All About Working With Children Who Are Weak Academically

[janet88]

vinegar:

forgetful....indeed...my son can forget abt the word i taught him just 5min ago...i am not sure if he forgetful n simply lack of learning interests.

teaching her can be very thirsty...lots of talking required.

coaching her english and chinese is mentally tiring.

[vinegar]

janet_lee88:

vinegar:

forgetful....indeed...my son can forget abt the word i taught him just 5min ago...i am not sure if he forgetful n simply lack of learning interests.

teaching her can be very thirsty...lots of talking required.
agree....hv to standby a big bottle of water.Also very physically tired,coz nid to write/draw/look for books to show him the meanings through examples.

coaching her english and chinese is mentally tiring.

i sleep very well during the whole SA week.
Standby a cup of coffee or a cold Nescafe Latte.
I nid to deal wf my tiredness as well as his.Make him honey n give him some sweets,to keep him aware.

[janet88]

coached her for english oral (got son to stand in)…then we did a few comprehension passages the week after, followed by her chinese paper 2.

then i had to walk away because i just fizzled out and couldn’t sit down anymore…the breathlessness just came suddenly.

[JohnYeo]

vinegar:

forgetful....indeed...my son can forget abt the word i taught him just 5min ago...i am not sure if he forgetful n simply lack of learning interests.

Hmm...i m just thinking it can be related to how he retains information...what r the stuff he can always remember?

Like for example, I used to coach a child who is slow in learning and his ability to function is lower than his peers...he can't remember much but he can memorise all the MRT trains platform numbers, what time they come/ leave, and the number of stations and when will the other stations be ready...so it's interesting how our mind is wired for certain info.

[MintyMin]

Having problems with my eldest child, he is 8 this yr. Have known ds is weak in languages, especially chinese.. So signed him up with Tien Hsia (TH) last year when he requested for it, as dd1 (2nd child) started 2 months prior, due to waitlist and all, ds only started attending towards the end of Term1 last yr..


However, just few weeks back, ds told me he no longer wants to attend TH.. reason being, have tingxie and it is higher chinese.. Partly my fault too as i focus too much getting him learn his tingxie.. but u c.. not only TH's tingxie, sch tingxie as well.. he is a boy tat needs practice every day to remember.. n once tingxie over.. he can forget wat the word is.. Last week he had his running revision test.. he came back home ytd with Chinese grade scoring only 22/50.. i was disappointed.. but i din want to show.. but told him tat he needs to work harder.. n he went.. 'this is not a real test, so its ok', it made me rebutted him saying.. 'this is not even the real test and u failed.. wat if it is the real test, do u know how sad i m to see you having this grade?' sigh.. even for maths, he scored only 36/50.. i told him.. my expectation is not high.. the minimum u shld get is 75/100 for all subjects..

I feel lost.. i did all tat i cld for him.. but really duno wat he really want..

I still have 2 dds to handle, though dd1 is consider academically better then ds..but i guess she realised tat she doesn't get as much attention as ds.. thus decided not to know a lot to get me to spend time with her.. frankly.. she could easily read out new words tat r intro in P2, so i took tings ez wif her.. leaving her to do n read books on her own.. she is 6 this yr..

As for dd2.. whenever ds n dd1 is studying.. i try to get her to read P&J books.. but she also wants me to b there to listen to her read..

I feel so helpless.. really duno what to do.. esp for ds..

[ammonite]

Try spreading out the activities. If your two older children are doing work, get the younger one to do maze or drawing, something that you can bend over and guide or nod every now and then. You have to stagger them. So when you are working with ds1, dd1 and dd2 should do something that do not need much supervision. Then rotate. You can also get your ds1 to teach dd2 when you are working with dd1. It can be simple maths, or drawing or doing her P&J with her. Older kids love to teach younger ones.


Re Chinese and your ds - if the gap between the materials being taught and his current level is too wide, he will not benefit from the class. It has to be at a level that he can grasp, plus a little more.

