Kinderland
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1) Unless you have the actual numbers of how Kinderland is calculating its profits, there is no way to ascertain the size of their profits after taking into account rising costs in Singapore.
Inflation rate is calculated based on a basket of goods and services - which means it already includes utilities and rent. It is based on an assessment of various items people typically spend on.
2) I sympathize with the child who had a nasty experience with the non-Singaporean teacher.
Unlike others on this forum, I believe that the personality and quality of a teacher should not be related to the country they come from.
My children's experience with foreign-born teachers hired by Kinderland has been positive. In fact, they seem more enthusiastic and less cynical.
The fact that there are atrocious teachers from Singapore and wonderful teachers from overseas contradicts the view that country of origin determines the quality of teaching.
3) If a large proportion of the fee hike is directed into teachers' salaries, it would be a positive sign that the company values its teachers' contributions.
But that remains to be seen.
I hope that they will compensate the current teachers who are doing a good job. A happy teacher means a happy classroom, which in turn makes happy children. Teacher welfare is under-rated. -
caroline3sg:
PRC is notorious for being impatient. Are they qualified to be in preschool education? Teachers are not supposed to lay hands on children.
I don't really agree on the remarks on PRC teachers. So far, my kids had PRC teachers in Kinderland as well as the chinese enrichment centres. I observed that most are are rather encouraging. So in this case, I suppose it's really an individual that behaves like that but I don't think we should make sweeping statements about all PRC teachers.
Teachers to me must be passionate about teaching. if they are, they will do wonders. If you are looking at teaching as a form of income but no passion, then kids will of course suffer. To be fair, this is regardless of nationality. -
caroline3sg:
caroline3sg,lovexuan
Don't expect music literacy & reading programme to be same as being skilled in a particular musical instrument / read notes / be rhythmic and able to read words respectively.
I find that kids generally read based on memory. There is no eye contact to the words. To be able to read, phonics is a must. And phonics taught in childcare or kindergarten is not internalised enough as compared to specialised providers.
The musical literacy programme to me is like introducing art to children. Both activities are in curriculum time for childcare. Crestar & Kinderland are partners, so naturally for Crester to make money, need to pay in Kinderland kindergarten.
Rather than paying for activities that you can't choose providers / quality, might as well pay money to one that is to your standard.
As I have gone through this stage, I suggest you to look into enrichment:
Music (if you are going into this)
1) dancing (ballet, tap dancing or whatever dance)
2) piano (either join Yamaha or engage private teacher)
Phonics
Zoophonics is recommended (few branches, Thomson Plaza, Bukit Timah Plaza etc) (note I am not related to this business, just that my son has been to it and I find it helpful), My colleague sent her girl to Growing up Gifted in United Square, same concept.
Read in a week is very academic and rhetoric, hence rather boring and dry.
(My boy no progress after 1 term, teacher wanted me to re-do 1st term. I withdrew and switched to zoophonics).
I Can Read is expensive. Some negative feedback is spend so much money still cannot read / pace very slow. Speed of literacy depends on child too as there are some who are strong advocators for it.
Abacus
Helps in mental calculation.
I just wanted to expose my girl to music and not really wanting her to pick it up professionally unless she requests it. So I find it good enough for now. I plan to let her pick up piano only from Primary One and that's if she still enjoys it.
As for phonics and reading, my girl has been exposed to Letterland phonics since 24 months old during a parent accompanied workshop(Learning Horizon) which I attended with her. In fact she was homeschooled by me between 2 to 3 years old and started school only at Nursery level(4 years old). We continued doing Letterland phonics together at home and that was how she picked up reading. What I meant was I like the fact that the school does one to one reading with the kids for both English and Chinese. My girl loves books and this helps to maintain her love for reading even when we spend lesser time at home on reading. I foresee that it's gonna decrease further with the arrival of a new baby.
I am not too keen to send her for any enrichment outside school hours as I feel it's too stressful for the kids, academic or not. I rather let her spend her weekends playing outdoors at a playground in a park or any outdoor activities we can think of picnic, beach, zoo etc. Just soak up the sun. That's how childhood should be like. She is going to have her fair bit of stress upon entering Primary School. So for now I try as much as possible to keep school hours short for her and incorporate more outdoor time in her daily routine. Another reason why I chose Kinderland: Kinderfit programme.
Haha... We are digressing! And perhaps we are on different tracks as well.
