Can Enrichment Classes replace Kindergarten?
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Even though my nephew had attended 2 years of kindergarten before, he still cried very hard on his first day of P1. He told his parents that he was the only child who cried
I have another niece who did not attend kindergarten, she had no problem in primary school.
It all depends on the personality of the child.
Personally I think that for kids like my boy, who gets sick easily, then there is no point sending him to kindergarten just for social interaction. In fact, I find that my boy behaves better now when he does not attend kindergarten, and I am so happy that he is no longer skinny like before due to illness. On hindsight, I really should have kept him at home all the time. When he was in N2 and K1, I must have spent thousands of dollars on his medical bills, what's worst is that at 5 years old, he was still wearing 3 year old clothes
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tweety17:
agree with tamarind. My initial worry was social skills too, hence, I sent to enrichment classes. I do not think there will be a culture shock as long as the parent prep talk to the child about what to expect in Pri 1. My worries about social skill and culture shock were unfounded when my child entered Pri 1 this year. I think the most important thing is to manage his or her expectation and tell them the truth about what are the good and bad things to expect. As long as they know what is going to happen and with a positive attitude, i guess they will be able to blend in to the system happily.
I agree
Actually my boy's Berries class has about 12 kids, the teacher is very fierce and strict, so my boy definitely knows how to behave when in class. In the Morris Allen class, the teacher talks for 2 hours, and the kids have to remain in their seats to do their work, no fun and games, so this is also good training. -
mum05:
I always find it ridiculous to do homework even after attending 4 hours of kindergarten everyday. It is not necessary for a child under 6 years old to study so much. In fact, I threw away the homework when I thought it was unnecessary.As for homework, I don't think there's a need. In fact, from what I know, the enrichment schools actually give more homework than the kindy.
However, to have homework or not, personally, what's more important is that the kid has quality teachings. Plus, we could always buy extra workbooks for the kid to work on if we/kid wish to.
I have more interesting things for my kids to do at home, they learn so much more reading the wonderful children's classics.
In fact, now in P1, my girl almost never have homework. Her school principal said that kids should read more books and do less homework
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Oh tamarind, I've read abt yr 'teachings', u're good and I doubt I'd be able to do what you did/are doing. I just bought some workbooks and yet, I was lazy(esp. when the kid felt tired after musical instrument practice), thus the idea of enrichment schools.
Ya, I also totally agree that it's not just in a kindy tt a child can pick up social skills. In fact, our kid has been attending GUG tot group and then Kinderland Pre-N(3 hrs), Nursery(3 hrs) and now K1(also 3hrs-???). Although our kid was alittle afraid of being left alone for a longer period during GUG tot group time, but didn't cry at all on the very 1st day with Kinderland Pre-N - I didn't even see the need to stay back, just in case, I just went straight home. Our kid socialises very well as what we can see, plus there're still friends in the enrichment schools to socialise with. Play? no problem, daddy, mommy, ex-school friends, cousins can do the extra job.
There was a short period of time earlier when we had to place our kid to a childcare centre(also Kinderland's), we pulled our kid out right after acouple of mths there cos of bad behaviour/speeches being picked up.
I/we don't expect much from the school academically for the Pre-N and Nursery level so we closed an eye and just let our kid go there to 'play' but come K1, I was expecting a little more, not that much of cos, 'cos I don't believe in being too grilling academically but errm, at tis time of K1, still counting up 10-20? Oh man, our kid's already counting up hundreds and can even recognise that 1,000,000 as a million. In fact, our kid self-taught on the ABCs during Pre-N time too(when the school hasn't even started any). I really don't see much of what the school/teachers had taught our kid, (my hubby always seemed amazed how our kid is learning things and they're not taught by the school). They don't even know how to blend words now! and if it's not because of our kid's constant request to learn how to read, I wouldn't have known and I have to start teaching myself as much as I can.
