Comparing Pre-school English Reading and Phonics Enrichment

[rainbows]

hi hi


my gal is k2 now. my boy is n1 now. i'm hoping to enrol a class to get my gal prepared for primary 1. cos realised she doesn't really know how to blend words. not able to read new words. seeing this, i want to start my boy young too.

after reading thru the previous many posts, noticed that icreativelearner & lorna whiston comes with many good comments.

could anybody advise me which is suitable or more suitable? :?: i'm located at sengkang. maybe that's a difference in the branch/teachers there?

thanks.

[hquek]

rainbows:

hi hi


my gal is k2 now. my boy is n1 now. i'm hoping to enrol a class to get my gal prepared for primary 1. cos realised she doesn't really know how to blend words. not able to read new words. seeing this, i want to start my boy young too.

after reading thru the previous many posts, noticed that icreativelearner & lorna whiston comes with many good comments.

could anybody advise me which is suitable or more suitable? :?: i'm located at sengkang. maybe that's a difference in the branch/teachers there?

thanks.

hi rainbows,

icreativelearner (or icl) program for preschooler starts from N2. they now have a crash course but that's for K1. I'm not sure what they have for K2 kids.

Please note that icl does not do phonics per se - my k2 boy doesn't quite know how to blend words, but he can read and usually gloss over unknown words (not ideal). DS1 so far has not had problems with spelling. Very happy with their program - in fact DS2 has just started (being N2 this year).

For rectification, I'll tell him to refer to me any words he don't know how to read, don't guess. And sometimes I'll ask him to write down 5 new words and we check dictionary together.

[rainbows]

hi hquek


n2 kid meaning 2006? so my boy wouldn't be able to attend together with the sister ;(

icreativelearner not so much for reading new words but for grammer, creative writing, etc? will enrolling in the class help with primary 1? now, i'm getting very anxious. don't know whether she's prepared for her primary 1. what happens if she failed all her subjects in primary 1

[rainbows]

hi hi


just wondering is l central/mind stretcher good for consideration too?

any advices?

[chrismei]

rainbows:

hi hquek


n2 kid meaning 2006? so my boy wouldn't be able to attend together with the sister ;(

icreativelearner not so much for reading new words but for grammer, creative writing, etc? will enrolling in the class help with primary 1? now, i'm getting very anxious. don't know whether she's prepared for her primary 1. what happens if she failed all her subjects in primary 1

Hi Rainbow

I Pm u.

[hquek]

rainbows:

hi hquek


n2 kid meaning 2006? so my boy wouldn't be able to attend together with the sister ;(

icreativelearner not so much for reading new words but for grammer, creative writing, etc? will enrolling in the class help with primary 1? now, i'm getting very anxious. don't know whether she's prepared for her primary 1. what happens if she failed all her subjects in primary 1

hi rainbows, if your child is in kindy, I think you worry too much...kinda remind me of my nightmares prior to A level result release (I dreamed I got Z - as in way worse than F). I'm sure the kindy would prepare them for primary 1.

yes, icl will be good for grammar and writing. There is a lot of focus on writing sentences. At K2, they are doing comprehension and a bit of composition writing - at this time, I think it's not the kids who write but the teacher will guide them HOW to write compo and WHAT to look out for in comprehension.

icl classes are conducted 6 kids in 1 class and the kids are all same level - there is no mix. This is done in teacher's home so there is no way both your kids can be at the same timing. Currently I drop one off, then pick him up and drop the other off. And I'm not the only parent...I see some fellow parent also doing the same.

There's icl at primary level but I think they have not opened up for registration. In any case be prepared cos they will give priority to existing students and I understand demand is also strong. For 2006 kids, classes have started. But if you are flexible about timings, there may be vacancies still...not hard to catch up. Alternatively, you can try for the K1 crash course (I think that one skip the alphabets and flash cards reading part).

[MMM]

rainbows:

hi hquek


n2 kid meaning 2006? so my boy wouldn't be able to attend together with the sister ;(

icreativelearner not so much for reading new words but for grammer, creative writing, etc? will enrolling in the class help with primary 1? now, i'm getting very anxious. don't know whether she's prepared for her primary 1. what happens if she failed all her subjects in primary 1

rainbows,

Don't worry so much. If your child is able to read, spell, write etc... for CL and EL, she will be able to survive P1. In fact alot of things done in P1 is probably a repetition of K2.

