All About Grooming & Encouraging Good Reading Habits

[cafelatte]

optimistforum


Most current P1&P2 are having English taught with thematic big-story-books with related worksheets. An elementary Grammar textbook is included. Current P3-P6 use either Instep or MypalsArehere English textbooks which has chapters according to themes. Different schools use different supplementary/optional Grammar material and my ds school decides to use First Aid in English. Hence, it is not a required reading P1-P6. Actually our English syllabus is also going through \"reforms\"...for better or worse is really debatable.

optimistforum:

.. I spent 5 months working the answers to the 100 Exercises in English Usage books, and getting them proof-read by a very good English teacher friend, who now will be tutoring DS1.

WOW ! Great job !

Lastly, this is the EPH book you are using ?
http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/yy96/cafelatte22/grambk.jpg\">


Blobbi
The website has been mentioned but probably buried in many other threads:
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5728&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=wendykoh

For me, I don't buy the packs as there's not enough time to go through all the mock papers. Agree...my son and I also taking it easy before the school term starts. Err....I used all my 3 20% off coupon at Popular already !

[optimistforum]

Yes, Cafelatte this is the book I use. You will also see that it complements First Aid in English, too.


As an aside, I have now made the Kiasu site, my home page. :celebrate:

I have a lot to learn from Singapore parents on this forum, but along the way, I hope that I am able to proffer something constructively, too!

[tamarind]

optimistforum,

I think Singaporean parents have a lot to learn from you too Do feel free to share more about English is taught in UK, I am sure many parents are very interested to know.

My girl will be going to P1 next year. Her school is using the Stellar program.

http://www.acsjunior.sg/docs/Files/STELLAR%20Program%20Supplementary%20Handout.pdf

My understanding of the program is that they will be using story books to teach the language. It is like what cafelatte wrote :
Most current P1&P2 are having English taught with thematic big-story-books with related worksheets

My girl's school also use a grammar textbook.

My own approach at home is similar to the Stellar program. But I think what my kids are reading are much more interesting , they are reading all the children's classics like Charlotte's Web, The adventures of Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, the three tales of My Father's Dragon, Little House on the Prairie, Roald Dahl books, etc, all original and unabridged. I believe that there is so much that a child can learn from reading the classics, not only grammar, vocabulary, and the wonderful style of writing, but also knowledge and life experiences like life and death, love, friendship, hardships, poverty, compassion, etc.

[optimistforum]

Hi Tamarind


I have looked at the Stellar Program PDF, and I took DS1 through it. He liked it, and I also realised that the work I am giving him is too dry, and abstract. Silly me!!! :stupid:

See the following book I use with him; I have re-produced the front cover, and the first few exercises below. You can click on the pictures to view enlarged images:

Front Cover
http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts1iKfPJ


Exercises
http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVn867A

As you can see it is traditional, and a little out-of-date, eg in Exercise 11, \"today\" is spelt as \"to-day\". This rare suite of books is out-of-print, and I was fortunate that the editors at Hodder Gibson had a few spare copies, which they sent to me , for gratis.

I have purchased a lot of books from Popular; and I had an epiphany when I saw the Stellar Program PDF; I may need to refer to something similar. I recently purchased the English Practice books by Jean Chua. I think they may be relevant for DS1 and DS2. I have the front cover for P1 below:

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxWfi6i

[tamarind]

optimistforum,

Thanks for sharing the traditional grammar book , brings back memories of how I studied English when I was young.

I also bought some grammar books for my kids from Popular, but I don't have the time to let them practice. I can only manage to let them read from story books, because I am a full time working mommy.

Also check out this website for the english test and exam papers from the top schools in Singapore. Registration is free.
http://test-paper.info/

Let us know how is their standard compared to UK schools

[Blobbi]

cafelatte:

Err....I used all my 3 20% off coupon at Popular already !

This is off topic. But how to get 20% coupon for Popular hah? :lol:

[optimistforum]

Dear Tamarind, Clarbella, Cafelatte, Blobbi et al


Firstly, Tamarind - in answer to your question, about comparing UK state schools to Singaporean state schools; there is no comparison. Singapore is far superior!!! It is a shame that we (in the UK) who are the mother country, have the poorer literacy and numeracy levels. Our Year 2 SAT Papers in English and Maths are weak compared to equivalent papers at the end of P1. :oops:

Secondly, after seeing the Stellar Program PDF, can someone please have a look at the English Practice Book (by Jean Chua), that I mentioned earlier. I would like to know if I can use this as a standard now.