What bugged us most is that I/We hate to see is the tired look our kid has when it's time to go for enrichment classes but as it's the kid's request to go for these classes and enjoyed very much, so we can't stop. Moreover, like what you've mentioned, these courses, same sujects as what're taught in the Kindy, are being taught by native speakers who specialised in each area, so they're more concentrated and usually, they're conducted in a more 'fun' and creative way, so the kid learn more and achieved more - and they're happier.
I'm so glad to hear that your kid is also not attending K2 and that put me at ease with this choice 'cos this route seemed to be able to give our kid alittle more 'breathing' time. Could you pm me your email so I can learn more from you? Thanks.
Thanks anyway, to all whom have contributed as well.
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mum05:
i enrol my elder boy in full-day pre-school since he was 20 months old (now he's 40 months old) because both of us are holding full-time job. To maximise his time in pre-school, we enrol the boy with enrichment classes in the afternoons. My boy is also taking musical lessons on weekends. Pre-school is so far so good as we felt that the teachers are responsible enough not to let the toddlers and kids pick up undesireable habits and train to have good manners. The concerns here however is, my boy although is 40 months old (in N1), but still can't recite the ABC to Z, and can't count hardly to 10's. It's worrying at times...
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Oh man, our kid's already counting up hundreds and can even recognise that 1,000,000 as a million. In fact, our kid self-taught on the ABCs during Pre-N time too (when the school hasn't even started any). I really don't see much of what the school/teachers had taught our kid, (my hubby always seemed amazed how our kid is learning things and they're not taught by the school). They don't even know how to blend words now! and if it's not because of our kid's constant request to learn how to read, I wouldn't have known and I have to start teaching myself as much as I can.
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[/quote]i enrol my elder boy in full-day pre-school since he was 20 months old (now he's 40 months old) because both of us are holding full-time job. To maximise his time in pre-school, we enrol the boy with enrichment classes in the afternoons. My boy is also taking musical lessons on weekends. Pre-school is so far so good as we felt that the teachers are responsible enough not to let the toddlers and kids pick up undesireable habits and train to have good manners. The concerns here however is, my boy although is 40 months old (in N1), but still can't recite the ABC to Z, and can't count hardly to 10's. It's worrying at times...[/quote]
Actually, yr son's 'school' is actually a childcare centre. All childcare centres these days provide full or 1/2 day care and are equipped with pre-school curriculum. However, their main/core concern is the looking after of the children, thus one really cannot expect much from the teachings. The 'better' ones(more costly) may have more teachers/helpers, to take away some part of the responsibilities - showering, etc and thus the teachers maybe(only maybe) able to concentrate more on the teaching part. My child has been through both pre-school and CC system and we do not like the latter, thus I'm back to being her core-caregiver, :P.
Those whom are attending preschools are already needing enrichment classes and I guess that's why so many of my friends who prefer to continue working, they have to sacrifice their whatever time left, to coach their kid(s) when back home in order to supplement(cos there's only 2 wkend each week, how to do all?). So perhaps, u'd like to do abit on that?
I know I can't, I'm not that hardworking in that sense, hahaha. Plus my child pick up the ABCs from the kiddy laptop, heeee.
As for the picking up of bad habits/languages, it's hard for the teacher(s) to control that when the kid grows older(usually K1 onwards) and the children play so much together since they spend more time in a CC environment, it's really not easy to prevent.
Juz my opinion based on what I've experienced... -
I agree that if you find a good CC or kindergarten, enrichment lessons are not so important. In the first place, ain’t enrichment lessons supposed to supplement what is missing in the CC/kindergarten which most children will typically go through? For me, i would rather to send my child to non academic stuff such as music, swimming etc, provided that the child has a keen interest.