I always tell my kids (P3 and P2). Passing is easy. Everyone can pass. It's getting good scores that is my challenge to them.

[MMM]

rainbows:

hi hi


my gal is k2 now.i'm hoping to enrol a class to get my gal prepared for primary 1. cos realised she doesn't really know how to blend words. not able to read new words.

rainbows,

Given that you are staying at SK, you can also try to look at Jan & Elly at Serangoon garden for 1-1 coaching if the problem area is blending. This is usually conducted during the school hols. 10 weeks phonics lesson are being compressed into 1-2 weeks. Be prepared to pay the equivalent of the 10 weeks fees or more given that it is 1-1 coaching.

I did this for my son when he was in K2. He did the advanced phonics in 1 week. Daily lesson everyday. It's more like a crash course. I heard from the centre manager they do alot of such especially for K2 kids who are struggling with phonics.

[chrismei]

HappyAvon:

chrismei:

[When did yr girl start to read after attending PRP? It good to hear good comments from you...:)

I cannot remember exactly but when she was in PRP, we realised that she was reading the Peter & Jane book very well and we thought probably she was reading from her memory...However, one day in Popular, she took the Robin series book and was reading it out...Thats where we know she was starting to read....We gave her a lot of encouragement in her reading and very soon she was enjoying reading books on her own...

qq_guy:

[ I aso intend to start my gal at 4yrs old,but next yr i aso want send her for english course aso,so i might stop half way for \"i can read\". so is ur child stil in \" i can read\" ?

Yes she is still in ICR and will be proceeding to Stage 2 in early May and will take another 6 months to complete. Most importantly, the child must be enjoying in the lessons. she really loves ICR classes and is very eager to complete her homework and learn her spelling list. Maybe its really our blessing....

hi Happyavon

After much hesitaiton,I switched my gal to ICL.
Hopefully, my gal is able to read by age 5, next yr…
She is learning 1st sound again though she already knows..
a bit slow..as blending start 20 wks later.. Need to b patient..
as the homework involved finding of pictures associated with the letter,
Instead of finding pics assoicated with 1st sound, we introduced new words - vocabulary..
Recently, my friend told me that her gal (2 yr 10 mths) was assessed to be k2 standard by drilling
her to read 4 reader books every night (reward her generously) and kept her occupied her at least 2hrs (8p.m to 10p.m) ..her gal is able to
decode sight words..and I think she do not know to blend words as phonics dun work for her…though she been teaching her for 6 mths. she gave up and went to drill her in reading by teaching her to decode instead..I m not sure if this is a good method...for others who want to try

[HappyAvon]

chrismei:

hi Happyavon

After much hesitaiton,I switched my gal to ICL.
Hopefully, my gal is able to read by age 5, next yr…
She is learning 1st sound again though she already knows..
a bit slow..as blending start 20 wks later.. Need to b patient..
as the homework involved finding of pictures associated with the letter,
Instead of finding pics assoicated with 1st sound, we introduced new words - vocabulary..
Recently, my friend told me that her gal (2 yr 10 mths) was assessed to be k2 standard by drilling
her to read 4 reader books every night (reward her generously) and kept her occupied her at least 2hrs (8p.m to 10p.m) ..her gal is able to
decode sight words..and I think she do not know to blend words as phonics dun work for her…though she been teaching her for 6 mths. she gave up and went to drill her in reading by teaching her to decode instead..I m not sure if this is a good method...for others who want to try

Hi Chrismei, what u had mentioned is very similar to ICR PRP level.. finding pictures associated with 1st sound and last sound...Hope that you will get what u want with ICL.. We do not believe in drilling our girl...She is only 5...We never drill her on one subject for more than 30 minutes...In 1 hr, i will normally get her to complete her CMA homework which includes completing 70 questions in listening the CD-This will takes about 15-20 minutes...Another 15 -20minutes for her ICR homework which involved spelling list of about 8 words and another 30 minutes to revise playing her piano...If she spent 1 full hr on one night, the next night will be completely playing and reading with her...just have fun....I will always try to accomodate 30 -40 min max a day on revision....DH will not allow her to spend too much time either....We believe that learning should be fun...most importantly, she must enjoy learning....Learning is a long journey and she still has a long long way to go....
All the best to you and Be Patient !!