PM Says new Stat Board to oversee pre-school education

[Oppsgal]

Imp75:

aiya maybe need to shut down this website (:P) to stop parents from being so kiasu!

But I agree with LHL - it needs a mindset change from parents and educators to stop this stupid trend of preparing our kids so hard for that paper chase which, at the end of the day 10 years later, almost everyone will have a degree so where's the differentiating factor?

Trying to go beyond degree education? :rotflmao:

[Oppsgal]

So what happens if children are lacking behind others in education?


Probably the thought make me want to teach my kid harder.

[Apelove]

Oppsgal:

Apelove:

Hi, just my two cents worth...


I think this boils down to the vast disparity between the middle to higher end preschools vs the lower or more standard preschools. In fact, those who can afford to complain that the preschool is over teaching, I think you are very lucky. Do note that children who are well equipped early will suffer less in pri 1. I am very happy that LHL would be doing something about the preschool standard.

I have witnessed my own nephews who are currently in a 'lower range' fee structure childcare centre. One of them will be entering pri 1 next year but is unable to even read a standard Peter&Jane reader 2A, much less to say blend phonics properly.
The younger sibling is a year younger and attending a standard $90 per month pcf. He is currently in k1 but unable to sound phonics, nor recognize any words without the picture appearing beside it.
With such basics not well established in the child, they are very ill equipped to enter pri 1. I would not even dare to think about how they might cope in school. To these children, pri 1 would be extremely demanding. It is extremely shocking that the lower range childcare/preschool standard can be so lacking!

Then parents should teach at home or send to enrichment to cope?

My kid's teacher even ask me how my kid already learn all the phonics...as most of the friends there don't know.

She thought I have sent my kid to some sort of tuition. Told her cannot afford to have childcare + tuition. I DIY the teaching currently.

I would prefer to continue teaching new things to my kid. I do not want to overload my kid when reach primary school. I rather space out the information to my kid for easier \"absorb\".

Sigh, the parents are from the lower income group and have only PSLE qualifications. They work very hard to make ends meet and leave the kids in the care of the grandmother aka my mother in law. It is very sad, but they think providing childcare or just the basic education would suffice for their children. In fact I think they do not even the problem their kids are facing. The lower income group definately needs more help.

I think I am very lucky to be able to be a sahm to teach and guide my kids, scrutinize the preschool curriculum and know how to fill in the missing gaps for my kids.

[Mawar]

Let me assure parents with young kids that P1 & P2, and even p3 is manageable. It is not all that scary as some made it out to be. One parent shared earlier that it can be a honeymoon period. It is and can be IF you are not expecting a near full score.


Someone told me that the mindset of many parents is that competition starts from the say their kids step into P1. They are not there to practice or learn, they must perform. The fault is not entirely their parents. In earlier sharings, we read about P1s being led to different rooms during orientation to take some tests etc.

I still say, let the kids fumble and fall. Dont spoonfeed them. Let them learn to learn on their own. They will learn to take control of their learning journey earlier.

[MummyThreeStreams]

Just wanted to echo some voices here in stating that The P1 syllabus is really not that scary. They children should be able to do simple reading, but no need to be that fluent. My son was not really a good reader after the end of K2. He understood the basic phonics from school and could sort of read, but not very well. He managed to pick things up in P1 and I was quite amazed by that. The math lagi easier. First few months just learning to count to twenty and spell up to twenty…So P1 and even part of P2 is really a honeymoon period.


So I kinda felt silly coz before P1 I was stressing about whether I had under prepared him. I had others tell me I should send him for P1 prep classes coz Kindy was not enough. I’m glad I saved me that money and my son had lots of time to play.

He can make amazing Legos, music, drawings etc. He wouldn’t have been able to do all these if he didn’t have time to play.

[winchester]

MummyThreeStreams:

--

So I kinda felt silly coz before P1 I was stressing about whether I had under prepared him. I had others tell me I should send him for P1 prep classes coz Kindy was not enough. I'm glad I saved me that money and my son had lots of time to play.

