I Can Read - Discussion

[tweetyjing]

Not long after the incidence, my daughter fell sick and took MC. She usuallu was placed in a group teaching setting under same teacher for the same content in Simei center. They ran both weekdays and weekends groups so the child who missed their lesson in either group get their make up lesson in the other.


When I asked Katong center for her makeup lesson arrangement and I was pushed for a one- to-one lesson, but for 30MINUTES only.As I know my daughter, who needs time to settle and she loves the interaction during the big class with her peers, I asked for the group teaching make-up. But they refused my request and insisted on one-to-one. And then I asked if the duration can be extended as for my daughter, she wouldn’t be able to learn much if she sits for just 30 minutes. Of course I am slowly changing her, but the changes don’t take place overnight, and I want her learn while she is still with the center. After much intensive discussion, they finally agreeed to give my daughter 50 minutes make up.

I felt very tired to ask for what I think is the right for my daughter in this center.

[tweetyjing]

And just not long agao, unfortunately my daughter fell sick again and took MC. So I asked for a 1-hour one-to-one make up lesson for her from the center based on my unpleasant experience before. And this time they pushed me further and they insisted to give my daughter just 30 minutes sharp make up lesson. If I requested to extnd the makeup lesson to 1 hour, I need to top up 40 dollars for that. Hence they totally not considering group make up lesson at all.


This time I requested to speak to the center manager, hoping to solve the issues once for all.

Firstly I asked her why the arrangement for make-up lessons are like this in the center. And I was told the course fee I paid for 1.5 hours is ment to be devided into 8, means each student get teacher’s attention just slightly more than 10 minutes only during the class. And Now they are willing to give 30 minutes one-to-one make up, we are at the advantage!

And then I asked if she can grant for group teaching make up. And the center manager "did not encourage" due to the price difference between the weeday fee and the weekend fee. An here I verbalised my own opinion (may not be true), that, the group students may not attend the class fully each and every time, even they attend fully, you just slot in one studentor two, it wouldn’t affect the class quality much. Of course, you control the total number of the students to ensure a smooth lesson. And not every weekend parents mind so much about taking a weekday student in the class with their kids occasionally because of the money issue. The center manager insisted "she had majority parents interests in heart", "not fair for the weekend parents to accept a weeday kid in thier class"…

And then I elaborated our situation as in my daughter’s character. And I asked her to give us a peaceful transition by doing some special arrangement for the makeup lesson. Not to be too regid about 30 minutes sharp. Lets say extend to about 45 minutes? And this time she agreed to extend the class SPECALLY for us, not so calculative, but to extend 2 or 3 minutes, which is fine with her. The reason why she is so concern about the duration is to "ensure the teaching quality" as teacher may get tired by extending their teaching hours. And she emphasised this is business, and that’s how she run her business.

By then I understood clearly, how a student’s interest placed in her center.
And I told her that we have a crush in different beleves, we’d better go seperate ways. And I decided to withdraw my kid totally from ICR, and will not go back, at least to this center, anymore.

[yuppybb]

hmm was wondering if there is any mummies here who have tried ICR @ Rivervale mall in SK?


need to garner some feedbacks.

thanks

[steffi88]

yuppybb:

hmm was wondering if there is any mummies here who have tried ICR @ Rivervale mall in SK?


need to garner some feedbacks.

thanks

my gal is currently with the branch. which level are u looking at?

[HappyAvon]

Cassmania:

Any feedback for I Can Read at Harbourfront or tiong bahru branch

Hi cassmania, my girl was with the same teacher since prp...she had since completed their icr programe and was in their advanced reading program before we moved her to lcentral just recently....if u are looking at harbourfront, u can ask to speak to teacher su...she is from new Zealand and had been teaching my girl all along...my girl benefitted a lot from her...she is kinda strict but does deliver result. From my last conversation with her, she will be returning to new zealand for good in august next year after she finishes her contract with icr....good luck...

[Cassmania]

HappyAvon:

Cassmania:

Any feedback for I Can Read at Harbourfront or tiong bahru branch

Hi cassmania, my girl was with the same teacher since prp...she had since completed their icr programe and was in their advanced reading program before we moved her to lcentral just recently....if u are looking at harbourfront, u can ask to speak to teacher su...she is from new Zealand and had been teaching my girl all along...my girl benefitted a lot from her...she is kinda strict but does deliver result. From my last conversation with her, she will be returning to new zealand for good in august next year after she finishes her contract with icr....good luck...

Thanks for the info. My greatest concern is whether my boy (2.5 yrs old) can sit still to listen what the teacher is teaching coz he is very active and the feedback i rec'd from the childcare ctr that he just want to play and does not want to sit down to listen to storytelling and learning of songs. I'm worried that is it waste of $ to send him there.

[HappyAvon]

Cassmania:

HappyAvon:

[quote=\"Cassmania\"]Any feedback for I Can Read at Harbourfront or tiong bahru branch

[/quote]
Hi cassmania, I'm not too sure abt d class for 2.5 yrs old..but I know for the tcs level, the children are learning abt first sound n I ever saw som games n play going on.. Probably u can chk it out wif the school to find out more abt classes for 2.5 yrs old... Prior to icr, my girl was previously wif zoo phonics. When my girl was younger, we enrolled her to different classes mainly for exposure n interaction wif other kids..in the beginning, u dun see much benefits, but as u go along, u will see great improvements...kid at that age are active n likes to play n it really depends on d teacher to know how to mak play interesting for the child to learn thru play....

[RyanMom]

Hi,


Is there any comments on ICR @ AMK?
Thanks.

[Monster Mummy]

Hi RyanMom,


My kids are attending the classes, so far still quite okay.

How is your kid, maybe you will need to talk to the staff at the centre.

[usaik]

yuppybb:

hmm was wondering if there is any mummies here who have tried ICR @ Rivervale mall in SK?


need to garner some feedbacks.

thanks

Hi, I used to send my son to ICR@SK. And that was more than 3 years ago. I find ICR programme very effective in teaching and helping young children to read and spell. I personally felt that it is an extremely effective programme for kindie going children. My son was unable to read when he first joined the class at the beginning of k2. In fact, the reason why I send him to ICR is because his kindie principal raised concerns on how he can't read simple words. I can see very good progress very shortly after I send him to ICR@SK.

I believe there were some concerns by parents who felt that the programme has a lot of drilling where they give long list of spelling words each week. However, personally I felt that it's not difficult for the child as the programme teaches concept of how they pronounce each word phonetically. Once the concept is grasped, it doesn't really matter whether it is 10 words or 50 words, the kid will know how to spell them almost effortlessly. And from how the child know how to spell the words, the teacher would know whether the child had successfully grasped the concepts too.

Very importantly, ds likes going to lesson. He used to have this teacher whom he called Teacher Philip (there used to be 2 teacher Philip there, but the younger teacher is the one who taught my son. Not sure if he is still there). Ds clicked extremely well with him. The teacher is responsible and Ds seems to have fun going for lesson every week. I had stopped Ds at the centre when he was in P1 as the timing was just not right. In addition, I have this impression (or you might call a lame excuse) that their writing problem may not be as good as their reading programme (afterall they are called 'I Can Read').

Administratively as a centre, I don't have any bad experience during the 1.5 year with them. However, if I do compare it with some other enrichment centres, i must say they are definitely weaker. One of them was : no regularly communication letters. Most communication back then was either verbally or parents need to read it from the notice sticked on the glass door at the centres. So it would help for parents to personally go down to fetch the child a little bit earlier and check out any notices back then. I am not sure how things is being run now, it might have improved.