It all started with the love for her own child, and wanting the best for his future.

When her son was born, Deanne Chong-Duffield knew she had to create an environment where he would flourish, at home and beyond. Traditionally trained as a Barrister-at-Law, her calling has always been to help children develop their abilities in reading and writing. In pursuit of this passion, Deanne continued her studies and later graduated with a Masters in Education (US) as a Curriculum Specialist in Early Childhood Education and Gifted Education.

Deanne was driven by her fiery belief that every child has his or her own individual gifts – and that the right school can bring out the best in these children. Through sheer hard work and determination, Deanne created a series of teaching methods that would essentially shape not only what children learn, but also how they learn.

As a testament to her teaching methods, Deanne’s son began independently reading at 20 months old and writing at 27 months old. He was selected for the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) at Primary 3 and was one of the chosen few who was admitted to MOE’s Creative Writing Programme, where his fiction writing was published in MOE’s Mementos.

And so, Growing Up Gifted began. On top of being its founder, Deanne has authored over 200 children’s books including phonics readers, workbooks and children’s songs. She has also been featured, interviewed and quoted in various magazines, newspapers and television programmes including Channel News Asia, The Straits Times, Tatler, Prestige and Young Parents, highlighting her virtue as both parent and educator.