(ps. you may want to change your teaching methods/materials as well if the current ways are not working.)

[MintyMin]

ammonite:

Try spreading out the activities. If your two older children are doing work, get the younger one to do maze or drawing, something that you can bend over and guide or nod every now and then. You have to stagger them. So when you are working with ds1, dd1 and dd2 should do something that do not need much supervision. Then rotate. You can also get your ds1 to teach dd2 when you are working with dd1. It can be simple maths, or drawing or doing her P&J with her. Older kids love to teach younger ones.


Re Chinese and your ds - if the gap between the materials being taught and his current level is too wide, he will not benefit from the class. It has to be at a level that he can grasp, plus a little more.

(ps. you may want to change your teaching methods/materials as well if the current ways are not working.)

Hi ammonite, appreciate your opinions..
The ting abt dd2 is that, she doesnt like to do 1 thing for too long, her attn on one activitity last only 10mins and usually when ds or dd1 teach or guide her.. they will end up being frustrated with her.. as dd2 will purposely refuse to read the word correct as taught by ds or dd1 when they correct her.. so she will end up at the notti corner.. N of coz.. like u said.. older kids love to teach the young ones.. which ds n dd1 does show it as well.. :love:

For ds chinese.. am running out of ideas.. alternate night chinese story book reading.. both ds n dd1 take turns to read.. speaking in mandarin.. he will be dropping off TH after the this term.. last 2 lessons already.. but i isnt' higher chinese just a slight difference from norm chinese? I mayb wrong.. but i tot.. it helps to increase his recognition in chinese words.. but i guess he felt stress abt it..

Whenever he is asked to do his revision, irregardless of subjects.. he will end up coming out of the room 4-5 times out of the 1hr.. u c.. i m a FTWM.. after coming hm.. i nid to cook, shower dds etc.. n while doing those.. i really hope ds will take the initiative to do the needful..

Am running out of ideas to teach him.. left him on his own as he requested doesnt work.. hovering over him to see tat he does it makes me vomit blood n creates tension btw both of us.. i have limited resources.. both monetary n time.. really duno wat to do now.. :sad:

[ngl2010]

Does Tien Hsia have normal Chinese? If have, then transfer him to normal Chinese.


When my DS in P1 and P2, we asked him to start learning ting xie 4 days before the test. At that time, he needs to spend about 30 minutes each to learn ting xie. He needs to practice many times until he got only got max 1 word wrong. At P6 now, he only needs 1 time practice (the night or the morning before) and spends 10 minutes. He almost always get full mark. Somehow now his brain is already wired correctly so ting xie became very easy for him.

Please don’t give up.

[MintyMin]

ngl2010:

Does Tien Hsia have normal Chinese? If have, then transfer him to normal Chinese.


When my DS in P1 and P2, we asked him to start learning ting xie 4 days before the test. At that time, he needs to spend about 30 minutes each to learn ting xie. He needs to practice many times until he got only got max 1 word wrong. At P6 now, he only needs 1 time practice (the night or the morning before) and spends 10 minutes. He almost always get full mark. Somehow now his brain is already wired correctly so ting xie became very easy for him.

Please don't give up.

Hi ngl2010, TH does not have normal Chinese.. I may seek alternatives at nearby CC and enrol him in Chinese speech n drama, as i feel he is not a book person but more of a fun n play kid.. but it may be too late to help him for his streaming end of this yr.. No high expectations.. will just hope he pass his chinese..

Like ur DS, i let ds learn his tingixe a week in advance.. it helps.. but i have to keep nagging to remind him to learn.. which.. i try to avoid nagging.. his initiatives were to only STARE at the list of words.. n not practice.. the practices will only happen if i remind him to..

I will not give up.. I just do not know how else to help him..

[sarni]

Yes , Definitely Your child is totally depend on her parents . I would like to say all parents motivate our child share some feelings and talk friendly .