He can make amazing Legos, music, drawings etc. He wouldn't have been able to do all these if he didn't have time to play.

yes. it's all us as stressing ourselves and our children, and fantastic that your boy is good at other things besides schoolwork

[3Boys]

MummyThreeStreams:

Just wanted to echo some voices here in stating that The P1 syllabus is really not that scary. They children should be able to do simple reading, but no need to be that fluent. My son was not really a good reader after the end of K2. He understood the basic phonics from school and could sort of read, but not very well. He managed to pick things up in P1 and I was quite amazed by that. The math lagi easier. First few months just learning to count to twenty and spell up to twenty......So P1 and even part of P2 is really a honeymoon period.


So I kinda felt silly coz before P1 I was stressing about whether I had under prepared him. I had others tell me I should send him for P1 prep classes coz Kindy was not enough. I'm glad I saved me that money and my son had lots of time to play.

He can make amazing Legos, music, drawings etc. He wouldn't have been able to do all these if he didn't have time to play.

:goodpost:

[nms1]

Lilac66:

Musings:

[quote=\"rinoa538\"]PM Lee says, let your children have their childhood.


How to? The education system took away their childhood!
Take a look at Primary 1 textbook, no wonder parents are preparing kids before entering P1.

I don't agree with this. My first son is in P1 and the syllabus is v manageable. In fact on hindsight almost all preschool syllabus more than cover P1 work. in fact I just complain to my second son's preschool - which my elder son also attended that it is ridiculous to expect N2 kids to master addition within 20 when this is exactly what my older son is doing in first semester P1. I was told I was the oddball because all the parents want their kids to 'accelerate' and learn all these stuff in the name of preparation for P1. Such attitudes are what is taking away our children's childhood. I don't blame the preschool because they are responding to demands of parents.

For parents whose kids are not yet in primary school, it is easy to be swayed by hearsay about the many things kids need to know by P1 and go into an overdrive. It is not necessary. If the kids are keen on learning, by all means accelerate and give them more advanced stuff but it is not true P1 syllabus is that demanding. Now I know P1 is not the monster people make it out to be and I am taking it easy for second son - go with his interest and give him stuff when he is ready to learn. I do not want my son to look back and only recall his preschool years to be filled with endless classes and worksheets.

:goodpost:[/quote] :goodpost:

A voice of reason. If only people will listen Not having gone through the Singapore system myself and having heard all the horror stories, I was very nervous when my daughter went into P1 last year but all my fears turned out to be unfounded. The pace was not too fast and they revised quite a few of the concepts covered in K2 before moving on.

There really is no point in trying to teach children in advance what they will learn in P1. All it does is make them complacent and when it comes to something totally new they may struggle so you will just end up in a never-ending cycle of tuition to keep them ahead of the game. If they find something difficult, help them or ask the teacher for help. Otherwise just leave them be.

[Laura02]

I would encourage all parents to have the courage of their convictions and guide their children the way they think fit. I would discourage parents from trying to keep up with their neighbour’s/ colleges trying to outdo one another with tuition, enrichments, days so packed full of organized activity the child has no time "sit and stare".

Pre-school education does nact affect me as my kid is in upper Pri. But I feel that at that age, kids learn most from their parents. As parents, we can read to our kids, not just in bed before sleeping, but anytime, everywhere. Point out road signs, street signs, labels in supermarkets, shops, menus, words are everywhere in our daily lives. Just point out the letters and read them out to the child, and the child will pick up reading. Count with the child, then number of pencils, number of spoons and forks, the numbers of red cars in a car park, … It can all be incorporated easily into our daily interactions with children.
And if you, as a parent feel that you rather not send your children for tuition, then don’t. Lessons can be learnt in the playground too. Count the number of times the child slides down the slide. Introduce the idea of potential energy and kinetic energy on the slide. Count the number of times you push your child on the swing. Introduce the idea of center of gravity and why it provides a push or pull force when he leans backwards or forwards on the swing. Think of why leaves are green, flowers fall to the ground, water is blue …

Have courage in your convictions, and pass on what you have learnt in your own life to your kids.

[corneyAmber]

All the balance views of lower primary emerging...


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