Can Enrichment Classes replace Kindergarten?

[mum05]

My hubby and I have been considering this since our child started K1 this year. We understand nothing much can be achieved during Pre-N and Nursery years at school but K1 too?(and we’re paying ~S$1,300/term).


We’re not the very KS type, as in, thinking that our child would have to be No.1 in everything, but our recent signing up with the Lorna Whiston(english enrichment) to further enhance our kid’s reading/blending skills(although even without this course, our kid’s been placed at the 3rd row at school - 4th being the row for those who can read very well) and our intention to boost up chinese and maths with an enrichment body next year, led us to consider if kindy attendance is really that necessary.

Can anyone share your views?

[DesertWind]

Hi mum05,


Your question is very interesting, one which I have asked myself too! My DS is now 3 yo.

For me I think K1 & K2 is absolutely necessary to go to a \"proper\" kindergarten because these 2 years are necessary for a child to go through preparation for P1. Other than that, I think the younger years the child can just go for enrichment classes.
Also I think for K1 & K2, these are run like regular classes with homework etc. plus interaction with other children and teachers. Something which the enrichment classes may not have?

:celebrate:

[mum05]

Enrichment classes actually run in the same way - in groups, so social interaction is something we dun think would be a problem at all. In fact, I feel it's like 'home school' except that you have qualified teachers to guide the kid, together with other kids...


As for homework, I don't think there's a need. In fact, from what I know, the enrichment schools actually give more homework than the kindy.
However, to have homework or not, personally, what's more important is that the kid has quality teachings. Plus, we could always buy extra workbooks for the kid to work on if we/kid wish to.

U see, 3 hrs in a kindy, under teachers not exactly specialised in each specific subject actually don't help the kids to achieve what they should be achieving(even at their level). Thus, we see alot of kids still going to enrichment class after their kindy hours and that, we feel, can be quite straining to the kids even if they enjoy those classes.

[sleepy]

mum05:

My hubby and I have been considering this since our child started K1 this year. We understand nothing much can be achieved during Pre-N and Nursery years at school but K1 too?(and we're paying ~S$1,300/term).

Can anyone share your views?

You can send your child to a cheaper 3 hours kindy (many kindy around $500/term) and use the rest of the fees for enrichments

[mum05]

sleepy, actually the main aim to go this route is that we find the 3 hrs in kindy is a waste of time and unless we wanna do away with the enrichments, the kid would be tired esp. as our kid is also learing a musical instrument, so time always seemed to be not enough and we do not wish to ‘overkill’ the kid at this young age. Thus, this thought - specialised subject teachers(also in group/classroom setting) instead of going to kindy + these classes when what’s needed are more achieved by the latter…


(as for sending to a cheaper kindy, we hv our reservations which I don’t think it’s nice to post in here. then again, it also defeats the purpose)

[smurf]

have to weigh the pros and cons? for me, I think kindy is absolutely necessary, because I dun think I can teach as well as teachers. other than teaching, there are so many activities that a child can do in kindy, such as playground time, play sand time, etc…these are interaction with other kids…


if my boy stick with me, I can only do so much…reading, do worksheets, play the same toys over and over again (unless I’ve money to keep buying toys, which I dun have)…

[tweety17]

Hi mum05,


i share the same idea as you.

[maisy]

Hi mum05

My view is that if you are a stay-home mom who is very hands-on, then I think it is fine to replace the usual Nursery/K1 with enrichment, provided you provide reinforcement with the child whilst at home. (since enrichment is only once a week)

But if you are talking about next year, where your child would be in K2, my advice is better to let him stay on in Kindy... reason being he needs to get \"very familiarised with a school setting\" so that when he enters Pri 1 , it won't be so much of a culture shock to him! And I understand that most kindergartens do \"double up\" their teaching curriculum at K2 level to \"prepare the children\" for \"Primary 1 readiness\" ( a term i still find very amusing because I always feel the kindy should prepare the children for life...not simply \"Primary 1 readiness\" ... anyway, that's just some terminology we have to get used to i reckon)

[sleepy]

mum05:

sleepy, actually the main aim to go this route is that we find the 3 hrs in kindy is a waste of time and unless we wanna do away with the enrichments, the kid would be tired esp. as our kid is also learing a musical instrument, so time always seemed to be not enough and we do not wish to 'overkill' the kid at this young age. Thus, this thought - specialised subject teachers(also in group/classroom setting) instead of going to kindy + these classes when what's needed are more achieved by the latter...


(as for sending to a cheaper kindy, we hv our reservations which I don't think it's nice to post in here. then again, it also defeats the purpose)

Both my kids started enrichments since toddlers so I'm a firm believer of enrichment route. I sent them to kindy only from K1 onwards. Prior to K1, they only attend enrichments.

However, I feel that kindy is still useful -for social interactions, learn how to make friends easily, listen to teachers' instructions. It doesn't matter to me which kindy since I do not rely on kindy to teach them the academic stuff. Despites that, they do not feel bored because there are other activities like crafts work, exercise, storytime, playing & chatting with friends. Those simple stuff taught in kindy, just treat as revision. I stream down lots of their enrichments by K1/K2 since sufficiently prepared for P1

My younger one is also learning a muscial instrument. Spent 1.5 hour daily on practising alone

[MMM]

Personally, I feel that a 3 hour kindy prepares the child for P1 routine. This is what a enrichment class cannot achieve. I am also not the Kiasu type where child must be no. 1 :lol: Too many elements is being the no. 1 child and also the sustainability which I do not want to elaborate here.


For us, my K1 currently attends Kinderland kindergarden. She does enrichment classes in LW, J&E phonics, enopi maths, molin chinese. This is on top of chinese S&D, ballet and music lesson. She is enjoying these lessons so far. So yes, the classes she is attending outside kinderland seems to prepare her more. Eg. she is already doing addition in Enopi and able to count up to 100,etc... With phonics and CL class, she is also able to recognise alot more words as compared to kindy. But I feel that kindy does provide that routine and ease of adapting P1 life. Having friends whom you see on a daily basis, learning to cope with friendship and social skills. I find enrichment classes lacking in these area since the intent is to go there to learn and not much to play/ interact with each other. This is especially so for K1 programmes onwards.

My 2 older kids went through the same route though not as intense as my K1 (I was more laid back then) and P1 was easy and at P3 and P2, they are still enjoying school and learning. I feel that kindy plays a part in this in instiling that positive environment and hence positive impression of school. Besides that, I also find that they pick up alot of general knowledge in Kindy which might not be enrichment class specific.