Preschool Curriculum

[ngchris]

Insider, I just received my boy’s cultural topics (eg plants, animals, musiscal instruments) for 2009 and they are almost 80% same topics as this year’s. Is it norm?

[kwcllf]

Hi,


Just wants to find out from other parents about reading programmes in childcare.

I have a kid in K1 and moving to K2 next year. the teacher hardly teaches them to read and only read to them some times. Is this normal?

Also, we have given forms to sign up for optional English and Chinese Language programmes next year. Aren’t these programmes supposed to be part of its curriculum…and why should we fork out additional money for these "optional" programmes.

Hope other parents can share their experience with me. Thanks

[phantom]

kwcllf:

Hi,


Just wants to find out from other parents about reading programmes in childcare.

I have a kid in K1 and moving to K2 next year. the teacher hardly teaches them to read and only read to them some times. Is this normal?

Also, we have given forms to sign up for optional English and Chinese Language programmes next year. Aren't these programmes supposed to be part of its curriculum...............and why should we fork out additional money for these \"optional\" programmes.

Hope other parents can share their experience with me. Thanks

My kid is not exactly in CC, but in a Montessori based Kindergarten, and they teach reading and phonics. I have a friend that has his child in Montessori based CC, and are taught phonics and reading and his son can read quite well at age of 3++. After knowing this, I switched my child's Kindergarten, as they are the same age and my kid don't know how to read :roll:

So I suppose it depends on the CC you send him and the program they offer.

[metz]

kwcllf:

the teacher hardly teaches them to read and only read to them some times. Is this normal?

Hi,

I am surprised to hear that. The few preschools I came across do actively teach K1s to read. For my son's kindy (K1), the kids are taught to read a set of English and Chinese readers.

[luvmum]

My child is currently at N2 moving to K1 next yr. There is no independent reading at her CC, teachers read to them as a group. Hence, I will need to encourage self reading to her at home. Now, she is able to read on her own after reinforcing with her a few rounds. This is also something I feel lacking in her present CC. Self reading (start with simple sentence) should begins at N2, I feel. :shock:

[jedamum]

My boy who was at a PCF kindergarten has no reading programme too.

They have to signed up for optional lessons, which I did for their phonics, but wasn’t any much help.
What they did in class is basically focus on conversational aspect of English and Chinese and no structured word recognition or phonics programme

[en107rn.01056yahoo.01056com.01056sg]

My kids were from childcare before transferring out to kindergarten. My dd was in childcare up to nursery level & there was no phonics. There’s not much written work either. When I ask why there’s not much academic work, the principal’s replied it was due to MOE direction, learn through play.


Even in the kindergarten level, dd was in one of the private kindy, there’s no phonic. I then transfer ds out to PCF which also cover very simple work & again no phonic. Yes, just like what jedamum state, there’s optional class which ds attended for 1 month & then I pulled him out. Very simple work & I think they cover a bit of phonic but not professionally done.

[magg]

Hi all,


My boy is now in Holy Family Church Kindergarten. As a working mum, I find the 2 or 3 hour programme insufficient and they follow the primary schools’ holiday calendar.

Am thinking of putting my boy in full day care centres. Any comments on the curriculum of Sparkle Tots - Alexandra or Commonwealth? Thinking of sending my boy to their N2 class next year.

[en107rn.01056yahoo.01056com.01056sg]

Insider wrote [quote]During their pilot project stage whereby maybe 20 centres were selected to test out this approach, heard those guninea pig kids suffered greatly when they entered P1[/quote]
Dd & ds were from NTUC Childcare. When I was about to withdraw them, the principal told me that spelling & writing will only be touched 1 month before they hit P1. :shock: When was this pilot project implemented? The school also told me that ds was able to read by 2 years old. I'm skeptical. It's more of remembering page by page rather than reading. :?

insider wrote

Good phonics teachers are difficult to come by. To see whether a phonic optional programme is effective or not, think it maybe fairer if you can give them to try out 10 lessons. 1 month maybe a bit too short to come to a conclusion of a programme is no good (but if you listen to the phonics teacher. If she can't even articulate accurately, then can pull out even after 1 lesson...)[quote]Oh. I pull out after a month as ds requested it & have no regrets.  :mrgreen: I'm very curious insider & need your expertise on the following. It's only in P1 that some children are identified as dyslexic & at P3 to identify gifted. Why can't the identification be done at an earlier age when they are in K1 or K2? How about MMI that allow accelaration of level, nursery, to K1 or K2 within a short time frame. What is your thought on that?[/quote]

[magg]

jedamum:

My boy who was at a PCF kindergarten has no reading programme too.

They have to signed up for optional lessons, which I did for their phonics, but wasn't any much help.
What they did in class is basically focus on conversational aspect of English and Chinese and no structured word recognition or phonics programme

Hi JedaMum and EN,

I sent my boy to TumbleTots' rightstart toddler programme where they teach phonics. I attended every lesson with him as it requires parents to participate in the 1.5 hr lesson. I think they use the LetterLand phonics programme. The programme was interesting for the toddlers and well taught by the teachers. Funny thing is now that my son (just turned 3 in Nov 08) could recognise the letter 'e' and says 'eddie elephant!' and makes the phonic sound of 'e' but dunno that the letter 'e' is called 'e'. LOL ... That just shows how impactful the programme is.

There are programmes for up to 4 years old. May wanna take a look at this site. I find the toddlers programme a good bonding exercise and it benefits both me and the tod.

http://www.rightstart.com.sg/index.php?page=programmes#2