I Can Read - Discussion

[Imami]

lovinglife:

just turned 3 (was rejected earlier due to \"under age\"). Both assessors put her in TCS and commented she should be able to clear the level in 4-5 lessons. True enough.. she made it within the \"predicted\" timeframe.

my personal take is tcs and little bear programs are not worth doing, if the parent can teach on your own. Unless, the parent cannot teach or the kid is not receptive to the parent's teaching (some kids may not be ready for \"sit down lessons\" or pencil holding activities around 3 YO). Then it's good to bring in professional help.

The one worth doing (solely for ics programs) is probably from prp onwards and shd complete icr advance (not very sure of the exact term) by middle of k2).

[lovinglife]

Imami:

soundt2x:

Hi I would like to find out what's a good age to send my daughter for I Can Read Programme...I personally feel that K1 is quite a good age but my friend who sent her daughter told me that K1 is too late, it's better to send my child who turns 4 next year... For those parents who have sent your child to I CAN READ programme, what's your take on this?

Hi!

If icr works for your kid - I also feel k1 is too late. Perhaps 4-4.5 is a good time to start with their programme. The kid can start with tcs first (icr will assess the kid) and soon, can progress to prp.

If u are taking generally or for other programs, then maybe k1 is good. some enrichment ctrs start off at 5yo and all they require is kids must recognize all the letters in the alphabet, can write own name, understand simple instruction.

My son started ICR at the age of 3.9yo. I thought it was too late because he took 2 terms to clear TCS. I got a shocked when I saw his classmate able to read independently in front of me. Later than I found out their age different by 1 yr. My son is Dec baby. Since then, I accelerated him. Though he was just passed 4yo. By 5yo, he has no problem reading chapters, silent reading, comprehension & spelling is a breeze.

[lovinglife]

Imami:

lovinglife:

just turned 3 (was rejected earlier due to \"under age\"). Both assessors put her in TCS and commented she should be able to clear the level in 4-5 lessons. True enough.. she made it within the \"predicted\" timeframe.

my personal take is tcs and little bear programs are not worth doing, if the parent can teach on your own. Unless, the parent cannot teach or the kid is not receptive to the parent's teaching (some kids may not be ready for \"sit down lessons\" or pencil holding activities around 3 YO). Then it's good to bring in professional help.

The one worth doing (solely for ics programs) is probably from prp onwards and shd complete icr advance (not very sure of the exact term) by middle of k2).

I agree with you. If the parents can teach, recognising alphabets & first sounds are better to do it at home. Save $. My daughter bugged at me for so long that her gor gor going \"bear bear school\", she wants to go too! We have been dragging because she was under-aged.

ICR programme takes 1 whole year to complete. Since no skipping level allowed. So it depends how long the child clear PRP level. Average is 3 terms from my \"research\". You won't be surprise a lot of kids only started ICR programme in K2 and completes in early P1. Some of my son's classmates are in P1 now.

[Imami]

lovinglife:

My son started ICR at the age of 3.9yo. I thought it was too late because he took 2 terms to clear TCS. I got a shocked when I saw his classmate able to read independently in front of me. Later than I found out their age different by 1 yr. My son is Dec baby. Since then, I accelerated him. Though he was just passed 4yo. By 5yo, he has no problem reading chapters, silent reading, comprehension & spelling is a breeze.

3.9 doing tcs? Then it's late but my take is let them do it own time own target. If the kid is slow, I Teach slow. If the kid is fast, I bring in more stuff earlier.

That's good for your little one. My journey with icr was less than satisfactory. The reason why I signed up with them was becos they claimed to place the kids by ability instead of age. My kid was nearly 3 when he started with icr. He was in the middle of tcs and little bear, hence I requested he started off with little bear first. By 4th lessons, the teacher assessed that he would be better in tcs. It so happened that little bear and tcs were taught by the same teacher, so no issue. He had less than 2 terms in tcs before the teacher decided that it would no longer be beneficial for him to stay in tcs and she recommended an assessment for prp. I was not ready mentally as I felt that the progress was too fast. I requested to see the syllabus of tcs and eventually agreed that my kid should move on.

By then, my kid was around 3.5yo and due to some unforeseen circumstances, he did a few make up lessons in a prp class. the teacher in that prp class responded positively when I asked her if my kid could cope in her class.

Prp were taught by a group of native teachers. All 4 native teachers assessed my kid. All 4 teachers decided that they could not take him into their classes (read carefully: they could not take him, not he couldn't do it). I pressed for an explanation. I couldn't understand - since one particular prp teacher had taken my kid in her class before and she gave good feedback for his performance, how come she was also rejecting him???

