Evelyn Tan steps up to help sons with dyslexia

Evelyn Tan was one of Singapore's most popular hosts and actresses when she was in her 20s, but she put her career on hold when she became a mother.

She made another big decision in homeschooling her children in their formative years but when she discovered that her three sons were dyslexic, it put a spanner in the works.

Tan, 49, has four children together with TV personality Darren Lim: daughter Kristen, 19, and sons Jairus, 17; Way, 15; and Elliott, 11.

Although homeschooling went smoothly with Kristen, Tan told TNP that she realised that Jairus needed more time to grasp concepts and found reading a little more difficult.

He was diagnosed with dyslexia in 2016.

According to Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS), about one in 10 of the population has dyslexia. This neurological condition hinders a person's ability to read, write and spell despite possessing normal intelligence.

"It was really quite tough," Tan said.

"I saw other kids do well and thought that I, the homeschool mum, was the one who was teaching badly.

"Thankfully, Kristen performed well and I was not doing anything different with her, so it could not have been me."

Determined to support her son, Tan signed up for Certificate in Dyslexia and Literacy Teaching at DAS Academy in 2016.

"It was a beacon of light for parents like myself," she said.

"I had the impression that with more exposure, concepts like spelling would get stuck but I learnt that it was not so for my son.

"For a dyslexic mind, you have to give very specific instructions.

“The course taught me that not everyone learns spelling the way I did or the way my daughter did.

“I also learnt how to make the task simpler by cutting up words into chunks or syllables.

“It was beneficial for myself as well.”

DAS Academy head June Siew told TNP that a lot of effective dyslexia remediation is language and phonics-based.

"Sometimes it doesn't work because English is a borrowed language, so we have to come up with creative ways to make learning fun instead of asking them to just memorise like how our parents did last time,” she said.

"We hope they will become independent and come up with their own strategies."

Dr Siew added that for parents looking for help, the DAS Academy website offers free access to webinars that share quick and bite-sized tips.

"If like Evelyn, you want a more in-depth understanding, you can work towards the certifications we offer.

"We look at not only literacy, but also maths, executive function and behavioural support."

Tan said had she known her sons were dyslexic, she would not have taken the homeschooling route at all.

Kristen is pursuing a Diploma in Digital Film and Television at Temasek Polytechnic and Tan is still homeschooling Jairus, who will sit the IGCSE exams this year.

Way and Elliott are in mainstream secondary and primary schools now.

“During the pandemic, I realised Way was struggling and needed to socialise, so we made the decision for him to go back to school in Primary 6. The social environment works better for him," said Tan.

"I didn't homeschool Elliott as I had my hands full with the other two."

Tan hopes that in sharing her own experiences, she can help other parents who have children with learning challenges.

"Rather than blaming the child, be knowledgeable and informed, and find that community to support your child and yourself,” she said.

"It can be a very lonely walk if your child is the only one failing in your circle of parents with smart kids.

"It can be daunting for a parent, what more for a child.

"It's okay if you have a child like that, I have three!"

Now that her children are older and a little more independent, Tan is set to return to drama productions after an 18-year hiatus.

She plays single career woman Gu Chuntian in the new drama, Moments, which is available on meWatch.