Teaching Chinese at Home

[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.

[Brenda10]

PiggyLalala:

Brenda10:

[quote=\"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. :)[/quote].

Must :salute: to Tamarind's girl for able to read at P1!


DD only starts to read 笑猫日记 since P5!

[PiggyLalala]

That is so true. Must :salute: Tamarind and her dd for the good job done. I think my ds1 (sec1) would tell me the book is too difficult for him. :stupid:


Your dd can read it at P5. That is also quite good. Not too sure whether my ds2 can understand the book it at P5.

[Brenda10]

PiggyLalala:

That is so true. Must :salute: Tamarind and her dd for the good job done. I think my ds1 (sec1) would tell me the book is too difficult for him. :stupid:


Your dd can read it at P5. That is also quite good. Not too sure whether my ds2 can understand the book it at P5.

May be let him start with 保姆狗的阴谋 and hopefully he likes it.

I believe your DS2 should not have much problem since he has started reading the CL books now.

JiaYou!

[dimsum]

Tamarind, thanks for your latest book recommendation. Zhang Qiu Sheng’s books look interesting!

[mamii]

Hi Tamarind, thank you for sharing so much of your experiences with everyone. Would appreciate if you could guide me along here.


My 4 yo DS does not like chinese. He attend s&d in cc for 6 months and we did not see him develop any interest as well and he came back telling us he does not want it anymore. We withdrew him for the time being. I will speak mandarin to him at home on/off (have to remind myself to speak more) I have bought the si wu kuai du books and read the introduction.

My problem - he has no problem sitting through lessons or taking instructions in cc (his teacher has assured me he is well behaved) but he will not do it at home.

I have to spend at least 30 mins to do simple revision of his phonics due to his inattentiveness and reluctance - and he talks most of the time. he just wants to play at home.

So i have not yet started any of the si wu lessons with him. He loves stories but will only choose english books. I realise he could not even recognise simple chinese words like "head" "hand"

How would you suggest that i even get him to start on the si wu materials ? I just want baby steps for him.

[tamarind]

PiggyLalala, Brenda,

When my girl was in P1, I first introduced 笑猫日记 to her by asking her to read every word of 保姆狗的阴谋 out loud to me, helping her with difficult words. At P1 she could read about 90% of the words in 笑猫日记, after reading 8 books in the series, now in P2 she only needs help for 1 or 2 words in 200-300 words. She has gone ahead to read other books in the series on her own.

I am also surprised at her level of understanding, she can remember small details and even analyze the story and talk about her opinions. 杨红樱 uses many 成语, 谚语 and good vocabulary, every page of her book is far better than any model composition that you can find.

PiggyLalala,
I recommend starting with 小男生杜歌飞 and 没有尾巴的狼 by 杨红樱, these are easier to read. My P1 boy have finished reading these books and he enjoyed them. He could read about 95% of the words without my help.

So long as a child can read more than 80% of the words in a page, then the book is not too difficult for him. We can simply ask the child to read out loud, then help him with any words that he does not know. If parents do this every day, kids will gain confidence and they will improve very quickly.

dimsum,
You are welcome !