All About Dyslexia

[juz_me]

I-believe and mybaby: thanks for your replies.


Mybaby: I will probably be sending my younger son for assessment sometime mid this year. Thot of settling my older son first.

Thanks for your encouragement.

[MyBaby]

juz_me:

I-believe and mybaby: thanks for your replies.


Mybaby: I will probably be sending my younger son for assessment sometime mid this year. Thot of settling my older son first.

Thanks for your encouragement.

Hi juz_me, 加油， 加油!

[curiousone]

There has been much talk about how foreign students are snapping up places and grades (because of the bell-curve) of local students.


With rising numbers of foreign students admitted to our schools, how would you as a parent feel?

My parents and relatives are deeply concerned. Afterall, unless you come from a well-to-do family, sending one’s kid overseas is extremely costly.
And the family may have to split up if there are older siblings (like myself) who’s working.

So what’s your take on this? Are foreign students making life more stressful and competitive for your child?

Any solutions to this problem? How do you help your child to survive?

HELP!

[tankee]

it is the same at the workplace with foreign talents.


the only way is to sharpen our sword and compete head-on.

[verykiasu2010]

IMHO, foreign students are not adding stress. they make life for the kids more real-world like


we have to learn to accept that we are competing against the world, not just fellow singaporeans

the earlier the kids get to know it the better, to avoid a rude shock or disappointment in life later on.

[kiddo]

verykiasu2010:

IMHO, foreign students are not adding stress. they make life for the kids more real-world like


we have to learn to accept that we are competing against the world, not just fellow singaporeans

the earlier the kids get to know it the better, to avoid a rude shock or disappointment in life later on.

Bravo :salute: .....you hit the nail head on verykiasu2010 ....... curiousone dont avoid challenges that will face our kids ...the earlier they learn..
.the more equipped they are...... .
and the tougher they become...
.we would love to protect our kids from more challenges but do we mould their character if we shelter them all the time....

Wasn't A small island like Singapore excel because we have tough founding fathers that set the tempo for the future......

45 years on is another set of challenges that our kids must learn to take and adapt, as parents we facilitate this and there are many ways to do this ... yah

:celebrate:

[curiousone]

i guess it’s different when your child has learning difficulties.

my brother suffers from dyslexia. on top of that, he was some auditory difficulties.
unfortunately, his condition isn’t serious enough to go to a special school; and international schools wouldn’t take him in either because they have hit their capacity.

he just entered secondary 1 this year, and we are very concerned that he will not be able to cope, given that measures to help children with learning disabilities aren’t sophisticated enough in Singapore.

in that sense, i think the issue of more foreign students taking up places in Singapore schools - NOT top schools, but even regular schools - was brought up in my household.

we are trying our very best to help him overcome his learning disability. but it is very challenging and taxing. hopefully we can get more help from the Ministry so he won’t always fall behind the pack.

it’s heartbreaking to see him demoralised and have others call him "stupid" or "slow"

[kiddo]

curiousone:

i guess it's different when your child has learning difficulties.

my brother suffers from dyslexia. on top of that, he was some auditory difficulties.
it's heartbreaking to see him demoralised and have others call him \"stupid\" or \"slow\"

sorry Curiousone- your brother case was probably a different one and call for a very very supportive family and friends alway behind him to support
him emotionally as he learn to cope with the outside tough world.

my sister hubby business fail and at that time she have a pair of very
young twin on top of three other kids -all 5 and she took 2 jobs to make ends meet while the hubby hibernate , her 3 younger kids were branded stupid and slow in school but my sister did not gave up ,
her support in the mist of all these remarks for her child finally see them through to adulthood.

If your brother is now in sec 1, he is indeed doing well, no child should be pitch against another standard, this I believe but at his own standard and timing.

In time to come if there are enough encouragement, love and support,
I am sure your brother will excel by his own standard but people
around him must believe in it, his closest and dearest.

The world outside is tough but all the more the child should learn independent in the mist of all the misunderstanding from outisder that
do not know him.

I hope I am not just been non understanding becasue I am not in your family shoe , was just trying to give my 2cents opinion.

Faith, Hope and Love do see us through many a time, and I wish your brother, your family and you well
:hi5:

[WaWa]

curiousone:

i guess it's different when your child has learning difficulties.

Hi curiousone,
I somehow agree with what Kiddo had written.

I guess the world outside is always tough for everyone, special needs or not. So, it is not so much about the influx of foreign talents nor the influx of foreign students. To rephrase, whether or not there is/are foreign talent/students, life ahead will always be more challenging for special needs children & their families coz we are living in the real world. Naturally, in a real world, competition is everywhere and it is such competition that helps Singapore stay ahead. Your brother is already very lucky to have a sibling like you who think & worry for him.

I am a mother to an autistic child. Life has been tough since his diagnosis... and as I understand, it will continue to be tough and it will be a long journey ahead, with or without influx of foreign talent.

The fact that your brother is now in Sec 1 is already an achievement in itself. My son can't even do mainstream preschool. If God permits, and by some strokes of miracle, I am hoping that he can eventually make it to a mainstream primary school. Never mind if people calls him \"stupid\". To me, the fact that he is in that (mainstream) school tells me he is not stupid! Never mind what others say. I will make sure I rationalise with him that he is not stupid and that he is just \"special\". I will be there to encourage him & egg him on (well, hopefully, since life & death is unpredictable)

Such enrolment (of foreigners) also exist in the \"already scarce special needs schools in Singapore\" but this is the real world we are living in, so we should expect there'll always be competition around us.

Of course, there are moments where I worry what's to become of him when i have to leave. Can he even find a job at the supermarket since by then, these jobs should have been \"taken up\" by the foreign talent? But that's just me in my quiet moments, with my own silly thoughts when i am in \"depressive mood\". However, I do quickly snap myself out of it & tell myself that instead of thinking ahead & worrying incessantly, I should just focus on helping him now. You & your family's endless support matters more to him than the presence of foreign talent and likewise, you & your family's unconditional love matters more to him than those \"senseless\" labels/ names others put on him. Of course, it's easier said than done. Trust me, I'm going through it & it's definitely definitely an absolute challenge! Well, such is life! C'est La Vie!

So, continue to be there for him & forget about the presence of foreigners. They are here to help us too and should not be seen as a threat. Think positive. Your brother will be fine with a fine sibling like you Remember, given his condition, he is already doing very well. May the force be with him, you & your family. ... and May the Force be with me too! hahaha Cheers !

[chrisu]

I think when we talk about foreign students, there are 2 types;

- the normal foreign students like what I had as my classmates in the 60s and 70s. They pay higher school fees, no subsidies, no priority. Their results like average locals though some may fare better.
- the other group are the foreign scholars that our country sourced for them to study in Singapore. They are usually older and have completed most of the syllabus of the same level and just need to "buck up" on their English subjects. Some schools offer them extra supplementary classes at night and of course vacancies are reserved for them.

1. Won’t some of the schools vacancies be affected because of them?
2. If their numbers are included in the computation of MOE scholarship, wouldn’t the number of local students eligible be affected too though these scholars are not eligible for bursaries and scholarships?
3. Education is basic needs and heavily subsidised in Singapore, so our local priorities should be protected. This is different from working later in life where there is competition with FT. We should not compare these 2 as it’s unfair comparison. It’s a fact as my son just completed his O level and in his school, the teachers are spending more time with scholars than trying to improve the poorer results students or encourage them.