All About Preparing For Primary One

[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.

[janet88]

Hi Pen88n,

You mean My Pals textbooks are avail for sale in Bras Basah bookstores ? That’s interesting. Will check it out. 谢谢.

[Pen88n]

janet_lee88:

Hi Pen88n,

You mean My Pals textbooks are avail for sale in Bras Basah bookstores ? That's interesting. Will check it out. 谢谢.

I do not know if there is My Pals textbooks for certain, but I saw quite some textbooks the last time I visited there at end and start of year. A lot of primary school textbooks (Chinese, Maths, English) and also some of those common books like Chinese phrases book that complement the textbook. Condition is quite ok - actually not surprise as considering most kids use for a year only. Hope this helps.

[buds]

janet_lee88:

Hi buds,

Sorry...forgot you have 2 princesses.

It's awrite, dear.

janet_lee88:

My Pals series are not cheap...the text for P1/2 is $21.

That's why i don't get the textbook.

I get only the activity books. There is also another version of text which is
the handbook for P1/P2 that i find more holistic in its structure. More
expensive but i suppose it comes as a very thorough sweep of what
the children should cover in the 2yrs. Since POPULAR is giving 20%
coupons for members, this can be a good time to get a few stuff to
get them occupied for the next semester.

janet_lee88:

Thanks for your info on Stellar books. Will go through her Rigby books from school more often now.

You'd be surprised that mebbe the current Stellar is using exactly a few
of the books you already have from your kiddies' kindy days... A
few other titles are also from familiar children stories with either rhyming
words or repetitive story lines like for example... The Old Woman Who
Swallowed a Fly... Silly Sally... (etc).

janet_lee88:

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.

I try not to give excuses for my dd who is an Oct child to be slower than her
peers. I give her the same preparations, if not more than her elder sister...
I do not really believe that year-end children are INDEED slower than others.
Or rather i choose not to think of it that way, so to beat that she starts earlier
than her sister. In fact for my dd, she is a fantastic listener since baby days..
It's surprising that she listens and retains the knowledge from when i was
actually teaching her jie-jie. :shock: Her memory is superb and that definitely
is a plus for her. And me of course.. teehehee.. :lol: It takes less time to
teach her concepts cos she can get the idea from the first two tries. She is
also more diligent than her sister when it comes to doing work. She enjoys
work and cannot keep still doing nothing.

One example was when she was like almost 4yrs old and roughly just finished
single letter sounds with me, she actually answered for 4 sister when i asked,
\"bl.... aaaack, bl... aaaack..... makes....?\" Her sister was still trying to put the
sounds together when dd2 answered, \"Black!\" in the background. Just like that.
And that happened while she was actually playing with her blocks. So,
it's ok to teach two children together at times. :lol: As long as one doesn't
disrupt the other... then one can stay.

The jie-jie would get rather upset sometimes that mei-mei can get the
characteristics of animals and the properties of materials right; just like
a CD that keeps repeating itself. We are still caught quite in awe when
the mei-mei can apply the scientific facts in experimental questions too!
We can't quite fathom how her wiring can be that different from her jie..
That's why we all know, no two children are alike. Each of them is unique.
As parents and also teachers, it is up to us to bring out the best in each of
our children... and find the way that they can learn best. My elder daughter
is more a visual learner... and mei-mei is more an auditory learner. Hence,
i try to make or find materials that best helps each of them learn and also
understand concepts better.

Yes, vast transition. That is why P1 Prep Class are popular these days. It's
a crash of stuff children should already be exposed to, in K2. Starting early
plus with just a wee bit extra of parental guidance at home, children should
justifiably be adequately prepared... without the need of such a class. But
different families have different routines and lifestyles. While some parents
may have or may afford the time, a few others may not have that luxury...
so these courses can be a lifesaver for parents who are either unsure of
what the child should know by then or parents who have no choice but to
outsource cause they have a need for it due to limited family time at home.

That's why it is important to ask centre operators, (kindies/childcare centres)
what would my child be learning or what would she have learnt by the time
she is in K1 or upon graduating in K2... what would she be able to do? From
the centre's outline of the K2 curriculum, good ones will be able to tell you
from A to Z the stuff that the children can independently accomplish before
they leave for formal primary education. That the basic academic skills are
being introduced to children accordingly. Long term experienced operators
may even be able to tell the parents that their students leave their centres...
P1 ready.

As parents, we can do some homework as well and recce what is the norm
covered in P1. Dun have to buy the books just when you're registering the
child for nursery classes. Can just browse through them in bookstores
nearby to roughly get the gist of it. You'd know if the ctrs prepare them
enough to see through P1 without much push or stress & hopefully without
the need for any tuition.

Just my usual bout of sharings.

[janet88]

Hi buds,

Actually year end kids do not have excuse to be slower. Just comparing between my son (Jan) and daughter at age 6, my daughter grasped concepts faster than son. Son had a problem learning hanyu pinyin too.

My gal is attending RC class for Eng and Math P1 preparatory. She has learnt quite a lot since Feb and I’m thinking of letting her continue next year.

Hi Pen88n,
Thanks for update…wil check out bookstores at Bras Basah one of these days.

[smurf]

can I know what is RC class?? :?

[hquek]

smurf:

can I know what is RC class?? :?

RC = Resident's Committee? Some HDB blocks have RC centres and those offer classes for kids.

[smurf]

Thanks Hquek.:)

[buds]

janet_lee88:

Hi buds,

Actually year end kids do not have excuse to be slower.

Guess with first born children, a lot of stuff are like trial & error.
When it gets down to the next child onwards, we're a little more
experienced when we care for them and work with them. I'm in
a similar situation as you. Especially since i've been a
SAHM to manage the house and the children, i have extra work
all cut out for me when i have to teach them myself. It does get
tiring at times especially with the elder one, but when she eventually
gets it right and understands how to apply it to her work and exams,
the satisfaction is priceless.

Frankly, i cannot recall having so many assignments or homework to
do when i was her age... ... Her bag is super heavy. Once it was
raining and i took a cab to fetch her from the school gate. She wanted
to sit in front, so the taxi driver took initiative to help her with her bag.
He was surprised that he couldn't lift it high enough to bring it and put
it on down in front of her seat. He says children these days so poor thing.
So many things to bring... so many things to do... rest time seems like a
luxury. Play time is extra (bonus). He continued then to share about his
son's plight in school.

janet_lee88:

Just comparing between my son (Jan) and daughter at age 6, my daughter grasped concepts faster than son. Son had a problem learning hanyu pinyin too.

:hugs: Okie.. :hugs:

janet_lee88:

My gal is attending RC class for Eng and Math P1 preparatory. She has learnt quite a lot since Feb and I'm thinking of letting her continue next year.

Wow! So your daughter had an early start! Good for her and you! :hugs:
Did your son start out in the same programme as well prior to entering P1?
It's great that you found an RC class that is good.. cos not all RCs offer
quality programmes. Where we reside, not too fantastic. Cheap but not
worth the go. How much is yours and what's the duration like? When u
mentioned of letting her continue next year... does it mean the RC offers
like a continuation of tuition classes? Cos i thought there usually is a fixed
time frame for a P1 Preparatory Class...

janet_lee88:

Hi Pen88n,
Thanks for update...wil check out bookstores at Bras Basah one of these days.

Hi Pen88n, i have not been to Bras Basah before.. it's far lah. :oops:
Is it worth the travel down to get books there? Any particular store u
patronize more often than others? Thanks for sharing this lobang.