Comparing Chinese Enrichment (Primary/Preschool)

[cafelatte]

That’s the general feedback I get from my friends as quite a few of them send their children to Berries preschool classes for the more interesting programme. However, I can’t comment first-hand as I haven’t seen Berries primary school worksheets.


Mine attend Tien Hsia since K2. I think that all programmes have their merits and it depends on your ‘luck’ what kind of teacher and classmates you get.

For Tien Hsia, I just want to point out that : P1-P4 they do not have seperate classes for CL and HCL (unlike Berries). The enrichment classes are taught at HCL level. Therefore, expect more "cheem" words that what they will be learning at CL classes in school. The TH spelling list will also consquently, be more "cheem". There are some children who struggled or feel discouraged so again, you need to evaluate.

[foreverj]

hi, my dd in N2 currently attends a one hour per week home-based chinese playgroup. the teacher is free-lance, from china. she is pretty good and teaches recognition of chinese characters. spoke to her a few weeks back about when the kids will learn to practise writing. her comment was that only start in p1. from now until k2, is to do lots of tracing, cutting and colouring exercises using the booklets she bring in from china. my question is - should i be concerned that my dd wil only start writing in p1 for this class? or i just rely on her cc to teach her the writing and trust that the word recognition is sufficient for now?


thanks in advance for any suggestions/comments!

[Busymom]

cafelatte:

Mine attend Tien Hsia since K2. I think that all programmes have their merits and it depends on your 'luck' what kind of teacher and classmates you get.

For Tien Hsia, I just want to point out that : P1-P4 they do not have seperate classes for CL and HCL (unlike Berries). The enrichment classes are taught at HCL level. Therefore, expect more \"cheem\" words that what they will be learning at CL classes in school. The TH spelling list will also consquently, be more \"cheem\". There are some children who struggled or feel discouraged so again, you need to evaluate.

Maybe because of the way the primary school level is being taught, recently I had a surprise when I saw my K2 spelling list. It was a rather long list, a big jump from what she did in T4 at K1. There were 3 words (computer, morning exercise and wake up) and a sentence (we go to the garden to jog)... as we started almost like just the night before, ended up spending the whole night working on the list... After this experience, vowed never to wait till the last minute again :oops:

[Busymom]

foreverj:

hi, my dd in N2 currently attends a one hour per week home-based chinese playgroup. the teacher is free-lance, from china. she is pretty good and teaches recognition of chinese characters. spoke to her a few weeks back about when the kids will learn to practise writing. her comment was that only start in p1. from now until k2, is to do lots of tracing, cutting and colouring exercises using the booklets she bring in from china. my question is - should i be concerned that my dd wil only start writing in p1 for this class? or i just rely on her cc to teach her the writing and trust that the word recognition is sufficient for now?


thanks in advance for any suggestions/comments!

Just my two cents, but I think to start writing in P1 is a bit too late, isn't it? I am told that P1 kids are already expected to do simple composition these days?

At the very least, should start some simple writing in K1 already.

[Monster Mummy]

Hi,


But come to think of it as P1 student now is in the teaching of Han yu Pin yin, they are more relied on the Han yu pin yin.

I send my course to another programme, the first time i saw his assignment, i am completely faint.

Most of the chinese characters he can’t even write, he can only write in Han yu pin yin.

Yes, i am agreeing kids now must start to let them learn to write some essay.

[Lock]

Anyone has any comment on Han language Centre? Am thinking of sending my dd there for compo and compre class. She is in P3 this yr and definitely needs help in these areas,

[corneyAmber]

chuayy:

As for Berries their Pre-School teacher can teach Pri/Sec level. They should have fixed teachers for each level.

Actually this statement is really not true, it really depends on the teacher's qualification. My child's teacher last year cannot teach her new level this year(both are lower primary level yet it differs) so she has to change her teacher even though there are no changes to her timeslot. Typically a teacher will follow up to the next level if able like during kindy level, if not, they will use another teacher. Her last year's teacher remain teaching the same level and still working at that timing so we still see her.

chuayy, perhaps your experience should be a great one because they use a sec level teacher to teach both pri and pre-school, you get more for paying the same?

[auntieM]

foreverj:

hi, my dd in N2 currently attends a one hour per week home-based chinese playgroup. the teacher is free-lance, from china. she is pretty good and teaches recognition of chinese characters. spoke to her a few weeks back about when the kids will learn to practise writing. her comment was that only start in p1. from now until k2, is to do lots of tracing, cutting and colouring exercises using the booklets she bring in from china. my question is - should i be concerned that my dd wil only start writing in p1 for this class? or i just rely on her cc to teach her the writing and trust that the word recognition is sufficient for now?


thanks in advance for any suggestions/comments!

My DS learned strokes/writing by K1 and at K2, hanyu pinyin and composition liao. Definitely too late to start writing at P1.....

[corneyAmber]

auntieM:

My DS learned strokes/writing by K1 and at K2, hanyu pinyin and composition liao. Definitely too late to start writing at P1.....

Composition at kindy is advanced indeed.

[auntieM]

Yup ks2me, I’m quite impressed with his preschool too.