zac's mum\" post_id=\"2012532\" time=\"1611030529\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2012532 time=1611030529 user_id=53606]
This looks like a very good tool. Especially for lower primary age when they are mostly still concrete thinkers and kinesthetic learners.[/quote]

SBT\" post_id=\"2010676\" time=\"1609723458\" user_id=\"190513:

My kid's gonna go P1 next year, yeh i'm kiasu and hope to start to prep her liao

The above quoted post seems right enough however i see objections from the audience here and i know there aint a right or wrong to preparing her but any kind (updated) advice would be appreciated

ChiefKiasu\" post_id=\"839\" time=\"1204295142\" user_id=\"3:

jedamum:

Dunno where to post this, but can veteran dads and mums advise on what does a kid need to know to smoothly transit into Primary 1?

Thanks.

My kid is in Primary 3 and I'm still learning :).

OK... here's what you need:

1. Mental Preparation
- Your kid needs to learn to listen and record instructions from teachers. Normally, the teacher will get the kid to write down homework or instructions to their parents in a Parents-Teacher booklet which YOU need to check religiously everyday. That is the main way by which you know what is happening in school, besides the occasional handouts. You probably need to get the email addresses of at least the form teacher.

- If your kid goes to school in the morning, it is necessary to condition him/her for at least 3 months before school starts. Sleep no later than 9pm and wake up at 6:30am.

- Train your kid to operate a regular schedule with specific timing. Wake up, brush teeth, eat breakfast, exercise, and then lessons. If your child is already in a PCF or similar kindergarten, you have your job cut up for you. But make sure you follow up on the teachers' comments on homework and stuff.

- Train your kid to be self reliant, confident and independent from a young age. This is the TRUE key to success and it will save you a lot of heart ache and stress later. I'm not just talking about teaching your child to order his/her own food. A child that is self-driven will accomplish much more than one with very high IQ. You should attend parenting courses yourself to learn how to do so. http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/enrichment/mindchamps comes to mind.

2. Academic Preparation
There are only 3 subjects in Primary 1 and 2 - English, Chinese and Maths. While there are variations, in general the following can be expected:

a. English and Chinese
P1 kids are expected to do:
- spelling, 听写 and dictation every week (word list of 10 words)
- show and tell every term
- tests involving multiple choice grammar, comprehension, and picture composition
- oral tests involving picture compositions.

To prepare for this, it will be good to encourage kindergarten kids to:

- read voraciously to build up grammer and vocabulary. It is a given these days that kids are EXPECTED to know phonics and all 26 alphabets BEFORE they enter P1.

- attend speech and drama classes to improve confidence and presentation skills

- learn to write simple Chinese characters properly in terms of all the basic strokes 笔画 (heng, shu, etc) and in the proper order. Some teachers are VERY sticky such that even though the character looks correct, if the strokes are wrong, it will still be marked wrong.

- For Chinese, make sure there is a strong foundation of Hanyu Pinyin. I would recommend that you consider sending your child to group-based learning such as the http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/enrichment/hua-language-centre as soon as he/she reach 4 years old - it is VERY difficult otherwise to build an interest in the language unless you constantly use it at home.

b. Mathematics
P1 students are expected to:
- Add/subtract up to 100
- Number bonds
- Times table up to 10 (some 12)
- Abstract modeling to solve problems
- Read analog time (half past, quarter to, etc)
- work with numbers in numeric and alphabet form: eg. 10-8=? or what is the difference between ten and eight?

It is very different from during our times, where all we need to do is to memorize by heart the 12 times table. Kids are required to really UNDERSTAND the logic behind the math.

Take a peek at the P1 assessments when you drop by a Popular bookstore to get a feel for what your child is going to be up against.

To prepare for P1, the main thing to focus on would be to work on the speed of doing the fundamentals of addition and subtraction, and multiplication. Then your child can focus in class on the more complex and abstract logic and modeling processes. I highly recommend Kumon for this job... if you start your child in Kumon by K1, you can be sure that he will well prepared for P1 (and even P2!)

3. Parental Preparation
You must also prepare yourself to support your child! At least one parent has to take time out to guide the child on a daily basis on his schoolwork. It is VERY unlikely the child knows how to manage all the work thrown on him by himself. Nowadays, the schools EXPECT parents to do the job, or at least outsource the job to tutors.

Wish somebody has taught me all this before . But hey... at least others can now learn from my pain :).

floppy\" post_id=\"2010336\" time=\"1609395762\" user_id=\"97579:

Monday - enriched white bread with butter
Tuesday - whole meal bread with butter
Wednesday - soft bun with butter
Thursday - enriched white bread with egg
Friday - whole meal bread with egg
Saturday - McD happy meal
Sunday - Fast

Everyday different

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2010288\" time=\"1609375731\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2010288 time=1609375731 user_id=53606]
Same...I am an “eat to live” kinda person, so I don’t really care what I have for breakfast.

But my main concern is I guess, need some choices that are (i) quick to prepare and eat within 10min before rushing off to beat the jam to school (ii) nutritious and also filling - recess is going to be VERY late at 11.30am for P5 next year (iii) can rotate regularly cos when kid gets bored he just prefers not to eat. Headache.[/quote]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2010280\" time=\"1609372164\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2010280 time=1609372164 user_id=53606]
Hi parents, can u share some simple yet nutritious breakfast ideas for your school-going children? I don’t have a helper at home (plus I’m not a morning person), so I’d like more suggestions for me to rotate so we don’t get bored. Ideally, sthg that the kids can help themselves to while I get my own self ready for work in the mornings.

- bread with various spreads (Nutella, jam, peanut butter, margarine & sliced cheese)
- various cereals with milk
- hard-boiled eggs (can be prepared the night before)
- various store-bought buns Eg Bread Talk buns (must be bought the day before)
- ??? Please add on[/quote]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"1996341\" time=\"1601025093\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=1996341 time=1601025093 user_id=53606]
The hard case type of ergonomic backpacks for kids are pretty heavy when empty. After you add in all the books & files, it’s doubly heavy. Sure it’s better for the back, but experienced parents sometimes don’t bother.

They will just give their kids a regular sporty A4 size backpack Eg. this type: https://royalsportinghouse.com/collections/bags-backpacks

Or this type:

https://www.lazada.sg/catalog/?laz_trackid=2:mm_150070841_51502003_2010502003:clk5odksc1ej28f5krl913&q=Fjallraven%20Kanken%20Backpack&

My kid now uses an old laptop backpack that we had lying around. It fits all the A4 files nicely, it has several inner pockets & zipped compartments. It’s designed to withstand heavy loads & has padded straps for comfort. Works well for school I think.[/quote]