Nanyang Kindergarten
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hi hi...
was just popping in to see the discussion. just sharing my experiences..
My elder son graduated from nyk 2 years ago. He studied in both the old and new campus too. My gal started off with their PN group but I took her out in less than a year.
NYK provides the environment for a child to learn the mandarin language especiallly if the child starts from PN or N as these 2 years are primarily taught in mandarin. Much to the dislike of every child who comes from english speaking background, you would see crying children in the classroom all through first few months ( to the extent of beyond 1 term of school), children throwing into fits and tantrums refusing to attend school. But well, children adapts very well in environment, regardless whether they love or resist. Given time, parents rejoy that their children begin to pick up mandarin language. This is how my children experience in nyk.
NYK provides the environment for the mandarin language. However, if parents expect children to be able to adapt and flourish into the primary school system just by attending nyk alone, the expectations may have to be adjusted. Their english and math curriculum lacks the academic rigour to settling into p1. My son is a fast learner and he has been attending other academic classes at 6 years old. He enjoys reading and this habit is cultivated from very young so primary school is an easy brisk for him.
Looking at his work from nyk, I would not think he would have any much easier time settling in p1 without other enrichment.
I rather my children speak confidently, be kind and enjoys the process of learning to drill learning. I like my children to have creativity and analytical skills. All these are soft skills which brings a child far ahead into his adulthood. These, are survival skills.
With my son's experience, I place my gal into the school. She loves school but she has a strong character. The teachers see her with behavioural problem. My gal's class teacher uses foods and sweets to bribe her into listening and following instruction. I do not think this is appropriate. She was not speaking much even after almost a year in the school. The school environment has changed over the last few years. the strong sense of chinese values and systems somehow seemed lost by the time by gal was enrolled (compared to my son's time). So i withdrew my daughter and took her into antoher school. I saw great progress in my gal in her language skills within a month's time. She is much happier in the new place she is in, surrounded by very caring and supportive staff. The school she is in has a good balance between academic and respect the child as an individual. They truly recognises each child is different and give them the space to grow beyond their capability and milestone. It has been over a year and I am very happy for her.
Most importantly, parents should see from the child, based on the child's progress and development, as a personality, if the environment is suited for him or her, rather than on brand name.
just my 2 cents worth...
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Hi TSP,
We are really glad to hear your honest feedback on NYK as a parent who has perhaps seen the best and worst of NYK. Seldom in forums do we see such a balanced view.
For the longest time, we had thought so much about sending our kid to NYK because of its strength in mandarin and its ability to get the children interested in the chinese culture which was important to us given its the area we were least suited to educate our kids on
But we have heard much about the changes (teachers/ culture etc) in the school in recent times for the worse. Some feedback we have heard:
- very regimental, teachers expect all students to follow instructions strictly without exceptions
- limited efforts to cater to different development needs/ advancement of the different children
- of the 3 hours in PN, there is only about 1 hour of real lesson time (meal time was included in the 3 hours)
- limited feedback (not close to anything like the Learning Visions, Pats, Kinderlands)
- lots of tired (and hence irritable) children (estimated 30-50% children attend another school during the other session)
- lots of fundraising
Therefore, despite us being an alum, having Q’ed overnight, secured a much coveted spot and paying the $2000 registration deposit, we have decided that we are keeping our kid at where the current school, where the kid is happy and flourishing as a child.
As for the mandarin/ chinese, suspect we’ll have to rely on other enrichment programmes elsewhere
Cheers. -
Hi mummy_excited,
There is truth in those reviews you heard… with regards to fund raising, the most immediate task is to raise fund for the new building in nyps. There is always an option provided to everyone to opt in/out.
The treatment from staffs to every parents differ according to parents’ profile, likewise the same to the children too. Teachers are stressed with high profile children so naturally more time and effort is spent managing parents. -
Hi, Anyone whose kids are still at nanyang kindergarten ? My kids have been accepted for 2015 intake... N1. However they are currently at Odyssey (tots) , both types of schools have very different teaching beliefs and environments. pls advise your thoughts
For those who have kids in NY - do you know if there is enough emphasis on English, Arts & Maths? Given the primary focus is on mandarin? -
I received a call and got offered a place a few days ago for 2015. But ds is in another preschool now. In a dilemma whether to switch! :stupid:
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Did you all get the call because your name was in a waitlist? Or was it from the registration? Are you all Nanyang Alumni, or general public?
I want to know if Nanyang Alumni stands a higher chance to get into Nanyang Kindergarten? I was told we can already register when baby is born.
Need advice from members here on how to do. -
Any newer updates on the sch and their teachers quality especially those in K1/2 which i supposed are located at the new NYPS building? Given some older posts here, I m not too impress as usual even with some other schs ard my area. The only reason I want NY kindy is cos they are located in same building as NYPS …hoping to make it easier for my little one to fit in in NYPS later. as for curriculum, most kindy dun really prep kids 100% for primary really… hence i dun really want to bother much with that. most imptly is the teachers’ care and overall environment…
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sawakoh:
I would like to ask a question to parents who think that their child's progress in primary school is all due to the kindy's effort. What about other factors eg the child's personality, maturity when he begins formal schooling in P1, home influence etc. I am sure the kindy does play a part but to attribute most of it to the kindy? Serious? Human growth is too dynamic to have a linear cause and effect.KSP:
I'm just wondering what makes NYK so popular since it is not linked to NYPS? :? Apart from surrounded by rich ppl.
