Comparing Chinese Enrichment (Primary/Preschool)

[jedamum]

Diveera:

Jedamum, which Berries will your son be having the trial?

Bukit Batok - $16.50 (+GST). Just now told my ds2 that i bring him to school on Saturday and tell him cannot cry...then he make the fake crying noise :roll: Keeping my fingers :xedfingers: .

[buds]

[quote]Bukit Batok - $16.50 (+GST). .[/quote]
How long is the trial session?
Where exactly is the location of this Berries outlet in Bt Batok?
My daughter's previous Mandarin teacher did extra work as sideline
at Berries in her evenings. She has many many nice songs and all
accompanied with cool dance moves too. She enjoys learning the
language a lot cos the teacher was very actively teaching the children
for every lesson and the repetition really helps. And the crafts she
incorporates in her lesson keeps the children excited before every
Mandarin lesson.
[quote]Just now told my ds2 that i bring him to school on Saturday and tell him cannot cry...then he make the fake crying noise :roll: Keeping my fingers :xedfingers: .[/quote]Aaaaah... ds2 must be the one who said \"cry a bit can what,
cos i like to cry mah?\"

[jedamum]

buds:

How long is the trial session?
Where exactly is the location of this Berries outlet in Bt Batok?

should be same as the lesson...the lesson is 1.5hr. the trial used to be $28+. but recently seems to reduce. they have very good business. their saturday classes for older kids (ie K2 and lower pri) have long waiting list.
It's located at the community centre near Westmall. You staying West?
[quote]
Aaaaah... ds2 must be the one who said \"cry a bit can what,
cos i like to cry mah?\" [/quote]mistaken identity la! my boy can talk 2-3 words in a sentence niah. his favourite is 'MUMMY!!! WHERE ARE YOU!!!'

[buds]

jedamum:

buds:

How long is the trial session?
Where exactly is the location of this Berries outlet in Bt Batok?

should be same as the lesson...the lesson is 1.5hr. the trial used to be $28+. but recently seems to reduce. they have very good business. their saturday classes for older kids (ie K2 and lower pri) have long waiting list. It's located at the community centre near Westmall. You staying West?

Yup, am a Westie!

buds:

Aaaaah... ds2 must be the one who said \"cry a bit can what, cos i like to cry mah?\"

jedamum:

mistaken identity la! my boy can talk 2-3 words in a sentence niah. his favourite is 'MUMMY!!! WHERE ARE YOU!!!'

Ops! Paiseh...
Sorry hor..

I've back tracked liao.
This was the post of the like to cry fella...
Hehehehee!!! :lol: :lol:

mom2boys:

my words to my son:-

'today u K1, big boy already..have fun..dun cry ok?\"

'mummy, cry a little bit also can what....i like to cry...' :x

[jedamum]

J2mum:

Hi,

beside sending my ger to Molin. I also sent my son (N1) to Berries for trial class. He was crying thru-out the class, looking very sad during the class. I never expect the outcome with be so bad. He is attending Childcare (full day) now. I thot he will be independent enough to attend class on his own but he end up calling his sister most of the time.

J2mum,
I just came back from Berries. It's a funny experience.
Prior to the lessons, they had toys for the kids. My boy was happily playing and didn't know that I left the room. When it's time to keep the toys, he refused and gripped onto the toy cars tightly. When the teacher pry it out of his hands, he started to cry for me. As this is my second boy, the expectations and anxiety is not as severe as the first. I would have break out in sweat hearing my firstborn cry, but with his ds2, I :siam: ran from behind the door to hide at the admin counter. After a while, the teachers carried him out to look for me.
He refused to sit with the rest. Don't want to pay attention. When it's activities time, he doesn't Q up, likes to jump around and even 'helped' the teacher take/keep the materials. He climbs onto the small table, took the marker...if i had not stop him, he would have scribbled on the wall.
Then it's song and actions time. Every one was sitting down singing and doing actions. My boy was standing in front of them swaying away and singing and doing all the actions correctly, but standing up.
Then it's story telling time in another room. There is a small railing. I had to stop him from climbing.
Then it's back to the class to do some work. He took a handful of pencils and refuse to circle the correct words. Teacher tried to bribe him with crayons. He said OK, took the crayons then ran away. The teacher gave up and then brought him to me and ask me to help him to complete the work. I sat him on my lap, took his hand, spoke to him and he dutifully let me guide his hands to circle the correct words. Thereafter i told him to bring it to the teacher and he did.

I like the curriculum structure. But I won't be signing him up cos,
1) the teacher admit that my boy is not ready (i can sense their exasperation) for a classroom stint. my boy had never attended any childcare or classes and that they said is part of the reasons why he had no inclinations on what is expected of him and wants to do things his way only.
2) my boy doesn't know mandarin well. he already doesn't follow instructions from others, let alone instructions in a language he is not familiar with.
3) once a week to get him to familiarise with a school setting is insufficient. I'll wait for him to start his preN in end Jun and let the teacher train him 5x a week (i had prewarned the teachers about his active behaviour).

Despite his young age (few of the youngest in class), he is the tallest. I had to emphasis and hope that the teachers understand that he is not as matured as he looks.

I had fun though.

[ChiefKiasu]

jedamum:

...I just came back from Berries. It's a funny experience...

Wow, that's some experience, jedamum. This is the 2nd lesson? How old is your DS2 again? I'm surprised Berries allow parents to be in the same class - I thought that was against their school policy.

Anyway, my girl was somewhat like that during her first lessons in a Chinese enrichment class. We had to sit in for an entire month before she finally warmed up and happily participated in the activities. By the time we sent her to Berries 6 months later, she was more than happy to have us disappear from the room so that she can play with her friends.

