All About Preparing For Primary One

[SAHM_TAN]

My dd will be registering for P1 in 2011

Thank you all for sharing, I have read all the pages. I have 1.5yrs to encourage her to read more, build up her English and Chinese vocab and work on her maths skill. Quite alot to cover but trying not to panic…

[buds]

nonKiasu:

buds:

Surprising indeed... :!:


P1s not being able to cut or draw margin lines.. :idea:

That's kinda overwhelming for me to hear sssdarlings.
Seriously... :shock:

Hi, Buds. I agree that with sssdarlings that we take these simple skill for granted.

Hi nonKiasu.. long time no see. Guess you've been really BUSY!!

I do apologise for that insensitivity as it really comes as a surprise to me
cos most (if not all) my ex-students from pre-school years... regardless
coming from the mainstream kindergarten or from a Montessorian
environment are not only equipped with academic preps to face primary
education but also soft skills and also sports skills.. (in some centres
there's even public speaking and music!)... as the curriculum is integrated
to allow children to grow as an all rounder... a whole person.

How? By starting early... We start them with simple straight line cutting,
tracing, folding, (etc) and move up gradually to more challenging tasks
as they move up to K1... then finally to K2. Our K2's do spelling and
dictation, on top of other language skills and by K2 such tasks are almost
automatic already. Simple phrase dictation starts in K1 in fact for the
schools i've been attached to... hence (please forgive me if comes as
something puzzling for me that there can be pre-schools these days that
do not equip children as a whole.

I mean the main idea of attending a pre-school; in current context
especially... is to in fact prepare children for primary education.

I'm sure you're very excited! You have THREE to register for @ one go!
Hope you get to register your children in the school of your choice, dear..

So, are your children P1 ready? :evil:

[nonKiasu]

buds:

I do apologise for that insensitivity as it really comes as a surprise to me
cos most (if not all) my ex-students from pre-school years... regardless
coming from the mainstream kindergarten or from a Montessorian
environment are not only equipped with academic preps to face primary
education but also soft skills and also sports skills.. (in some centres
there's even public speaking and music!)... as the curriculum is integrated
to allow children to grow as an all rounder... a whole person.

:
:
So, are your children P1 ready? :evil:

Haha, no need to apologise I believe each child develop at their own pace esp mine are born pre-matured. My DS3 was born 1kg and reach 4kg only when he was 6 mths old! So, didn't want to stress out everyone in the household. Moreover, I can't afford 3*Montessorian or any tok-kong kind of kindergarten or enrichment courses. But I just wonder how much enrichment is considered enough and neccesary that I didn't deprive my DSs.

Not very sure how they are being considered by you as 'ready'. My DS1 can read Peter and Jane book 6 fluently end of last year (k1) and is a slient reader now. He will read to his brothers if he is asked to and in ok mood. DS2 and DS3 reading skills are only in par with their peers. I have to continue to work hard on the rest of their skills.

[buds]

Yes, you're right. Each child has their own pace since they are all

born different and unique. That's why starting early with children
can never be over-emphasized so that the pace can be spaced
out nicely over their growing years and not rushed and crammed
all at the last minute. Language skill is but only one of the skills
children should have.. There's also Math, MT, soft skills, EQ, music
and sports.

My DD1 is also pre-mature. I don't give myself or her that
reason entirely to excuse her from not being able to do certain
things. We still encourage her all the way whether or not she
takes the same time to get there or double time. Hence with
her i cannot do last minute work. She cannot absorb. Can say
she's the slow and steady wins the race type. Hehee.. :lol: Or
mebbe the i take my own sweet time type. :lol:

Children should be sufficiently prepared if they have done a few
years of pre-school. Psst, we also cannot afford tok-kong presch
that's why i teach myself. Hahaa! I cheap mah! :laugh: Peter &
Jane level 6 huh? Not bad. Quite small fonts oredi. Some more so
sweet willing to read to siblings! :hugs: Do you get the 'c' books
to see if they can comprehend what they've read..? The activities
in the P&J 'c' books are simple enough & used to expose children
to early comprehension skills. I used them for both my girls.

Children these days are allowed to integrate better into the P1
system as they're mostly revising what's been learnt in kindies.
There will be children who never attended any kindies prior to
going for P1. While some schools retain the paper exams, others
have done away with them and use formative assessments as a
gauge of the children's overall performance.

