Learning Chinese (Primary/Preschool)

[tamarind]

pixiedust:

tamarind:

..However, for http://www.lead.com.sg, students require a login name and password, so it is not free for all to use ?

The school has the subscribe to it.
DS's school is using it for all levels.

Thanks for the information. I wonder if all schools are using it ?
Kids will not be able to use it before entering primary school.

[lee2004]

[ :love: :celebrate: [/img]

[MyBaby]

Hi Tamarind, lead.com (now called MCOnline) is a commercial education portal by Marshall Cavendish. Access is based on school's subscription. For my kids'school, subscription is \"compulsory\" and money is deducted from edusave account.


I find that for younger kids (P1 and P2), word recognition is very important. So I have been doing flash cards (both from 字宝宝 and 四五快读）to boost up DS word recognition. I am also reading aloud Chinese books to him.

tamarind:

pixiedust:

[quote=\"tamarind\"] ..However, for http://www.lead.com.sg, students require a login name and password, so it is not free for all to use ?

The school has the subscribe to it.
DS's school is using it for all levels.

Thanks for the information. I wonder if all schools are using it ?
Kids will not be able to use it before entering primary school.[/quote]

[tamarind]

MyBaby:

Hi Tamarind, lead.com (now called MCOnline) is a commercial education portal by Marshall Cavendish. Access is based on school's subscription. For my kids'school, subscription is \"compulsory\" and money is deducted from edusave account.


I find that for younger kids (P1 and P2), word recognition is very important. So I have been doing flash cards (both from 字宝宝 and 四五快读）to boost up DS word recognition. I am also reading aloud Chinese books to him.

tamarind:

[quote=\"pixiedust\"]The school has the subscribe to it.
DS's school is using it for all levels.

Thanks for the information. I wonder if all schools are using it ?
Kids will not be able to use it before entering primary school.

[/quote]OIC. I don't even remember how much money they deducted from me

I do find that using books like 四五快读 and story books are more effective than using computers for learning Chinese.

[Chenonceau]

Double post

[Chenonceau]

chamonix:

Your effort in helping your son in Chinese, despite your own handicap in the subject, is indeed applaudable! His results and growing interest in Chinese is the very evidence that you are heading in the right direction. Not everybody has the opportunity to help or teach her child in areas that she herself is lacking in. Hence, the stark differences in views. However, there are many other parents who are on the same boat as you. Even for myself, I have learnt something from your posts on learning Chinese. So, please do continue with your sharing, which I believe will benefit many parents in the same plight. (I know zilch about French, but I can probably work on a thesis on how to learn French with kids. And oh yes, memory work is also part of our learning too. )

:offtopic: Btw, would you mind sharing with me how you mastered the 'r' and 'u' (as in rue) sounds in French? I just can't get these two sounds right...

笑猫日记 is a rather popular series by the China author 杨红樱.I was recommended this series by a sales staff Maha Yu Yi when my son was in K2. (Unfortunately we didn't get the books because there was no stock then.) I just took a quick look on joyo.com and I found the difficulty levels of this series varies.
http://www.amazon.cn/%E6%A8%B1%E6%A1%83%E6%B2%9F%E7%9A%84%E6%98%A5%E5%A4%A9-%E6%9D%A8%E7%BA%A2%E6%A8%B1/dp/B0028QGQWK/ref=pd_sim_b_2

http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%AC%91%E7%8C%AB%E6%97%A5%E8%AE%B0-%E7%90%83%E7%90%83%E8%80%81%E8%80%81%E9%BC%A0-%E6%9D%A8%E7%BA%A2%E6%A8%B1/dp/B003QCJU5U/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1301534087&sr=1-1

The above series would serve as a good supplementary for my children to acquire new Chinese words (with the electronic dictionary and my help, of course). So, I'm not sure if this series would be a little too simple for your son, since he has been absorbing a large dosage of good Chinese phrases the last few months. Alternatively, you may want to check out other series by the same author such as男生日记 or 非常校园系列. Unlike笑猫日记, they seem to cater more to the older children. (Another series I have in mind is 皮皮鲁. I have this feeling it would entice my son to continue reading the entire book himself.)

Erm, I mean, that is, if your son is keen in Chinese storybooks.

Hi Chamonix,

Thanks for the references!! We have all the series you mentioned except 皮皮鲁. They are very entertaining. My son giggles and rolls around in bed laughing sometimes. He reads them before bed everyday.

The R in \"rue\" starts at the back of the throat... like those old folks who clear their throats and then spit. You can practise by pretending to clear your throat of phlegm? Hee! No problem pronouncing the French R if you dun mind being gross. :lol:

Once you get it, then you tag on the \"u\" but this time, you shorten the R-at-the-back-of-the-throat to the length of a normal R (or even shorter) so you get just this very very light (almost imperceptible throat clearing). The \"u\" is pronounced exactly like \"fish\" in mandarin.

And many many many thanks for your gracious encouragement. I really appreciate it. :love:

[Chenonceau]

rosemummy:

My girl is fluent in French, but like you, I can't speak a word.

Your daughter sounds very accomplished indeed!! English, Chinese AND French! Congratulations!!

[fristrom]

tamarind:

I do find that using books like 四五快读 and story books are more effective than using computers for learning Chinese.

Was talking to a friend a couple of weeks and she shared your sentiment. At the end of the day, to learn anything (and retain), you need to keep the interest going. For me, books are definitely more interesting than computer, but maybe kids these days have different expectation/experience.

[rosemummy]

Chenonceau:

rosemummy:

My girl is fluent in French, but like you, I can't speak a word.

Your daughter sounds very accomplished indeed!! English, Chinese AND French! Congratulations!!

Thanks, Chenonceau. You're very kind. Unfortunately, she's way below average amongst her peers. All of them speak at least 5 languages fluently. 1 of them is fluent in 7 languages. He's a Korean but speak much better Chinese than my girl.

In Europe, everyone speaks at least 3 to 4 languages. In the Grande Ecoles, you need to be fluent in 4 languages to graduate. When MNCs hire for a position to cover Europe, there's almost never any problem getting someone with the requisite language skills. It's a little more difficult in Asia but increasingly, I'm seeing a lot of Japanese and Koreans who are fluent in English and all the 3 major Asian languages (Chinese, Japanese and Korean). A lot for our kids to catch up.

[laughingcat]

rosemummy:

Chenonceau:

[quote=\"rosemummy\"]My girl is fluent in French, but like you, I can't speak a word.

Your daughter sounds very accomplished indeed!! English, Chinese AND French! Congratulations!!

Thanks, Chenonceau. You're very kind. Unfortunately, she's way below average amongst her peers. All of them speak at least 5 languages fluently. 1 of them is fluent in 7 languages. He's a Korean but speak much better Chinese than my girl.

In Europe, everyone speaks at least 3 to 4 languages. In the Grande Ecoles, you need to be fluent in 4 languages to graduate. When MNCs hire for a position to cover Europe, there's almost never any problem getting someone with the requisite language skills. It's a little more difficult in Asia but increasingly, I'm seeing a lot of Japanese and Koreans who are fluent in English and all the 3 major Asian languages (Chinese, Japanese and Korean). A lot for our kids to catch up.[/quote]
Oh my goodness! Speak fluently in 3-4 languages! :!:

I wonder at what age the child starts to be taught in so many languages? Are they only speaking only? What about the writing portion?