My elder child was from NYK and my younger child is still in the Nursery program this year. I must say the chinese immersion programs at pre-nursery and nursery levels have been beneficial to my children since only English is used at home. (my spouse comes from a traditional peranakan household and hence malay is usually used at home)
My elder child speaks fluent mandarin and does well in higher chinese at her primary school. She's able to recite and understand chinese poems. She does not require any extra coaching from tuition and is independent in the learning of Mother Tongue. That said, the English and Math programs did not fall behind Mother tongue. Our elder child started on Enid Blyton series by 5 years old. We felt that NYK did a wonderful job in preparing her for primary school. Although lessons were just 3hr 15 min daily from K1 onwards, it was often well planned and organized. As such, she never need to attend other academic enrichment classes. She had excellent and dedicated teachers who taught her well. The teachers instilled good values to the children and structured lessons helped to reinforce concepts and basic foundation for primary school. We now appreciate that spelling tests - both English and Mother tongue were of good standards and taken seriously at school. Our younger child is not as receptive to speaking Mother Tongue as his sister. However, he has a good grasp of the basic chinese vocabulary and is able to recognize and read chinese characters now. He is currently 3.5 years old.
We are just middle income folks living in the nearby housing estate. There are some students from wealthy backgrounds but I believe most are from middle income groups with working parents. I do not believe the income profile of students drive the popularity of the school. Rather, it's due to the long history of the kindergarten in Singapore and it's good curriculum programs.
By the way I have no vested interest in any kindys. I have no children of my own. Just sharing my observations. -
Han Seo:
I would like to ask a question to parents who think that their child's progress in primary school is all due to the kindy's effort. What about other factors eg the child's personality, maturity when he begins formal schooling in P1, home influence etc. I am sure the kindy does play a part but to attribute most of it to the kindy? Serious? Human growth is too dynamic to have a linear cause and effect.sawakoh:
[quote=\"KSP\"]I'm just wondering what makes NYK so popular since it is not linked to NYPS? :? Apart from surrounded by rich ppl.
My elder child was from NYK and my younger child is still in the Nursery program this year. I must say the chinese immersion programs at pre-nursery and nursery levels have been beneficial to my children since only English is used at home. (my spouse comes from a traditional peranakan household and hence malay is usually used at home)
My elder child speaks fluent mandarin and does well in higher chinese at her primary school. She's able to recite and understand chinese poems. She does not require any extra coaching from tuition and is independent in the learning of Mother Tongue. That said, the English and Math programs did not fall behind Mother tongue. Our elder child started on Enid Blyton series by 5 years old. We felt that NYK did a wonderful job in preparing her for primary school. Although lessons were just 3hr 15 min daily from K1 onwards, it was often well planned and organized. As such, she never need to attend other academic enrichment classes. She had excellent and dedicated teachers who taught her well. The teachers instilled good values to the children and structured lessons helped to reinforce concepts and basic foundation for primary school. We now appreciate that spelling tests - both English and Mother tongue were of good standards and taken seriously at school. Our younger child is not as receptive to speaking Mother Tongue as his sister. However, he has a good grasp of the basic chinese vocabulary and is able to recognize and read chinese characters now. He is currently 3.5 years old.
We are just middle income folks living in the nearby housing estate. There are some students from wealthy backgrounds but I believe most are from middle income groups with working parents. I do not believe the income profile of students drive the popularity of the school. Rather, it's due to the long history of the kindergarten in Singapore and it's good curriculum programs.
By the way I have no vested interest in any kindys. I have no children of my own. Just sharing my observations.[/quote]You can be right in a way that a child's academic success in primary might not be due to kindy program. In my older child's case, he was bored with kindy and never learn much from there. In a class setting of more than 15-20 kids, some kids cannot focus and learn much at all regardless of how good the program might be. I m one of those who wanted to try for NYK just becos it is located in the primary school compound which I hope can be a easier transition to primary in the same smae compound. Curriculum wise, i don't really bother much with it. -
So far, research overseas indicates a quality preschool benefits children from disadvantaged homes the most. The Perry Preschool project and the Abercederian (spelling may be wrong) projects are a few examples. The benefits of the Perry preschool project goes beyond academics. The self-discipline in a quality preschool helps the children to exercise self-control. They stay in school longer, have a lower crime rate and teenage pregnancy rate, hold a stable job in their adult life etc.
I think it does make sense because for children from disadvantaged homes (e.g. families where one or both parents are in jail, maternal depression etc.), they lack the stimulation and positive role models at home so the preschool makes a lot of difference in these children’s life. That is why government funding is so important for this group of children to level the playing field for them.
On another note, there is another interesting research on resilient children that was conducted in the 60s overseas (somewhere in Hawaii, I think). Researchers were interested to know how some children turn out to be so resilient despite their disadvantaged background and the findings reveal (note, it’s correlation, not causation):
1. These children have a cheerful personality and are socialable, even as babies. They smile a lot and love to interact with others.
2. They have a good role model in their life, such as a teacher, a relative or a religious figure. This role model replaced the lack of parental role models in their life.
3. They have a meaningful hobby that keeps them ‘out of trouble’ and develop other skills, be it sports or playing a musical instrument.
It will be great if Singapore can conduct our own research on resilient children and the effect of preschool education on society in the long term.
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