Teaching Chinese at Home

[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.

[SAHM_TAN]

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.

:goodpost:

I'm always very encouraged after reading your posts. I started a bit late, think I will have to wait for awhile longer before my kids are able to read long novels.

[PiggyLalala]

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.

Totally agree with what you have written. It is very important for kids to cultivate the habits of reading chinese story books from young. And the good news is our national library has a good collection of interesting chinese story books now. In the past, it is so difficult for me to borrow interesting chinese storybooks for ds1. Now that he is in sec 1, he simply dislikes chinese and his chinese standard is like dropping tremendously each term Think it is too late for me to do anything now unless i really spent time reading with him.

Last weekend, I brought my ds2 to CCK library. I am pleasantly surprised to find many of the storybooks recommended in your blotspot in the library. I have borrowed a number of the chinese books for ds2 to read. Hopefully he will cultivate the habit of reading chinese novels.

[PiggyLalala]

I have borrowed one book on the 笑猫日记 series. I have read the first few pages but i find the book rather difficult to understand. ( too descriptive). May I ask are all the chapters related or there is a storyline in each chapter. Thanks.

[Brenda10]

PiggyLalala:

I have borrowed one book on the 笑猫日记 series. I have read the first few pages but i find the book rather difficult to understand. ( too descriptive). May I ask are all the chapters related or there is a storyline in each chapter. Thanks.

Hi PiggyLalala,

Yes, the chapters are related in each of the story book!

[PiggyLalala]

Brenda10:

PiggyLalala:

I have borrowed one book on the 笑猫日记 series. I have read the first few pages but i find the book rather difficult to understand. ( too descriptive). May I ask are all the chapters related or there is a storyline in each chapter. Thanks.

Hi PiggyLalala,

Yes, the chapters are related in each of the story book!

I must say it is not an easy book to read. Ds2 is still reading chinese book with a different storyline in each chapter. Tamarind's daughter is really good; to be able to read the xiao mao ri ji at P2.