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Impatient is a type of behaviour exhibit by PRCs that I have observed in our surroundings, in addition to aggressive, loud. That made me wrote that statement. There are impassionate teachers in Chinese enrichment centres too, like robots (eg Xue lao shi in TienHsia). I will choose the teacher and make my time to fit into her teaching period and not accept any teacher just because I am available at a particular time.
No dispute that there are good PRC teachers (from my experience with 2 senior teachers in TienHsia primary level, with 1 already quit). They are long time PRs and are married. -
Since we are on the topic of this native Chinese teacher, I just thought that I would like to share what truly took place and why we could actually forgive her.
The teacher explained to me that my girl could not get the strokes right despite numerous attempts. My girl is the very active type and we really cannot expect her to sit still. But the teacher expects all her students to sit straight with their backs at 90 degrees angle, feet firmly planted on the ground, both hands on the table and heads up bent but not tilted in order for the Chinese characters to look nice when written out. She is not wrong but my girl could not live up to her expectations as she is merely 4 years old and it’s her first encounter with Chinese characters. Thus the teacher got impatient. I explained to the teacher that her behaviour was unacceptable to me. She told me there would not be a next time and that we can work together.
We came to a conclusion eventually. I told the teacher to leave my girl alone for now and that I would practise writing the Chinese characters with her at home instead as I knew best how to teach/deal with my girl whom I have been caring for all by myself 24/7 for the past 4 years plus. True enough after 2 weeks my girl mastered writing her Chinese characters. I informed the Chinese teacher that she could take over. After another 2 weeks, my girl could even write her own name in Chinese!
Sometimes it could be an awful misunderstanding and we just need both parties to work it out together for the benefit of the child. We have always taught my girl to forgive and forget too. Changing schools the moment we encounter such issues is really the best solution for all situations. In the end it’s the child who suffers. -
lovexuan
yes we are on different tracks. You are stay at home mum while I am full time working mum.
Difference people different needs. That's why there are childcare centres and kindergardens and enrichment centres.
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To : lovexuan
I am happy to know that you and I actually share same views towards growing ups for our gals. LIke you I had homeschooled my girl until she was 4. I sent her to Kinderland at K1. I did not sent her for any enrichment except music (I think that’s important for character building) and ballet. Till now we will do things together every afternoon and outings every weekends.
But I think you should start your gal piano before P1 because to have the habits of practising piano is important and she might feel stressful coping P1 and Piano together. -
caroline3sg:
You're absolutely right!lovexuan
yes we are on different tracks. You are stay at home mum while I am full time working mum.
Difference people different needs. That's why there are childcare centres and kindergardens and enrichment centres.
SAHMs and FTWMs. Different lifestyles/mindsets, different needs! -
pinkapple04:
pinkapple04,To : lovexuan
I am happy to know that you and I actually share same views towards growing ups for our gals. LIke you I had homeschooled my girl until she was 4. I sent her to Kinderland at K1. I did not sent her for any enrichment except music (I think that's important for character building) and ballet. Till now we will do things together every afternoon and outings every weekends.
But I think you should start your gal piano before P1 because to have the habits of practising piano is important and she might feel stressful coping P1 and Piano together.
Glad to hear that someone share the same views as me too. My life also revolves around my girl. Haha.. We do everything together too. Are you a SAHM too?
I also feel that music is essential as i think it will help to build up patience in my girl's case. Last year my girl had been pestering me for ballet. I signed her up at Crestar but we had an unpleasant experience there. We found another school but they would only take her in from March 2012 based on age requirement. In the end I got preggy and now I need to wait for the next enrolment. But now my girl tells me she prefers piano instead! She has been having fun with the keyboard in school for the past few months I guess. I found a few schools but most are only willing to take in from 4.5 years old onwards which will be after June 2012. So now I am thinking if I should wait till she's in K2, since you think Primary One will be a little late?
I guess if I really withdraw from Kinderland then I would enrol her for piano from K2. -
lovexuan
I started working as part time morning when I put my gal in Kinderland I will start doing things with her around 1pm. Does that makes me a SAHM too?
Mine gal is in Crestar Kovan for ballet. Our 1st encounter with the Teacher (now left) for baby ballet was bad and I had to transfer my gal to another class and since then she has been progressing well with this Teacher that can really handle kids (though she look kind of stern). :imanangel:
I sent my gal to Semipi School of Music (not sure if you hear of this school) at age 2+ and started individual piano at 4. She likes music alot and she actually request to learn violin as well. But again music needs practising even if it is only 5 to 15 mins daily.
You may want more details if you are interested in the schools.
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