PCF/PAP Kindergartens

[tamarind]

My girl is currently attending K1 at the PCF kindergarten at BLK 662B Jurong West.


I am quite surprised at their standards. During the first half of the year, they are already given English spelling tests and Chinese written test. For English, she is expected to spell words like \"aeroplane\" and \"submarine\" etc. She is also taught to draw a picture, then write a simple English sentence to describe the picture.

For the Chinese written test, check out the words in my blog.

http://tamarindvillage.blogspot.com/2008/05/learning-chinese.html

I think I could only write those words when I was in primary 3. My girl is also taught to recite Chinese tang poetry.

I wonder if other kindergartens also have this kind of standard ? Or is it just PCF ?

[mintcc]

wow tamarind!


I now start to get gan joing for my boy. I don’t think I need to spell words like aeroplane till when I am primary 3. eeeks.

Hianz, I guess we just have to be more kiasu after all.

[kaitlynangelica]

Tamarind,


Didn’t realise that the standards of PCF are so high! But I think the standard overall these days is like this. My gal attends Faith Montessori and she is learning words like "you chai" ( postman ) and "ping guo pai " ( apple pie ). So I think it is the same everywhere la!

[kaitlynangelica]

Tamarind,


What about English? Are the standards just as difficult?

[mstan]

Hi Tamarind, the chinese as seen in your blog is more or less the same as my elder dd @ current stage - K2.

For English spelling, it started to be quite difficult in last month May08. But I can be surprise that some simple words like mouth, hand, she dono how to spell... wondering why :?:

[ChiefKiasu]

That’s why I have always maintained that the PAP (ie. PCF Sparkletots) kindergartens are really rigorous in preparing kids for P1. Cheap and good. The only problem is the teacher-student ratio does not allow them to customize lessons to the learning speeds of individual kids. So if you supplement a bit of personalized enrichment programs with the kindergarten lessons, your child should be quite well prepared for P1.

[tamarind]

mincy,

I am surprised at their standard. But this PCF costs more than the others. They charge about $200+ per month, and they include enrichment classes like cooking and dancing. Other PCF costs about $100 only. So I think my girl's PCF may be different from others.


kaitlynangelica,
Does your gal need to write you chai and ping guo pai entirely from memory ? I think knowing how to read is easier than knowing how to write such words from memory. When I was 5, I only wrote ren(man), kou(mouth), tian(sky) etc. My girl is attending Berries Chinese class, she can read many Chinese words, but she is not expected to know how to write the words from memory.

For English, she has spelling tests bi-weekly. The words are like \"aeroplane\",\"submarine\",\"fire-engine\",\"ambulance\", etc, and they are expected to write such words entirely from memory too. They are also writing in sentences with help from the teacher. And they have been reading about 3 to 4 simple english books, all these within the first half of the year in K1 ! Some of the kids are probably not even 5 years old yet. My girl said that very few of her classmates can read well in English.

mstan,
I think the teachers expect us parents to teach the simple words

ChiefKiasu,
My girl's class has 18 students, 2 teachers. Totally agree with you about supplementing with enrichment. My girl went to phonics enrichment class when she was 4 years old, and she had no problem following up with the class. She is also attending Chinese enrichment class. Some the kids in her class never attend any enrichment, and they have difficulty following up. Sigh...I am feeling stressed already when she is only in K1.

[kaitlynangelica]

HI Tamarind,


No they are not expected to write but to be able to read.

I am only sending her for phonics right now. And I also agree that we need the enrichment classes to supplement. It is only with it then she can now read 2 and 3-letter words. But she is moving along quite nicely. She also reads about 4 English books in half a year and 6 chinese books in half a year.

I agree its very stressful. Kid only k1 and already so stress. But at least I think your gal is taking it okay??? Seems like it. My daughter likes to complain that the schoolwork is not easy. Sigh! I dread to think of what it will be like when she gets to P1.

[Micky]

Hi Tamarind,


Not all the PCF having the same standard. My girl is also in the PCF K2 she started the english spelling this year and no chinese writtent test yet. So far, the english spelling not more than 6 letters word.

[jedamum]

Micky:

Hi Tamarind,


Not all the PCF having the same standard. My girl is also in the PCF K2 she started the english spelling this year and no chinese writtent test yet. So far, the english spelling not more than 6 letters word.

Hi Micky,
Same here. My K2-ds1 is only starting spelling next term.
School at the moment is too much fun for him...that he complains about June holidays! :lol: What he does at home and enrichment is way much more than what he learns in school.