Teaching Chinese at Home

[keltong]

eskimo:

porcupine12trade:

[quote=\"ksme\"]Hi. Found this list of chinese supplementary readers for primary school on MOE website. Thought it is useful for parents wondering what type of chinese readers to get for their kids.


http://www.moe.gov.sg/resources/files/chinese-supplementary-readers-primary.pdf

I noticed that 不一样的卡梅拉 are listed as for P3-4 while 杨红樱成长主题绘本 series of books are stated as for P1-2.

Hi ksme

Thanks for the link. V useful for me ad I'm always search for suitable books for me kids. I really believe reading is the way to go. I'm desperate for my kids to pick up chinese story books on their own!

Hi Mummies,

Just wondering if the primary schools will actually have the recommended books for the students in class or allow them to borrow home? Or this list is more for reference for parents to decide what supplementary readers are recommended for home reading? I'm contemplating if i should by them on my own or not?[/quote]Hope you don't mind a daddy answering :lol:

I don't think it's available in class (at least not my boy's class). But I did a search on the NLB website and I believe most (if not all) the books can be found in our local library.

[eskimo]

hi keltong,


Thanks for the reply. I don't mind hearing from a dad at all. U r probably the first I met in this forum, besides chief.

I've decided to buy some of the recommended titles. Hope it will be shipped from dangdang without hiccups.

[tamarind]

porcupine12trade:

I tried the Sage books on him.... hmmm he lost interest after going through 3 lessons at 1 go, coz he asked why keep repeating, he doesnt like. Some times he will tell me \"我不要读 “高高的山“！” .. but I am still trying. I am also using the \"我会读“ series on him. Its a set of 10-15 books, entry level books are just 生字 which he prefers and managed to teach him recognise simple words like 爸爸，妈妈 etc. I have the nx level which are sentences, but terrible, v rarely used, bot 5yrs ago heh.

When you use the Sage books, do you repeat the lessons from the beginning ? That is read lesson 1 to 3 today, then read lesson 1 to 3 again tomorrow ?

You can actually just go on reading new lessons everyday, that is, 1 to 3 today, 4 to 6 tomorrow, 7 to 9 the day after, and so on. The words are repeated, but the sentences are different on every page. Just keep going until you finish all the books.

If your son can remember new words very well, then there is no need to repeat any page.

[tamarind]

hquek:

Brenda10:

[quote=\"seeker\"]
Hi Hi,

May I know this book is suitable for which age group?

Thank you.

Hi seeker

The dangdang classified this serial of books under P3 category. DD has no problem reading these books last year when she was P5. I know Ms Tamarind's dd P2 is also able to read too.

Standards differ. Someone told me his P6 child had difficulty reading this series - those who can read, very good. I think it's good to run down to popular to take a look see before you commit.[/quote]Dear all parents,

I agree with hquek that every child's standard of Chinese differ.

Both Brenda's girl and my girl have been reading many other Chinese books before they started on the 笑猫日记 series of books.

The truth is that, even if a child knows all the words in the MOE higher Chinese syllabus from P1 to P6:
http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/syllabuses/languages-and-literature/files/character-list-primary-higher-chinese-2007.pdf

He will still encounter many words that he does not know how to read in these books.

I advise parents to read these books with your kids, ask them to read every word out loud, then help them whenever there are words that they don't know. This is the best way to build up their confidence. Do not make them check the dictionary for every word that they do not know, they will start to hate reading after checking the 20th word.

Do not expect your child to be able to read these on his own, if he has not been reading Chinese story books independently.

In the case of my girl, now in P2, I asked her to read the books out loud to me late last year. After she finished reading 2 books to me, she got so hooked that she went ahead and read the other books on her own.

The 笑猫日记 books are beautifully written, and the stories are whimsical and humorous. Berries is actually using these books to teach in their P4 to P6 classes. I think that every child in upper primary should read these books. If parents want their kids to write good compositions, these are the best books to learn from.

In my blog, I listed 笑猫日记 in the group for age 10 and above:
http://tamarindvillage.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-raise-bilingual-child.html

Parents should read the books in the younger age groups first, before starting on 笑猫日记.

[tamarind]

Hi Brenda10,

I just added 窗边的小豆豆 to my blog :
http://tamarindvillage.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-raise-bilingual-child.html

Did you daughter read the other books by the same author ? I am wondering whether the other books are good too. I only have the 窗边的小豆豆 book.

