Enrichment class for a K1 kid

[a child]

Hello,


I was just randomly browsing through KSP and I read a bit of this thread. Basically I just wanted to offer my own opinion/experience. I’m currently in Secondary school, so hopefully the experiences are still relevant.

Anyway, I was one of those kids who had zero enrichment except swimming. Zilch. None. Swimming was because I had lung disease/allergy problems when I was younger, so swimming was for health reasons. And the swimming pool is literally next door to my house, barely a 5 mins walk. Those lessons were on Saturday morning, and other than that I had nothing. None. Especially no academic enrichment.

What my parents chose to do was to instill in my a love for reading. We went to the library once a week and we’d borrow the maximum 8 books - and I’d finish everything then.

Other times I would play in the playground. I played downstairs everyday, twice everyday actually. My schedule was something like 9-6 CC, 6-7 playground, then dinner, then playground, the shower, then bed. I slept 12 hours a day. I played 3 hours a day at the playground - I’d cycle around with my friends, we’d climb monkey bars (on top of the monkey bars), play catching, whatever. Those days, I never fell sick once. It was a carefree life. If I didn’t have anything to do, I’d find something to do. Read. Watch TV. Play in the playground. Anything.

I mayn’t have learnt any real knowledge, but I learnt how to play with friends, socialize, be carefree and happy. And I was quite sporty - we’d play basketball and badminton and go cycling and everything, we never seemed to run out of things to play. I played in that playground daily till around P4. My view is really that there’s time later to study. When they’re young, they ought to play. Learning something first doesn’t mean you’ll have a brighter future. Because when it comes to working age, none of these matter. What matters in the attitude in life you’ve instilled - and that comes form play and the simple joys in life.

I don’t believe it when children say that they love doing worksheets - after all I am barely out of my childhood yet, so I guess my words count for something. I certainly don’t, and even when it came to primary school I’d sulk when asked to do work. Children ought to learn to play. It’s not natural for them to want to study, and there’s no point asking them to sit down and study anyway. So what if they can sit the stillest in P1? I ran around in class first few weeks of P1, but certainly I’m fine now.

In life, don’t be so caught up in the rat race to do things the first. Life is deep and cannot be measured by knowledge and skills alone. And in life, not everything has to be efficient. If you never wasted a second of your life doing things just because you like it, you want to slack, you want to waste, then I’d say it’s a sad life. Some have mentioned that because your kids are watching TV too often, or playing too much, enrichment would be better time spent - but those aren’t natural. Naturally your kid wants to play, and you’re instilling artificial growth, trying to speed up your child’s natural growth. Most of your child’s time should be spent preparing for primary school, should be spent learning - well, that’s kind of short-sighted actually. Life goes beyond that. Time spent playing, bonding, is certainly not time wasted, in fact the creation of memories and right life attitudes are things your children may remember and be thankful for for life.

I’m not saying that the way I was brought up is the only way, that the enrichment way doesn’t work. I never said that. What I’m saying is that I was brought up the way I did, I never had enrichments, and I’m doing fine right now. This way works. I didn’t do great in lower primary but I caught up, and right now I’m in a good school, I love learning, I love life, and I still play (albeit in a different way). I wouldn’t change one bit of how I live (except maybe the sleep part).

This is a very poorly written article, and I probably would fail if I submitted this piece for grading. However, I hope that this opinion from a child that’s really lacking in here would be helpful(:

[jtoh]

Great post, a child.

[buds]

:goodpost:


Thanks for this!

My children are leading this life you speak of now and while they may not be as mature as you are I still hope for the best and hoping I did right by them.

Wishing u all the best.

:love: ... buds ...

[autumnbronze]

:goodpost: a child!!!


It is certainly not lacking. In fact, it is very insightful. It has further reaffirmed that my decision not to further 'enrich' my DS who is in K1, is sound. Currently, he has enrolled for swimming and piano classes.

I have taken him out of kindy. Probably won't be returning until middle of K2 as he is falling sick practically every month. The only academic class he is attending is at Berries.

[Imami]

DesertWind:

This mother is totally unwise. She guilty-conscious in over-scheduling her kid but gave the excuse that her son is actually enjoying all these activities! The poor boy is only K1 won't know how to protest. Thank goodness in K2 he actually protested. I thought this is still going on and eventually sooner or later if it carries on into primary school, the poor boy may be burnt out beyond recovery already.


Thank God the little boy protested early!

Certainly she is not omniscient but she has the best intention. Some background about her and her family. She is working a the junior mgt level (read: spare money not much). But she splurge on the best (or perceived 'best' if price tags are a good gauge). Got abacus lessons at cc but she enrolled child in cma, you know that kind? All the premium schools we can find in sg market.

This is her only child, so she may be like what one parent have said her \"dunno can take the child's words or not\".

The reason why she flooded her child with so many lessons was becos she felt her child has not much time left (to catch up before pri one). All she enrolled the child was phonic classes when the boy was 2 and then the child only went full time cc at k1 ( before that child taken care by family member). Then she also realized that her kid hated Chinese and cc did not teach Han yu pin pin (not even k2). That's why Chinese classes came in.

Swimming cos this is a sickly kid. Arts cos kid requested.

[Imami]

Actually deep down, I always wonder - the child is sickly maybe becos not enough sleep? The child has to wake up at 6am on weekdays but sleeps at 11pm. How could there be enough sleep? And this kid doesn’t sleep in cc.


During the weekend, in between the classes, the family is always out shopping la, go indoor playgrounds la, movie etc. I am always very amaze - the boy doesnt need nap??? Cos mine must have nap. During the weekend, I always let him have two to three hr nap. Her prince? Forty wink in car rides… She said. Even driving from tuas to changi, it’s only 40min.

