assets School formed a powerful partnership over 25 years ago because of a shared commitment to supporting students with dyslexia. This collaboration has spanned decades, fostering innovation in teaching methods and professional development. From introducing the Orton-Gillingham Approach in Singapore to creating groundbreaking training programs, the ongoing relationship between DAS and Assets has left a lasting impact on the countless students they serve.
Siang Lee, CEO of the Dyslexia Association of Singapore, reflected on the collaboration, noting that several DAS team members including Dr Geetha Shanta Ram, visited Assets School, where they learned about our Teachers Teaching Teachers program. Inspired by what was known as TTT, they returned to Singapore and launched their version of the program, renamed "Teams Teaching Teams." DAS continues to host Teams Teaching Teams to this day.
Assets School's "Teachers Teaching Teachers" (T3) initiative, an annual professional development program by and for educators, will be on Valentine's Day next year.
"Assets and DAS go back a long way, and there is much to share," said Lee. "Orton Gillingham training for teachers was first brought to the Dyslexia Association of Singapore in 1997 by practitioners from Assets School in the US." Today, OG principles continue to guide the DAS Main Literacy Program as well as the DAS Chinese, Mathematics, and other programs that support over 3,000 preschool primary and secondary school students each week in 12 learning centers in Singapore.
The connection between DAS and Assets School started when Gail Hawkins, an Educational Consultant at DAS, introduced the Orton-Gillingham Approach to Singapore in 1997. The introduction led to Singapore's first teacher-parent training workshop on Orton-Gillingham reading and math instruction.
DAS invited Assets representatives to Singapore to facilitate the Orton-Gillingham Course, with former curriculum coach Jane Raissle among the first to lead the three-week program in 1998.
"We worked with incredibly talented and dedicated teachers," recalled Jane Raissle, who worked at Assets for 30 years. "We were lucky to get to know their equally hard-working students. The days were intense but contributed to a very tight-knit group that was highly supportive of each other. In our 'free time,' our hosts graciously helped us visit interesting cultural and historical sites, treated us to amazing dinners, and were always willing to share insights to help us understand their country and the various cultures there."
Two Assets faculty members were closely involved in DAS's early years, including Diane Spindle, who worked with DAS in Singapore from 1998 to 2001.
"We helped the mostly new teachers there to implement OG lessons, as well as other administrative duties," said Spindle, a former curriculum coach.
Another former Assets teacher, Dr. Tanya Kort, also spent two years at DAS, and a DAS staff member participated in Assets' Summer School. In 2012, a team from DAS visited Assets School to strengthen their partnership further.
"I was on campus, along with Sandi Tadaki, Admissions Director and Assistant Head of School, when Mr. Lee and Mr. Roslan Saad, DAS program supervisor at the time, visited Assets," said Darlene Robertson, our former Director of Professional Development and Outreach. "The following year, I was invited to a Singapore workshop."
In addition to Darlene Robertson, former Head of School Paul Singer was also in Singapore conducting workshops for DAS staff and other educators in 2013.
“It was our honor and privilege to partner with Mr. Lee and the DAS ohana,” said Sandi Tadaki. “Their work, heartily supported by the government, positions Singapore as the only place in Asia where individuals with dyslexia are afforded a full range of services in a culture of inclusivity. Consistent with Assets' vision statement, ‘We aspire to a community--in Hawaii and throughout the world--in which all children thrive and realize their own potential so that society benefits from their unique talents and abilities.’"
As both Assets and the Dyslexia Association of Singapore continue to evolve, this collaboration is a model for how schools can work together to make a meaningful difference in the lives of students with dyslexia and learning differences, ensuring they receive the support they need to thrive. Assets School’s international reach includes sharing our knowledge with others in New Zealand, Japan, and China.