[Brenda10]

tamarind:

Hi Brenda10,

I just added 窗边的小豆豆 to my blog :
http://tamarindvillage.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-raise-bilingual-child.html

Did you daughter read the other books by the same author ? I am wondering whether the other books are good too. I only have the 窗边的小豆豆 book.

Hi Tamarind

So far I only bought two books of this author. DD has not problem of 窗边的小豆豆 but the other book 《小时候就在想的事》：成就与失败，总能在童年寻找到原因, is quite profound and we may read it after the PSLE. Perhaps this is the reason that the 1st book is more popular.

[Brenda10]

eskimo:

hi keltong,


Thanks for the reply. I don't mind hearing from a dad at all. U r probably the first I met in this forum, besides chief.

I've decided to buy some of the recommended titles. Hope it will be shipped from dangdang without hiccups.

Hi eskimo

You may want to consider borrow those 小学华文补充读物 (the series are from P1 to P6) from Library or get it from Popular. I remember those series for P5/P6 come without HYPI and some stories like 父子情仇， 画眉奇案 are very interesting.

[tamarind]

Brenda10:

tamarind:

Hi Brenda10,

I just added 窗边的小豆豆 to my blog :
http://tamarindvillage.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-raise-bilingual-child.html

Did you daughter read the other books by the same author ? I am wondering whether the other books are good too. I only have the 窗边的小豆豆 book.

Hi Tamarind

So far I only bought two books of this author. DD has not problem of 窗边的小豆豆 but the other book 《小时候就在想的事》：成就与失败，总能在童年寻找到原因, is quite profound and we may read it after the PSLE. Perhaps this is the reason that the 1st book is more popular.

Hi Brenda10,
OK thanks.

I read 窗边的小豆豆 when I was in university. It is not only a wonderful book for kids. All parents should also read this book.

[Brenda10]

tamarind:

Dear all parents,


I agree with hquek that every child's standard of Chinese differ.

Both Brenda's girl and my girl have been reading many other Chinese books before they started on the 笑猫日记 series of books.

The truth is that, even if a child knows all the words in the MOE higher Chinese syllabus from P1 to P6:
http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/syllabuses/languages-and-literature/files/character-list-primary-higher-chinese-2007.pdf

He will still encounter many words that he does not know how to read in these books.

I advise parents to read these books with your kids, ask them to read every word out loud, then help them whenever there are words that they don't know. This is the best way to build up their confidence. Do not make them check the dictionary for every word that they do not know, they will start to hate reading after checking the 20th word.

Do not expect your child to be able to read these on his own, if he has not been reading Chinese story books independently.

In the case of my girl, now in P2, I asked her to read the books out loud to me late last year. After she finished reading 2 books to me, she got so hooked that she went ahead and read the other books on her own.

The 笑猫日记 books are beautifully written, and the stories are whimsical and humorous. Berries is actually using these books in their P4 to P5 classes. I think that every child in upper primary should read these books. If parents want their kids to write good compositions, these are the best books to learn from.

In my blog, I listed 笑猫日记 in the group for age 10 and above:
http://tamarindvillage.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-raise-bilingual-child.html

Parents should read the books in the younger age groups first, before starting on 笑猫日记.

Hi Tamarind

I think you comment is quite fair. DD really read more than 100 CL books (37 of xiao bai long, more than 40 copies of 小学华文补充读物, quite a number of 哥妹俩 and others etc). By watching those China CL shows that with only CL subtitle is also very helpful before we started the 笑猫日记. I also never asking her to check any single words but at time she approach me I will try my best to explain to her. However, the best is still trying to build into the conversation. Like we talking about 树立好榜样, I will verify with her so as to ensure she can write the correct word.

[Happy Mama]

Brenda10:

Hi Tamarind

I think you comment is quite fair. DD really read more than 100 CL books (37 of xiao bai long, more than 40 copies of 小学华文补充读物, quite a number of 哥妹俩 and others etc). By watching those China CL shows that with only CL subtitle is also very helpful before we started the 笑猫日记. I also never asking her to check any single words but at time she approach me I will try my best to explain to her. However, the best is still trying to build into the conversation. Like we talking about 树立好榜样, I will verify with her so as to ensure she can write the correct word.

Hi Brenda10, you mean your DD has already read more than 100 CL books? That's amazing! May I ask how old your DD is? My Pri 3 DD has not even finished reading 3 books! Gosh, I am now getting worried as I understand once she moves on Pri 4, she will find it difficult to cope with HCL without reading CL books. At the moment, her Pri 1 & 2 CL grades are quite good but I am very worried about her Composition.