A good CC (not just confined to the very expensive ones) definitely does not take care of just basic needs esp for nursery levels and above. Its curriculum shld try to cater to the all rounded development of the child. I also remembered in Nursery, my son was still not well versed esp in writing his A-Z and the school also only teaches 1-10. However, on understanding a bit more from teachers, the curriculum was purposely made the way e.g. for maths, it focus on 1-10 and its application like 4 is greater than 2, simple addition and subtraction. Point is that understanding the concept and application of using 1-10 is definitely more valuable than able to recognise and recite from 1-50. Also, the school emphasises on readers’ program which they introduce the child to recognise high frequency words at different stages and not the traditional "know as many letters as many that starts with say A". Through interesting repetitive reading, I realise that my son at K2 now able to recognise more words as we pick up a book and read to him at home. This is again definitely more practical and valuable.
Hence, for my case, I felt that my son has benefited in a CC environment. Apart from the curriculum, the CC also cultivate certain good disciplines e.g. in eating - not to be selective about food, bathing on his own, duty roster to help the teachers with simple chores etc, keeping mattress when they wake up. Such training is unlikely to happen in enrichment programs and most kids are nowadays too pampered at home. My son has this naughty boy in his class who always disturb the rest, initally he always complain about him, but one day he said something which amazes us "it is not that we do not like "Tom", it is just that we do not like "Tom’s" behavior." This example makes us comfortable about the school and that the teachers are imparting the right values to the young ones. -
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If a child is bright, don't need tuition/enrichment also can score well. Tuition/enrichment maybe can improve by another...maybe...0.5-1%? or maybe can handicap/hinder the child's actual thinking/planning power?
If a child is average, tuition/enrichment maybe can improve by another...maybe...5-10%?
If a child is below average, tuition/enrichment maybe can improve by another...maybe 50-100%.
So tuition/enrichment benefits those below average children most... [/quote]My opinions are different :
If a child is bright, she only needs very little time to study. In fact, 2 hours a week, or 15 mins a day is all she needs. Putting her in a full day CC or kindergarten for a few hours a day may be a torture for her because most of the time she is waiting for other kids to catch up. I believe that playing freely at home and reading whatever books she likes are more beneficial to her, don't forget that free play and day dreaming are essential for childhood.
If a child is average, when given one to one attention every day by a dedicated teacher(like mommy), he can be trained to do very well. But you can never expect one to one attention in any kindergarten or CC.
If a child is below average, one to one attention is even more important. Without this, it can be quite hopeless. -
keenDaddy:
You are very fortunate. My neighbour's little boy goes to a CC. He cannot feed himself, and the teachers didn't care, so he is now very pale and skinny. One day when his grandma fetched him in the evening, she found that his clothes were very wet. It turned out that teachers let kids \"bathe on his own\", and he did not know how to dry himself. So he put on his clothes when his body was still wet.
Hence, for my case, I felt that my son has benefited in a CC environment. Apart from the curriculum, the CC also cultivate certain good disciplines e.g. in eating - not to be selective about food, bathing on his own, duty roster to help the teachers with simple chores etc, keeping mattress when they wake up. Such training is unlikely to happen in enrichment programs and most kids are nowadays too pampered at home. My son has this naughty boy in his class who always disturb the rest, initally he always complain about him, but one day he said something which amazes us \"it is not that we do not like \"Tom\", it is just that we do not like \"Tom's\" behavior.\" This example makes us comfortable about the school and that the teachers are imparting the right values to the young ones.
Yes it is important to find a good CC. But a good CC cost about $1000 or more ? Many families cannot afford that. Even if we can afford to pay that kind of money, there are no good CCs in our area. -
mum05:
I did not actually do much teachingOh tamarind, I've read abt yr 'teachings', u're good and I doubt I'd be able to do what you did/are doing. I just bought some workbooks and yet, I was lazy(esp. when the kid felt tired after musical instrument practice), thus the idea of enrichment schools.
My younger boy has very short attention span, I cannot make him study more than 30 mins a day. But my methods are effective for him. I feel more tired sending him to enrichment classes. He is the kind who does not learn well even in enrichment classes, that is why I need to teach him at home.
Every child is different and parents should find the most suitable ways to teach them (one to one/enrichment/kindergarten, etc). Most parents will tell you that kindergarten is important. But note that MOE says that kindergarten is not compulsory, so there must be some good reasons why they do so.
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