[jedamum]

ChiefKiasu:

This is the 2nd lesson? How old is your DS2 again? I'm surprised Berries allow parents to be in the same class - I thought that was against their school policy.

This is only his first trial. He is 27 mth old.
The teacher allowed me to sit in because it is a trial class.
I don't think the teacher is ready to handle my boy - they did gave me an apologetic look when they said that they feel that it would be better if he had started his weekdays preschooling (ie PreNursery or Childcare) first before he join the once a week class.

[J2mum]

Jedamum,

From ur posting. I can sense that the teachers are not ready to handle ur boy. I can understand, if my kid is in the class I wun want him/her to be distracted by other kids as well as enrichment class doesnt come cheap.

My boy reaction is quite different from urs. He was weeping in the class. Keep telling the teacher he wanted Jie jie, not mummy!

I asked him again if he will be interested to attend the \"School\". He shook his head. I guess he is not ready. May be let him attend Molin when he is N2.

[buds]

jedamum:

J2mum:

Hi,

beside sending my ger to Molin. I also sent my son (N1) to Berries for trial class. He was crying thru-out the class, looking very sad during the class. I never expect the outcome with be so bad. He is attending Childcare (full day) now. I thot he will be independent enough to attend class on his own but he end up calling his sister most of the time.

J2mum,
I just came back from Berries. It's a funny experience.
Prior to the lessons, they had toys for the kids. My boy was happily playing and didn't know that I left the room. When it's time to keep the toys, he refused and gripped onto the toy cars tightly. When the teacher pry it out of his hands, he started to cry for me. As this is my second boy, the expectations and anxiety is not as severe as the first. I would have break out in sweat hearing my firstborn cry, but with his ds2, I :siam: ran from behind the door to hide at the admin counter. After a while, the teachers carried him out to look for me.
He refused to sit with the rest. Don't want to pay attention. When it's activities time, he doesn't Q up, likes to jump around and even 'helped' the teacher take/keep the materials. He climbs onto the small table, took the marker...if i had not stop him, he would have scribbled on the wall.
Then it's song and actions time. Every one was sitting down singing and doing actions. My boy was standing in front of them swaying away and singing and doing all the actions correctly, but standing up.
Then it's story telling time in another room. There is a small railing. I had to stop him from climbing.
Then it's back to the class to do some work. He took a handful of pencils and refuse to circle the correct words. Teacher tried to bribe him with crayons. He said OK, took the crayons then ran away. The teacher gave up and then brought him to me and ask me to help him to complete the work. I sat him on my lap, took his hand, spoke to him and he dutifully let me guide his hands to circle the correct words. Thereafter i told him to bring it to the teacher and he did.

I like the curriculum structure. But I won't be signing him up cos,
1) the teacher admit that my boy is not ready (i can sense their exasperation) for a classroom stint. my boy had never attended any childcare or classes and that they said is part of the reasons why he had no inclinations on what is expected of him and wants to do things his way only.
2) my boy doesn't know mandarin well. he already doesn't follow instructions from others, let alone instructions in a language he is not familiar with.
3) once a week to get him to familiarise with a school setting is insufficient. I'll wait for him to start his preN in end Jun and let the teacher train him 5x a week (i had prewarned the teachers about his active behaviour).

Despite his young age (few of the youngest in class), he is the tallest. I had to emphasis and hope that the teachers understand that he is not as matured as he looks.

I had fun though.

Glad you had fun. And thankfully that was a trial.
Mebbe if it wasn't, they might return you the monies paid
and get you to come back when your child is more ready.
The teacher was right with her actions. And you're right too
with your decision of not signing him up yet - not all mummies
can accept when teacher says \"your child not ready\". So, you
did good in my eyes.

Enrichment programmes are meant to enrich. And enrichment
classes have their own curriculum to cover as well within a
certain time frame too.

So most times the facilitators cannot put too emphasis or time on
the getting children to sit down or behave. The part where they
had toys (familiar toys) that children can play with is quite good
to get the children to sit in nicely with less separation anxiety.

[tamarind]

jedamum:

I like the curriculum structure. But I won't be signing him up cos,
1) the teacher admit that my boy is not ready (i can sense their exasperation) for a classroom stint. my boy had never attended any childcare or classes and that they said is part of the reasons why he had no inclinations on what is expected of him and wants to do things his way only.
2) my boy doesn't know mandarin well. he already doesn't follow instructions from others, let alone instructions in a language he is not familiar with.
3) once a week to get him to familiarise with a school setting is insufficient. I'll wait for him to start his preN in end Jun and let the teacher train him 5x a week (i had prewarned the teachers about his active behaviour).

jedamum,
My girl attended Berries at Bukit Batok for one whole year in N2. When she entered K1, I moved her to Berries at Woodlands. The teachers at Bukit Batok are not good at handling children who cannot sit still.

I find that the teachers at Woodlands are much better at classroom control. They have much more patience with crying children. I have seen teachers carrying and comforting crying children for a long time.

While at Bukit Batok, I have seen mommies sitting in with their kids for many weeks. I myself stayed with my girl for quite a while when she first started at N2.

Both my kids do not understand mandarin when they first attended Berries. Their teachers are very ready to speak in English to explain things that they don't understand. My kids now understand mandarin very well, and my older girl can speak mandarin quite fluently, my boy is starting to speak very simple sentences.

My kids learn have Chinese lessons everyday at their PCF kindergarten. I want them to attend Berries because their standard of Chinese is very high, definitely higher than Tien Hsia. Being a kiasu mommy, I want my kids to learn more