Malaysian mother runs free book club for children with Down syndrome

Reading is vital for children with Down syndrome (DS) as it enhances language skills and promotes social inclusion. Photos: The Star/Art Chen

Every Monday night at 8pm, Nikita Toh Tik Ean, nine, looks forward to her virtual book club session with her friends. There are 12 members in the club, which caters to children and teenagers with Down syndrome (DS).

During the one-hour sessions, Nikita and the other young book club members take turns reading – each one tries to read at least one page of the chapter that’s being discussed for the particular session.