Teaching Chinese at Home

[Musings]

Hi laughingcat, thanks for advice.


Just to share I bought NYPS's teaching guide on Chinese picture books 绘本教学思 detailing teaching methods using each of the picture books. Also sets out activities we can do with the kid using the picture books. It's great as it introduces various picture books for different primary levels, lower pri, upper pri etc which we can use for reference. Here's the link:

http://www.lingzi.com.sg/book_view_g.php?pid=157

The recommended picture books include 鼠小弟, 你看起来好像很好吃.

[laughingcat]

Hi musings,


Thanks for the recommendation. I am an old gal of NYPS, so I have bought that book as well. Yes it is a good reference. :evil:

[pudgyme]

erm, can i check where can we purchase this book?

Popular bookstore? Am keen to get it too from your positive feedbacks
thanks~~

[Atan]

Musings:

Hi laughingcat, thanks for advice.


Just to share I bought NYPS's teaching guide on Chinese picture books 绘本教学思 detailing teaching methods using each of the picture books. Also sets out activities we can do with the kid using the picture books. It's great as it introduces various picture books for different primary levels, lower pri, upper pri etc which we can use for reference. Here's the link:

http://www.lingzi.com.sg/book_view_g.php?pid=157

The recommended picture books include 鼠小弟, 你看起来好像很好吃.

Hi Musing, thanks for sharing. Is the book sold to NY students? Did not see any circulars about the sale of this book.. Maybe need to check with the CL teacher.

[Musings]

pudgyme:

erm, can i check where can we purchase this book?

Popular bookstore? Am keen to get it too from your positive feedbacks
thanks~~

Atan, my kids not from NYPS but I'm sure the school will have some to sell to their own students?...

I bought the book from Popular - it's only published in March 2011.

You can also buy it online directly from the publisher:

http://www.lingzi.com.sg/book_view_g.php?pid=157

They will deliver to you.

I highly recommend it - very useful and detailed guide on how to fully utilise the picture books to enhance the reading experience.

I have also placed an order for the first picture book guide by NYPS in 2008 乐在绘本中!

[Atan]

Tks Musing, my DS is in P3 now, wonder if the books are useful for his level? Thanks in advance .

[Musings]

Atan:

Tks Musing, my DS is in P3 now, wonder if the books are useful for his level? Thanks in advance .

I would think so. NYPS teachers have selected picture books for different levels P1/P2, P3/P4, P5/P6 and came up with lesson plans using these books. Those picture books for higher levels have themes/plots which are more complex so upper pri kids can appreciate more.

I found it particularly useful in that it helps parents who are not so familiar with Chinese books identify books which are appropriate for their kids. Comes with notes on activities to do other than just reading!

[pudgyme]

Thanks Musings for sharing, appreciated!

[tamarind]

laughingcat:

HEY Tamarind, you are back! :rahrah: missing you aldy. :snuggles:


Your latest info is a great help to me as my DS1 has completed the si wu kuai du series and now trying to get him to read other picture books.

BTW your DD is pri 2 right? Wow amazing that she has the Pri 6 level standard in chinese.

Hi laughingcat,
I have been very busy with work.

Glad to know that your DS1 has completed the Si Wu Kuai Du series.

After my girl completed the series around the beginning of P1, she read about 10 picture books, then progressed to chapter books, and by the end of P1, she started to read the 笑猫日记 novels.

Personally I think that we should teach kids to read long novels as soon as possible. P1 kids can already understand long and complicated stories, they may find the stories in picture books too simple for them. We need to find story books that they find interesting, then they will be motivated to read on their own.

I am surprised that Nanyang Primary School expects their students to be reading picture books all the way to upper primary. This is not enough !

The fact is that kids must read many long Chinese novels before they can write very well, otherwise they will struggle when writing Chinese compositions.

[tamarind]

Dear parents,

I know many parents think that it is impossible to teach your kids to read long Chinese novels before P3. However, note that many children are reading long English books in P1, it is entirely possible to teach them to read equally well in Chinese.

Quote from the excellent 好妈妈胜过好老师 :
阅读不仅应该开始得早，而且应该读得足够多。
　　当前，国家通过语文课程标准规定小学生课外阅读文字总量不少于145 万字，初中生不少于260 万，高中生不少于150 万。

In China, primary school children are required to read 1.45 million words. Note that there are many children from mainland China studying in Singapore now, competing with our kids to get into the top secondary schools. So we must train our kids to read Chinese at the same level as them.

Check out my blog to find out how to progress from picture books to long novels :
http://tamarindvillage.blogspot.com/2011/08/progressing-from-picture-books-to-long.html

I find so many parents complaining that their kids hate Chinese, when in fact this is a result of parents forcing kids to do too many Chinese assessment books, which is not the way to learn Chinese. Instead, parents should focus on searching for good Chinese story books that their kids will love to read.