smurf:

still looking for a preschool for DS2...those 3 hrs kind...but hard to find...anyone has any recommendation? thanks in advance!

If you are looking for 3 hrs kind, you may want to consider Brightstart Montessori. It's on 2nd fl of Bishan CC. It's a very small school; nonetheless, it's one of the better ones I've seen.

Their programs start from 18mos to 4yrs. So the down side of this school is that you have to start looking for a new school for the kids for K1 and K2.

They have very low teacher-student ratio. I think max 2:16 with the extra help of an aunty for the 3-4 yrs, and 1-2 aunties for the younger ones. The timings are 9am-10.30am for 18mos-2yrs; 10.30am-12nn for 2-3yrs; 12.30pm-3.30pm for 3-4yrs. They have only 1 classroom, so only 1 class for each group.

Some parents send their kids there from tpy, yio chu kang, even sengkang. Very solid phonics foundation if finish the entire program, at least for the 2 years in 3-4 yrs group (N1-N2).

Fees are reasonable too.

DS1 was there for 1 1/2 yrs. DS2 started this year.

omgmum:

hi st999.


I asked the CH (Turf Club) principal if they taught phonics but she said no, and that they use the Oxford reading tree programme (or something similar sounding). :?

The problem is that we speak mostly English to dd at home, and when I tried speaking to her in Mandarin, she refused to interact with me. Oh dear, will probably have to enroll her in Chinese lessons.

How old is your child? Don't worry too much yet, let your child go to school first. You may be supprised. If going to N1, they will have a Mandarin teacher throughout the class. There are some Indian and Malay kids in my son's K1 class. I heard them speak quite okay Mandarin, not sure if they go to additional Mandarin classes though.

Yes, they use Oxford Reading Tree programme, so that's not phonics? They teach 1 letter each week and introduce the sound and related words/activities.

When ds1 was in the LaunchPad, we didn’t really revise with him besides him doing the homework assigned by his teacher (2-3 pages a week).


After he started LiftOff, we revised with him on reading the passages (3 times a week) and spelling (twice a week) – that’s 5 days a week.

The interview we went to was mostly to see if the child needs any special care and if the child is ready for school. The principal introduced the school, curriculum, environment, etc. And parents can express concerns and/or questions. It’s an opportunity for parents to know more about the school and for the principal/teachers to know about the child.


We speak mostly Mandarin at home, so I am not really worry about his Chinese at this moment. But his Mandarin teacher did say that they will be teaching P1 material at K2, if that’s a concern.

So far, I am quite happy with this school, so sending ds2 there next year as well.

Leia vader:

st999:

Does anyone have comments on mpm centres at bishan, thomson, toa payoh and amk?


I am thinking about sending my k1 son to mpm, but wondering which centre will be better? I know bishan and thomson are like one-teacher operation where the teachers open the centre and have one classroom only. what about centres at toa payoh and amk? thanks.

I am also looking at MPM in these areas.

st999

Have u concluded which center is better?

As every centre operates on limited hours/days only, we chose one that's the most convenient in terms of time and location. You should take a look at every centre and talk to the teachers to find the most suitable centre for you and your child.

Hi June, Thanks for the info.

floatinggate:

Hi st999, since you have visited both centres and done the test respectively, do you find the difference of these two? Which one will have more structured programe to help our children in arithmatic & problem solving/critical thinking?

From what I see, Enopi have both arithmatic and problem solving parts. I am not sure about the critical thinking though (btw, what is \"critical thinking\"?) The materials coves 3+3, 4+3, the chics and rabbits in the same cage kind of questions, a bit of pattern ABAA?A type questions. Workbooks are colorful.

MPM, on the other hand, has mostly logic/IQ questions, not a lot of words in the workbooks I saw.

I don't know which one is better though. still trying to decide which one to send my son to.

Happybirdks:

Hi Trina, st999 and Engkidz


Thanks so much for your info.

I just checked the street directory and found that the BT branch is too far off! I was hoping it is on the other end of BT, nearer my place. I will probably settle for Thomson branch.

I don't think the website has the fees listed though, so can I know how much is the fee? How long is one session by the way?

It's around $40 to $42 per lesson, each lesson is 1.5 hrs, lesson fees are payable per 10 or 11 lessons/term. I don't remember the exact number cuz we made the payment couple of months back. There is registration fee, but they sometimes run promotion to wave it. You can check with the centre for the promotion and correct amount. Also, as mentioned in previous posts, they do have the referral program that both referrer and referree get $30 or $60(in feb10) off the term fees.

I saw the picture on their website where you see a crowd at the reception area. I think it's probably taken when they were having open house. Anyway, you only see the crowd before/after classes when parents are dropping off/picking up their kids. It's usually very quiet after such busy time.

It's better if you go visit their centre and talk to the people about the program. Also, you might want to schedule in advance so that you can have your son assessed at the same time. It will give you a better understanding of their program and materials, and you can also meet at least one of the teachers.

by the way, there are a zoophonic and other enrichment centres in the same development. You can also check them out and do the comparison. Bear in mind that what works for one may not work for the other.

Good luck.

Hi Happybirdks,


No, I don’t think Thomson branch is cramped. In fact, it is one of the best environment I’ve seen so far for enrichment classes, and I’ve seen quite a few while searching for the right ones. You should go inside and have a look yourself. They also have 2 larger classrooms upstairs.

My son is also in K1 this year. He has been going to LC since March or April last year. He had good foundation on phonics from his N1 teacher, so he progressed quite fast. He was in the LaunchPad for 3 terms before switched to LiftOff in Oct last year, and he is the youngest one in his class (other kids are in k2 or p1 already). Now his K1 teacher is saying that he is one the few kids in class who can read quite well. I have to credit this to LC for their good teachers and system, and to my hubby and myself for revising with him everyday. The biggest credit goes to my son; he is a hard-working kid.

I don’t know about other systems or LC for primary schoolers, so can’t comment on that. But the teachers I’ve seen at LC are all very nice. I definitely have no regret for not sending him to other better known schools.

Does anyone have experience with both MPM and Enopi and can comment on both programs? From MPM to Enopi or from Enopi to MPM, what was the reason for switch?


I have visited centres of both systems, and am deciding which one to send my K1 son to. He did assessment at both centres.

Thanks a lot.

p.s. I read thru all the threads regarding preschool maths, couldn’t find too many feedback from parents with actual experience with both systems.