Finally, what is the school year in Singapore? I understand it starts in January. (Here in the UK, school starts in the first week of September, and finishes around the third week of July. The age cut-off date is 31 Aug. So DS1's current cohort in Year 2 (your P1) had to all be 6 years of age by 31 Aug 2009. My DS1 was 6 in July, and so is a very young six.)

[Blobbi]

optimistforum:

Finally, what is the school year in Singapore? I understand it starts in January. (Here in the UK, school starts in the first week of September, and finishes around the third week of July. The age cut-off date is 31 Aug. So DS1's current cohort in Year 2 (your P1) had to all be 6 years of age by 31 Aug 2009. My DS1 was 6 in July, and so is a very young six.)

Gosh, Optimistforum, I did hear about Reception year being 4yrs of age and Year 1 starting at 5. I wasn't clear about what the standards are but from what you've written, it sounds pretty high for a child of an equivalent age. Maybe the standards aren't as high as Singapore's because of the age difference? It may then ramp up as the child progresses through the system to finally equalize at, say, 16yo? This is pure conjecture on my part. It's always interesting to learn about education systems around the world.

Whatever it is, you sound really clued into our local system (more than me, which isn't difficult, keke). Good stuff, Mummy!

[buds]

Blobbi:

cafelatte:

Err....I used all my 3 20% off coupon at Popular already !

This is off topic. But how to get 20% coupon for Popular hah? :lol:

For Popular members, the most recent Popular Magazine
contains three 20%-off-coupons at the second page.. I
got one left. Waiting to make last spree before 31st Dec.

[tamarind]

optimistforum:

Dear Tamarind, Clarbella, Cafelatte, Blobbi et al


Firstly, Tamarind - in answer to your question, about comparing UK state schools to Singaporean state schools; there is no comparison. Singapore is far superior!!! It is a shame that we (in the UK) who are the mother country, have the poorer literacy and numeracy levels. Our Year 2 SAT Papers in English and Maths are weak compared to equivalent papers at the end of P1. :oops:

Secondly, after seeing the Stellar Program PDF, can someone please have a look at the English Practice Book (by Jean Chua), that I mentioned earlier. I would like to know if I can use this as a standard now.

Finally, what is the school year in Singapore? I understand it starts in January. (Here in the UK, school starts in the first week of September, and finishes around the third week of July. The age cut-off date is 31 Aug. So DS1's current cohort in Year 2 (your P1) had to all be 6 years of age by 31 Aug 2009. My DS1 was 6 in July, and so is a very young six.)

Our kids go to P1 in January in the year that he turns 7 years old. For example, a 2003 child goes to P1 in 2010, even if he is born on 31 Dec 2003. My son is born in Sep, when he enters P1 he will be only 6 years 3 months old.

However, most families who can afford it, send their kids to playgroup from as young as 18 months old to start learning ABCs. It is very rare to find a child who has not gone to nursery at 3 years old. Many parents start to read English books to their babies since birth

When my girl was in kindergarten K2 (the year before P1), her kindergarten taught the Rigby Rocket turquoise series :
http://www.edventurebooks.com/Rigby/Rocket/turquoise.htm
Click here to see the words :
http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqBQJ1i

Roughly equivalent to Peter and Jane level 4/5. Though she has already read Charlotte's Web, Little House on the Prairie, the original Alice in Wonderland, etc, at home.

Kids who can read very well at a very young age, all learned to read at home, taught by their mommies

I taught my boy http://tamarindphonics.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-to-teach-phonics.html at home, and let him read the http://tamarindphonics.blogspot.com/2008/12/key-words-with-ladybird.html from 3 years 3 months old, he completed book 11a and is able to read Roald Dahl's books before he turns 5 years old.

I think that the majority of kids who attended kindergarten(not compulsory) are able to read at about Peter and Jane level 4, but there are also many kids who can only read at level 1 by the time they enter P1, usually in neighbourhood schools.

Those kids studying in the top primary schools in Singapore, are the ones who are best prepared by their mommies , that is why the schools need to set test papers of very high standards.

I don't have the book by Jean Chua, I will take a look when I go to Popular bookshop.