All About Preparing For Primary One

[glendt]

1amber:

Hi glendt


Yeap. When she started nursery we had to deal with her shyness and refusal to speak to teachers. Now that we have solved that problem, we have to work on the academics. We have been having many discussions concerning our DD. We are now of the position that based on her personality profile, we would want to allow her to be an average student in an average school. Get to a poly and then try a uni either here or distant learning. If we can afford then send overseas. However, the new 4th uni gave us a glimmer of hope that our country may offer more options to students. I am an old mummy so have no energy to sit her through so much assessment books and homework.

It is admirable that you and your DH are not uptight about your DD being in the best school, being the best student etc. Very refreshing to find parents who accept their children as they are. I was also happy to read about 4th uni. I hope we will have enough $$ to send our kids overseas. Overseas uni will teach them to think much more and to think out of the box.

[glendt]

phtthp:

hi glendt,


you are right. When i saw the PSLE exam qns at Popular bookshop, i got a shock! These days, the kids really learning so much .... esp. the upper primary Science and the Maths! They cramp so much into the P4-P6 curriculum. It is a far cry from our ancient dynaseur days.

because of the high standard starting right from P1, as each year pass by, actually what the P1 kids are doing now is equivalent to our old P3 days donkey years in the past. In other words, somehow over the years, they had brought down the P3 standard to P1 now. Now if a P1 kid go to school can't read, it's dead meat!

Really true. They keep pushing the standard down to the lower levels, now when I look at the P6 questions, they seem like secondary 1 questions. If our kids cannot read or do simple math at P1, they will lose out all the way. As they grow older, it just gets harder. The teachers are so overwhelmed, they cannot teach much. So in the end, it is us parents doing the teaching and also tuition centres.

Sometimes I wonder how the parents who have no time to coach their children or money to send for tuition centres cope. If their kids are naturally bright or read a lot, maybe still can, if not really die.

[Kissgurami]

phtthp:

hi dimsum,


Thanks for your nice compliment, but i no guru.
In fact, i had learnt a lot from experienced mommies who had gone before me, and i am still learning. There're still so many things ahead i need to learn.

btw, strange thing about this 'P1 Prep course' is that i realize ... a number of Montessori kindergarten have already incorporated this as part of their K2 curriculum. I'm not sure about the Montessori childcare centre environment, bec ccc come under the control of MCYS.

but quite a number of Montessori kindy, Yes. So if your kid is currently attending Montessori kindy, you may casually ask your child's form teacher or P - when they going to start this 'P1 Prep course', at K2 ? See how they reply. Yes, the terminology used is called 'P1 Prep course'. So if your child's school already has taken care of it, then fine.

to add on For Cherie Hearts, they have a \"The School Readiness programme\" for K2 children, it's to help the children transit smoothly from pre-school to the formal system in Primary School.

[1amber]

glendt:

1amber:

Hi glendt


Yeap. When she started nursery we had to deal with her shyness and refusal to speak to teachers. Now that we have solved that problem, we have to work on the academics. We have been having many discussions concerning our DD. We are now of the position that based on her personality profile, we would want to allow her to be an average student in an average school. Get to a poly and then try a uni either here or distant learning. If we can afford then send overseas. However, the new 4th uni gave us a glimmer of hope that our country may offer more options to students. I am an old mummy so have no energy to sit her through so much assessment books and homework.

It is admirable that you and your DH are not uptight about your DD being in the best school, being the best student etc. Very refreshing to find parents who accept their children as they are. I was also happy to read about 4th uni. I hope we will have enough $$ to send our kids overseas. Overseas uni will teach them to think much more and to think out of the box.

Hello glendt
Thanks for your compliment.

When your spouse and your age adds up to almost a century old, your perspective of life is different. When your only child currently at only 5, dances around you, will you have the heart to wipe the smile off her face and rob her of her childhood? She is our gift at our old age and we just want to spend the rest of our lives enjoying her, cherishing her.

Our education dept should learn a thing or two from the old Chinese emperors/warriors. You don't have to be the smartest. Instead learn to lead. You should be the leader of the smartest. Assemble a team of smart people in their various fields and make them work for you.

We are preparing our young daughter to survive without us at a young age. God willing my DH will live to see his DD graduate from uni. The greatest skillset she should acquire is to leadership skills. Good grades are important but not enough to survive in this world. Just my opinion.

[phtthp]

then all kids should learn real life application core life skill set of ‘Sun Zi Bin Fa’ in a school environment, from young.

[1amber]

Have a balance. That’s all I am saying. I don’t see a need to cramp P3 things into P1. There is no need to rush. The kids will get there eventually.

[janet88]

1amber:

Have a balance. That's all I am saying. I don't see a need to cramp P3 things into P1. There is no need to rush. The kids will get there eventually.

I wish there is a balance...I'm being stressed out with MOE's idea of no exams but bite-sized tests. My son in P5 doesn't have CA2, so I thought it would be a little more relaxing...never to expect my daughter to come back with schedule for another summative tests in August :faint:

[mummyoftrio]

I really dislike those mini tests. It does not take away the stress but makes my DS1 and DS2 and me more stressed. Every 2 weeks one test and they cannot take their foot off the pedal. So what if no more CA, it becomes more stressful with mini tests.

[MMM]

mummyoftrio:

I really dislike those mini tests. It does not take away the stress but makes my DS1 and DS2 and me more stressed. Every 2 weeks one test and they cannot take their foot off the pedal. So what if no more CA, it becomes more stressful with mini tests.

I've a P3 and P4. The CAs and SAs are stressful enough and though it's every quarter but before you know it, it's here again. :yikes:

I've a K2 going to P1 next year and I heard about the bite size test from my cousin who happens to teach in the same school. There are more bite size, more show and tell and other forms of \"rounded\" assessments. Hearing that... I also have the impression that it's going to be worst than CAs and SAs as you need to perform consistently and like you mentioned, you cannot take off the foot off the pedal.

I recalled that when my older kids were in P1 and P2, they only have SAs and some topical test.

[MMM]

1amber:

When your spouse and your age adds up to almost a century old, your perspective of life is different. When your only child currently at only 5, dances around you, will you have the heart to wipe the smile off her face and rob her of her childhood? She is our gift at our old age and we just want to spend the rest of our lives enjoying her, cherishing her.

Was listening to the class 95 this morning where people shared their memory of the \"Old Singapore\". The parting words from the DJs were what would your kids remember of Singapore???

My immediate response to hubby was \"ENRICHMENT CLASSES\" and having to study hard all the time... Sad but true. It's not easy to just let go sometimes which is why it drives everyone (parents and kids) to be so stressed up.