In the end, they revealed that becos my kid was not yet four and most prp kids are 4-4.5 when they started. They asked me to bring him back 6 months later for another assessment. I was disappointed. It was not like what they said - based on ability, not age. Either that prp teacher 口是心非 when she gave the feedback or she didn't quite bother with my kid as she thought he was only 友情客串 for a few lessons. Little did she know that I was as serious for the prp lessons as the little bear or tcs.

During the 6 months, we moved on. I found another phonic programme for him. We did return for the assessment by the end of the 5 month. Guess what? They now had a similar dilemma - my kid would likely to able to clear prp within 2 terms but then, they would hv to keep him in prp level for longer becos he would still be too young for the next level. :mad:

What rubbish. I pulled my kid out of icr totally, never looking back anymore, never recommending anyone else. But that's my personal experience at one particular branch. There are successful stories from the same branch or from icr (the colleague who recommended icr to me, her kid was with icr for years, right till the kid completed icr advance).

I heard this particular branch \"changed for the better\" but for me and my kid, icr is water under the bridge.

[lovinglife]

Imami:

lovinglife:

My son started ICR at the age of 3.9yo. I thought it was too late because he took 2 terms to clear TCS. I got a shocked when I saw his classmate able to read independently in front of me. Later than I found out their age different by 1 yr. My son is Dec baby. Since then, I accelerated him. Though he was just passed 4yo. By 5yo, he has no problem reading chapters, silent reading, comprehension & spelling is a breeze.

3.9 doing tcs? Then it's late but my take is let them do it own time own target. If the kid is slow, I Teach slow. If the kid is fast, I bring in more stuff earlier.

That's good for your little one. My journey with icr was less than satisfactory. The reason why I signed up with them was becos they claimed to place the kids by ability instead of age. My kid was nearly 3 when he started with icr. He was in the middle of tcs and little bear, hence I requested he started off with little bear first. By 4th lessons, the teacher assessed that he would be better in tcs. It so happened that little bear and tcs were taught by the same teacher, so no issue. He had less than 2 terms in tcs before the teacher decided that it would no longer be beneficial for him to stay in tcs and she recommended an assessment for prp. I was not ready mentally as I felt that the progress was too fast. I requested to see the syllabus of tcs and eventually agreed that my kid should move on.

By then, my kid was around 3.5yo and due to some unforeseen circumstances, he did a few make up lessons in a prp class. the teacher in that prp class responded positively when I asked her if my kid could cope in her class.

Prp were taught by a group of native teachers. All 4 native teachers assessed my kid. All 4 teachers decided that they could not take him into their classes (read carefully: they could not take him, not he couldn't do it). I pressed for an explanation. I couldn't understand - since one particular prp teacher had taken my kid in her class before and she gave good feedback for his performance, how come she was also rejecting him???

In the end, they revealed that becos my kid was not yet four and most prp kids are 4-4.5 when they started. They asked me to bring him back 6 months later for another assessment. I was disappointed. It was not like what they said - based on ability, not age. Either that prp teacher 口是心非 when she gave the feedback or she didn't quite bother with my kid as she thought he was only 友情客串 for a few lessons. Little did she know that I was as serious for the prp lessons as the little bear or tcs.

During the 6 months, we moved on. I found another phonic programme for him. We did return for the assessment by the end of the 5 month. Guess what? They now had a similar dilemma - my kid would likely to able to clear prp within 2 terms but then, they would hv to keep him in prp level for longer becos he would still be too young for the next level. :mad:

What rubbish. I pulled my kid out of icr totally, never looking back anymore, never recommending anyone else. But that's my personal experience at one particular branch. There are successful stories from the same branch or from icr (the colleague who recommended icr to me, her kid was with icr for years, right till the kid completed icr advance).

I heard this particular branch \"changed for the better\" but for me and my kid, icr is water under the bridge.

Sorry for your bad experienced with them. If this practises apply in my daughter's centre, we might face the same issue. She is N1 now. Assuming she uses 1 yr to clear PRP, in her N2 year. Start ICR level in mid N2 and completes in mid K1, if this is allowed. Hmmm...

I wonder Why they would restrict the child's progress? My son will complete ICR at 5.8yo.

[shinystar]

Hi


Anyone know what will the kids learn when they are in ICR advance level? thks

[lovinglife]

shinystar:

Hi


Anyone know what will the kids learn when they are in ICR advance level? thks

It involves lots of reading from unmarked stories & was given a chapter book but I am not sure if they read that every lesson. Comprehension, grammar & spelling.

[shinystar]

Hi lovinglife


ok thks

[SummerEH]

hi,


Any comments on the Bedok branch teachers?


Thank You

[p1momsg2014]

any comments abt novena branch?