All About Preparing For Primary One

[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.

[buds]

janet_lee88:

Buds,

Does your son use Stellar English program ?

I only have daughters, janet_lee88.
2 daughters. One in P3 and another in P1.

janet_lee88:

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.

My P1 DD2 brings back literature/worksheets/assignments in relevance to
the Stellar programme every week. She can memorise a few of the text
from the books read in school. Yes, i tried to purchase IN-Step for her but
was told they no longer sell it, so i bought the MY PALS books from POPULAR
to give her the structured part of learning English. I also bought her CASCO's
PASS ENGLISH for its complete paper setting from listening compre, to oral,
to cloze passages and also compre compo component.

I volunteer in her school & have seen the Stellar books. They are
extremely simple for the children to read. Like one liner a page kinda
readers but BIG books. Some are from RIGBY literacy readers that some
pre-schools use during the children's K1/K2 days; that some children can
familiarize with.

While it is good that MOE comes up with this new Stellar approach which is
more open fun learning and broad based theme learning, it depends on the
individual schools; the extras (assignments/worksheets) that they give out
to the children to support the programme in ensuring children get the much
needed grammar, vocab, compre and compo exposure to prepare them for
P2. My DD2 has a fantastic school support and a truly exceptional teacher
this year... ... so lucky her and lucky us. A teacher's abilities & passion
is the most important part in nurturing her young students. Since the K2's
are in transition phase to P1. A good foundation is required to follow thru'
the years to come.

janet_lee88:

Your advice is required. Thanks.

Hope this helps somewhat. :hugs:
Yes, let's cheer each other on this rat race.

[janet88]

Hi buds,

Sorry…forgot you have 2 princesses.

My Pals series are not cheap…the text for P1/2 is $21.
Thanks for your info on Stellar books. Will go through her Rigby books from school more often now. Having a committed teacher is such a blessing for the child. That transition phase from K2 to P1 is a vast difference…esp for my gal who is a Nov child.

[Pen88n]

janet_lee88:

Hi buds,

Sorry...forgot you have 2 princesses.

My Pals series are not cheap...the text for P1/2 is $21.
Thanks for your info on Stellar books. Will go through her Rigby books from school more often now. Having a committed teacher is such a blessing for the child. That transition phase from K2 to P1 is a vast difference...esp for my gal who is a Nov child.

For those who do not mind, you can consider 2nd hand textbooks from bookstores in Bras Basah. In fact, some of the 2nd hand books are pretty new and \"hardly used\". Price is about half or less of the new books.