Comparing Chinese Enrichment (Primary/Preschool)

[daddybear]

Hi all,


I just sent my 4 year old son to a Berries trial class and the teacher recommended that he goes to the nursery class as he does not seem to understand most of what she says.

1) Should I send him to to the Berries nursery class?... (he actually attended 3 terms of chinese) during his nursery year
2) Send him to Berries K1 class and put him through intensive chinese at home. Hoping he will catch up
3) Do a dual class, attend both Nursery and K1 chinese.

Other questions would be what do you do to encourage your children to speak chinese at home?

Currently, the only shows I allow him to watch are chinese education shows like YoYo TV. I have tried to speak in chinese to him but he tells me he is an english boy and does not understand chinese...
:stupid:

Just wondering how others cope and address this issue...

[hquek]

daddybear:

Hi all,


I just sent my 4 year old son to a Berries trial class and the teacher recommended that he goes to the nursery class as he does not seem to understand most of what she says.

1) Should I send him to to the Berries nursery class?... (he actually attended 3 terms of chinese) during his nursery year
2) Send him to Berries K1 class and put him through intensive chinese at home. Hoping he will catch up
3) Do a dual class, attend both Nursery and K1 chinese.

Other questions would be what do you do to encourage your children to speak chinese at home?

Currently, the only shows I allow him to watch are chinese education shows like YoYo TV. I have tried to speak in chinese to him but he tells me he is an english boy and does not understand chinese...
:stupid:

Just wondering how others cope and address this issue...

I don't recommend to put him in a class where he cannot understand what's going on - my take is that this will discourage him only and make him feel chinese is something totally alien.

If you are able, put him in the N class and do regular reading with him, speak chinese regularly to him. It's good you let him watch chinese tv - but I'm not sure how much impact there will be.

DS1 used to be resistant to chinese. When we turn on chinese shows, anything with subtitles he'll watch; and he'll just switch off (ie do his own stuff) if there are no subtitles. I signed him up for chinese S&D classes, and chinese enrichment classes; also started to read to him chinese storybooks. He's now ok (not resistant anymore).

[sleepy]

lwm99:

Anyone has feedback on Kumon Chinese enrichment class? I have the impression that they are better for their Maths, follow by English.

My dd attended for 3 months. Seem to focus quite a fair bit on hanyu pinyin. Anyway didn't attend long enough to reap benefits, if any.

[24hr-mum]

for ch shows, let him watch sun 10am-11am kids drama


or watch playhse disney but turn the language to chinese mode

[hquek]

24hr-mum:

for ch shows, let him watch sun 10am-11am kids drama


or watch playhse disney but turn the language to chinese mode

kid dependent. Mine will just ignore the tv totally if program is in chinese and there are no subtitles. Except! for xi yang yang...that's the only show he watches.

[Fuzz]

ADave:

Hi Fuzz, my son is the same age as yours. We are malay family and mostly speak english at home with him. I am preparing him for mandarin as 2nd language for p1. We brought him to Tien Hsia for trial and he doesnt like it at all. The teacher also couldnt handle him :(. I am now thinking of getting a private tutor for him doing 1-1 and also someone who can translate back in english so its easier for us parents to keep track of his progress. We are residing in Jurong west. DO you know of any tutor? Thanks!

Hi ADave, sorry I don't know any tutor in Jurong area. The one my boy goes to is in Tampines near where my parents stay. Hope you can find someone soon. All the best!

[krazy]

we just got back from a trial class at Berries. Sad to say, i was not impressed. The teacher seemed unprepared and the teacher assistant wasn't of help too.


During the story telling time, the one with the ppt presentation, the teacher got the teacher assistant to tell the story but she was tongue tied after like 2 slides and then the teacher took over.

What is the ratio of teacher to pupils in the class? Cuz the teacher wasnt able to handle the children and they were noisy. I sat in the class during the session and i could hear other children running outside the classroom. They were also shouting and knocking into the walls and i could hear them from inside the classroom.

I wonder if this is just with this centre or are things better at other centres?

The reading materials are good though so i dont want to strike out Berries as yet... Just a little disappointed with the trial.

[lostbunny]

krazy:

we just got back from a trial class at Berries. Sad to say, i was not impressed. The teacher seemed unprepared and the teacher assistant wasn't of help too.


During the story telling time, the one with the ppt presentation, the teacher got the teacher assistant to tell the story but she was tongue tied after like 2 slides and then the teacher took over.

What is the ratio of teacher to pupils in the class? Cuz the teacher wasnt able to handle the children and they were noisy. I sat in the class during the session and i could hear other children running outside the classroom. They were also shouting and knocking into the walls and i could hear them from inside the classroom.

I wonder if this is just with this centre or are things better at other centres?

The reading materials are good though so i dont want to strike out Berries as yet... Just a little disappointed with the trial.

I think it depends on the centre and the teacher. My colleague just feedback to me that her girl recently attended a trial class in Tampines Central and she loves it.

[LittleLambie]

krazy:

we just got back from a trial class at Berries. Sad to say, i was not impressed. The teacher seemed unprepared and the teacher assistant wasn't of help too.


During the story telling time, the one with the ppt presentation, the teacher got the teacher assistant to tell the story but she was tongue tied after like 2 slides and then the teacher took over.

What is the ratio of teacher to pupils in the class? Cuz the teacher wasnt able to handle the children and they were noisy. I sat in the class during the session and i could hear other children running outside the classroom. They were also shouting and knocking into the walls and i could hear them from inside the classroom.

I wonder if this is just with this centre or are things better at other centres?

The reading materials are good though so i dont want to strike out Berries as yet... Just a little disappointed with the trial.

Which centre is this? :shock:

[Callie Tan]

lostbunny:

krazy:

we just got back from a trial class at Berries. Sad to say, i was not impressed. The teacher seemed unprepared and the teacher assistant wasn't of help too.


During the story telling time, the one with the ppt presentation, the teacher got the teacher assistant to tell the story but she was tongue tied after like 2 slides and then the teacher took over.

What is the ratio of teacher to pupils in the class? Cuz the teacher wasnt able to handle the children and they were noisy. I sat in the class during the session and i could hear other children running outside the classroom. They were also shouting and knocking into the walls and i could hear them from inside the classroom.

I wonder if this is just with this centre or are things better at other centres?

The reading materials are good though so i dont want to strike out Berries as yet... Just a little disappointed with the trial.

I think it depends on the centre and the teacher. My colleague just feedback to me that her girl recently attended a trial class in Tampines Central and she loves it.

Yes it really depends on the teachers. My girl is in Tien Hsia. Luckily her K2 teacher last year was quite fierce beco there were these 2 naughty boys in the class... I saw other K2 classes were quite noisy as the teachers are not strict... So even in the same centre You will see different scenarios.