The child is also small built and skinny - in line with a sickly image. I really suspect her child was not rest enough. This gives you a comparison when her child, my nephew and my child met one day. At k2, the boy is 120cm and 19kg. My nephew is k1, 110cm and 18kg. My child is n1, 100cm and 17kg.

My suspicion was proven true when one day she told me - her hubby scolded her son upside down one evening. The reason? He boy fell asleep while eating dinner! Imagine that? Fallen asleep eating?!

By sharing this, my intention is not for all to condemn her. Rather, I hope this be a wake up call for those of us parents who are unwittedly doing the same thing. For young children, there is actually no such thing as "doing nothing = learning nothing". For young children, everyday is a learning experience, with enrichment classes or not. enrichment classes provide structured learning but learning need not come only in predefined form. Having enrichment lessons is good but having too much is not. How much is too much depends on the child. If a child does not attend full time cc, then having enrichment classes everyday is fine. But for those in full time cc, having lessons in the evenings may be a little overwhelming.

[magiccastle]

With so many enrichment programs, not only is the child tired , I will wear out too. Hence, I have not sent my kids for any academic based enrichment classes. Some of the parents told me minimally must send the child for phonic (icr), cma n berries classes. But I m too lazy to send my kids for classes as need to follow up with the homework. I prefer to teach them at my own leisure time. Save $$ , better bonding n more relaxed. My girl has not attended any phonic class or abacus class. I taught her phonic , Han yu pin yin, math n Chinese myself when she is k2.

Now she is in p1. No problem coping . In fact, for her SA 1 , she scored full mark for her chinese, almost full mark for math n English. She has also been a avid reader. She spends a lot of time reading young scientist, discovery box, Roald Dahl books classic like Jane eyre , Romeo n Juliet , robin hood etc.
I want to give my children a childhood to remember n not memories of rushing for enrichment classes.
:please:

[hokkiengirl]

SP Mummy:

Hi all Parents,


Is it too late to learn phonics now for P1?
Please advise. Thanks.

Hi, SP Mummy,

If your child is unable to read fluently yet by P1, my suggestion is that he does not go for a weekly phonics class as it would not be able help him much since it doesn't happen often enough. Rather, maybe you could consider teaching himself yourself at home everyday for around 10-15 minutes or so? Now that the June hols are coming, it would be a good window of opportunity to get a lot of work done in a short period of time. He should have few problems figuring out the basic phonic sounds. The other irregular English words don't go according to phonics (eg. acTIon, rough, etc), so it is more about regular exposure so he remembers that these strange-looking words sound like that.

It's never too late to learn phonics!

[hokkiengirl]

magiccastle:

With so many enrichment programs, not only is the child tired , I will wear out too. Hence, I have not sent my kids for any academic based enrichment classes. Some of the parents told me minimally must send the child for phonic (icr), cma n berries classes. But I m too lazy to send my kids for classes as need to follow up with the homework. I prefer to teach them at my own leisure time. Save $$ , better bonding n more relaxed. My girl has not attended any phonic class or abacus class. I taught her phonic , Han yu pin yin, math n Chinese myself when she is k2.

Now she is in p1. No problem coping . In fact, for her SA 1 , she scored full mark for her chinese, almost full mark for math n English. She has also been a avid reader. She spends a lot of time reading young scientist, discovery box, Roald Dahl books classic like Jane eyre , Romeo n Juliet , robin hood etc.
I want to give my children a childhood to remember n not memories of rushing for enrichment classes.
:please:

:goodpost: A mummy after my own heart!!! I especially like the 'save-money' bit. Our methods are about the same, except that my jumpy boy is nowhere near full marks for anything. ha ha ha. But he's cool about it. My kid has NO self-esteem issues. He says, 'Eh, mummy, but I'm not last in class WHAT.' K lor. :roll:

[pepper spice]

Would like to put in my thoughts here - I believe "a child" is about the same age as my son. Like "a child’s" parents, hubby and I did not sign up our son for any single enrichment classes during his pre-primary school days. Even now, in secondary school, his days are tuition-free and enrichment-free. He spent his childhood reading (lots and lots of it), playing with toy cars, dinosaurs, legos, watching Tom & Jerry, Hi-fives, Power Ranger … and he turned out OK. He is doing OK in school, in fact, hubby "allows" him to achieve "whatever results he can achieve based on his own capability and as long as he puts in effort". While many school-going children complain of "time not enough", my son has the luxury to indulge in his favourite past-times - soccer, reading, catch movies with daddy, outings with friends … Many times I also wonder whether I am doing the right thing, sensing that competition is so intense here. But I put myself in his shoes. After spending hours in school, after being drilled by teachers in school and returning home so late, is it fair for him if I request him to do more and more worksheets, attend more lessons?


My close friends and people around me also adopt the same attitude as me towards our kids’ education, and these kids turn out well-adjusted and doing OK in school too. Maybe we are a bunch of out-dated parents, maybe some might even say we are being irresponsible? But I keep reassuring myself, if a kid is being 逼得太紧, 会有反效果, but if you let your kid flourish on his own (you know your own kid - whether sensible or not), he will be 懂事 and knows he is being appreciated for who and what he is and in turn, tries his best.

Lastly, I would like to appeal to parents to inculate in their children, the love for reading - ie. reading for the love of it, not reading to improve English, reading to note down "creative phrases" for compo. After the kids had fallen in love with reading, the improve English and compo parts will fall in nicely. What more, the kids would by then have acquired tonnes of general knowledge from reading. Just my 2cents.