Apart from reading, in Math; the children will be doing a lot of
number bonds up to 10, more and less and also a little on
positions ie. 1st, 2nd, (etc) and simple shapes.

As the part on how much enrichment is enuf.. i do wonder about
that last time.. but going through with the race with others will
only make ourselves compare how we have shortchanged our
children.. and it will never end.. there will always be better kids,
richer parents, better schools etc etc etc... but i'm happy if my
children are happy and do fairly well in school.

Learning is a long process, (i'm still learning!) i'd rather they enjoy
the entire process than starting out the race fast and furious only
to lose interest half way... and fade out. Besides i love my
kiddies cos they're mine.. just as they are. :please:

My hugs for your 3 princes, nonKiasu! :hugs:

PS:Take heart that while there will always be things that we think
we deprive our children of, we do not deprive them of our love &
care & attention...

Take care, nonKiasu! :love:

My girls had a blast in P1 (DD2 still has half a year to go!) and i'm sure yours will too!

[deskbound]

does anyone has good suggestion for Prep Pri 1 courses in jurong west?

[janet88]

Hi buds,

Learning is a very long process. I’m still learning every day…how to coach my son in his subjects and my daughter who is going to Primary 1 next year.

I hope that both of them do well and get into University one day. My son is an average student, but I hope he will mature (soon) and have self-motivation to do well…work hard to get into a secondary school of his choice.

As for primary school, I do not mind schools doing away with CAs but at least have SA1 and SA2 from Primary 1. Doing away CAs and SAs at P1/2, these poor students will suffer when exams are introduced at P3, on top of Science.

[buds]

janet_lee88:

Hi buds,

Learning is a very long process. I'm still learning every day...how to coach my son in his subjects and my daughter who is going to Primary 1 next year.

Not just very long i guess.. :lol: .. more to a never-ending process... :faint:

Heyya janet_lee88, same here with us.. still learning from each other
every day. I learn from them too.. from observing them. Each child
has a unique learning potential so as best as i can, i try to work
with them the way they can each learn best. It is a lotta work
but it's worth it in the long run. Our P1 DD2 did us very proud
for her last SA1 formative assessments. When she whispered
to me \"Thanks mum for helping me...\" i felt so touched...
beyond words. That's priceless satisfaction for a stay-home-mom like me. :love:

janet_lee88:

I hope that both of them do well and get into University one day. My son is an average student, but I hope he will mature (soon) and have self-motivation to do well...work hard to get into a secondary school of his choice.

Yes, as parents we only wish for the best for our children.. that one
day when we're gone from this Earth, they can be good filial children
who are independent and can do good in the world.... on top of being
able to do well academically.

janet_lee88:

As for primary school, I do not mind schools doing away with CAs but at least have SA1 and SA2 from Primary 1. Doing away CAs and SAs at P1/2, these poor students will suffer when exams are introduced at P3, on top of Science.

Even though my DD's school did away with the CAs and the SA1s for the
Pri 1s this year, i still gave them similar practices at home with mock
papers that i bought on top of other regular assessments. This also
helps gauge the level of their understanding and comprehension of
what i have taught them. The transition from the honeymooning
phases of first two years of primary education to P3 onwards is
indeed challenging and i am still fine-tuning the ways so that i
can help DD1 to help herself apply what she has learnt.

I used the experience from the days with my DD1 to better prepare
my DD2, just like how you're learning from your experience from
your elder boy to better prepare your girl. :hugs:

:rahrah: Jia you, okay? :rahrah:

[janet88]

Hi buds,

Yup, let’s support one another here.
As SAHMs, we can only do our part and try our best to coach our little darlings in their school work.

P1/2 is the crucial years in primary school…this is the period to build up foundation.

[Champion]

deskbound:

does anyone has good suggestion for Prep Pri 1 courses in jurong west?

Hi, send you a PM on P1 Chinese Prep Course

[janet88]

Buds,

Does your son use Stellar English program ?
Much as I will use experience with son to teach my younger one, MOE has done away with Eng textbook. Fortunately I kept up my son’s textbooks from P1…not too worried about Chinese and Math (since textbooks still avail) but understand teachers do not allow the English text to be returned home and are kept in school.

Your advice is required. Thanks.