KiasuParents - Parenting in Singapore

Teachers of my younger boy have always feedback that his learning progress is very slow since last year. Currently in N2, he is still not able to recognise numbers 1-10 and letters A-Z, not to mention about writing them. I am going through 1-5 with him everyday but he just can't seem to remember.

He starts learning phonics in the childcare and also MMI this year, it looks like he can remember the sound of the letters better than the names. I am worried that when he has spelling in K1 next year, it will be difficult to learn the words by sound right?

His teachers highlighted that he lacks of confidence and we are doing our best to encourage him and praise him when he gets thing right.
When he is motivated, he can remember things better. However, he may know some of the numbers or letters today, but forgotten on the next day.

Anyone has the same problem before? Any advise, good enrichment class / CDrom which I can try?

For a start, I was just wondering what should an average N2 know by now.

Our N2 enjoys watching leapfrog letter factory. Although it seems that some of the letter sounding seems "wrong" when the older kids hear in term of pronounciation. But the DVD sort of create a strong impression on the child. Eg. K as in Kick Kick Kick.

She also enjoys surfing www.starfall.com which has good phonics introduction as well.

I gathered from these 2 activites, she seem to know the sound for some of the alphabets. Only some. Nevertheless, I am gg to start her on Jan & Elly phonics class starting from term 3.

In terms of alphabet recognition, she has been "working hard" recently by practising to write on those tracing alphabet and number books that I bought for her. So her level of recognition seem to be more confident now though I don't think she knows all the alphabets yet.

She can recogise numbers and rote read until 15? it sort of get jumbled between 15-20.

But she cannot remember colors. She always get mixed up.

For chinese, I send her to molin and she can recognise about 5-6 characters confidently at this moment. Not alot given what the teacher has taught so far but I am not overly concerned.

Frankly, I am trying to recall what my 2 older kids know when they are this age. I can't and I feel that diff kids develop at their own pace. I am not too concern on what a N2 can do at this moment. Though some N2 can be very advanced and even reading with parental support,etc... but mine is definitely not up to that level. Sometimes, it's a readiness thing so don't force or kill the interest.

1) Counting
I personally like Salina Yoon's Rubber Duckies, 5 silly turkeys and 5 spooky ghostsfor learning up to 5. They have jut out flaps to count the numbers.
I use Richard Scarry's Best Counting Video Ever.

2) ABCs
Sounds - I swear by Leapfrog Letter Factory
Letters Recognition - Youtube (see this thread for my 'recommendation'). see the same thread on how i get my boy to do letter matching to reinforce his recognition.
Starfall - I let my boy choose the letters to reinforce his recognition. Once the page is loaded, he has to sing the 'leapfrog' song for the displayed letter before i click the arrow to go to the next page.

3) Chinese
I am still trying the 'Wink' product. As of now, my 3yo's limited chinese vocab is still in strange tonation.

My boy is pretty average. While others in his age category is already speaking, he is still a one-two word kind of guy. I also can't quite remember my ds1's progress (but i remembered he did speak fluently earlier than ds2), probably cos I was too busy working.

jedamum wrote:1) Counting
I personally like Salina Yoon's Rubber Duckies, 5 silly turkeys and 5 spooky ghostsfor learning up to 5. They have jut out flaps to count the numbers.
I use Richard Scarry's Best Counting Video Ever.

2) ABCs
Sounds - I swear by Leapfrog Letter Factory
Letters Recognition - Youtube (see this thread for my 'recommendation'). see the same thread on how i get my boy to do letter matching to reinforce his recognition.
Starfall - I let my boy choose the letters to reinforce his recognition. Once the page is loaded, he has to sing the 'leapfrog' song for the displayed letter before i click the arrow to go to the next page.

3) Chinese
I am still trying the 'Wink' product. As of now, my 3yo's limited chinese vocab is still in strange tonation.

My boy is pretty average. While others in his age category is already speaking, he is still a one-two word kind of guy. I also can't quite remember my ds1's progress (but i remembered he did speak fluently earlier than ds2), probably cos I was too busy working.

i have been hunting high and low for this video "Richard Scarry's Best Counting Video Ever" at Popular's in West Mall, CCK & IMM. Does anyone know when can I get one now? Those on Amazon.com at so expensive.

my 28 months boy can't recite beyond ABC (3 letters) and 123 (3 numbers). Got mixed up colors and can't speak mandarin. i am trying very hard to be patient, but losing my cool ... haiz.

kiasu_pig wrote: i have been hunting high and low for this video "Richard Scarry's Best Counting Video Ever" at Popular's in West Mall, CCK & IMM. Does anyone know when can I get one now? Those on Amazon.com at so expensive.

actually can easily get from any Popular. I used to see it in WM and BPP Popular...maybe a lot of Kiasu parents went to get it after reading about it here?
Actually you can call up the Popular Book store first to enquire instead of going to the store to check it out - just let them know that you can't find in certain stores and inquire if their store carries them.
You can also try Toys R Us vcd section.
Cheap Cheap.

kiasu_pig wrote:Got mixed up colors and can't speak mandarin. i am trying very hard to be patient, but losing my cool ... haiz.

My boy also mixed up the colours.
Very strange tone mandarin.
English also strange...he call the 'computer' as 'pomcuter'.

Lili 22 wrote:Teachers of my younger boy have always feedback that his learning progress is very slow since last year. Currently in N2, he is still not able to recognise numbers 1-10 and letters A-Z, not to mention about writing them. I am going through 1-5 with him everyday but he just can't seem to remember.

...I am worried that when he has spelling in K1 next year, it will be difficult to learn the words by sound right?

Hi, Lili22. Hmmm, I just wonder is there a need to push so hard for a N2 child? Or I am not a good enough mum? My triplets boys are in K1 now and at the begining of this year, they are still not sure how to write 2-10 and upper case and lower case A-Z. In N2, I would say they know nothing much and I believe they are slower than their peers. But now, within half-a-year, I think they have leaped and bounded. Now, they even know a handy of sight words - enough to enjoy reading LadyBird 2a. My thought is...we try our best to expose them but if they are not ready, sit back and relax a bit. In no time or out of a sudden, before you know, they know more than you expected!
Btw, do we expect spelling in K1? If so, then certainly mine are not there yet. Should I be worry? Maybe not now but half a year before they are in P1? Any advise are welcome.

nonKiasu wrote:
Btw, do we expect spelling in K1? If so, then certainly mine are not there yet. Should I be worry? Maybe not now but half a year before they are in P1? Any advise are welcome.

My ds1 was in pcf. He was the one who is 'linguistically more advanced' than my ds2 at the same age. His pcf does not have spelling at all. They have short writing occasionally of which the teacher encourage them to spell the words they want to write phonetically. Even if the kids want to scribble words against the pictures in their worksheets, the teacher let them do so and only amend them if they spelt wrongly just for their info - ie no marks involved. He had his 1st spelling test in P1.
At end of his K1, I was still wondering how a small puny, immatured and blur blur kid can start P1 in a year's time. But by the end of K2, he has grown so much!!
The time during K2 is where you can see a giant leap in abilities and maturity (ie not so childish).

Thanks for all your advice, will give the website, video and CD a try.

Sometimes it is really a struggle whether to relax a bit or not as he is only 3.5 yo. However, when all the teachers feedback that he does not know this, does not know that, it is really disheartening especially that most of his friends are doing well and he would cry ocassionally when he does't know his work. When he was in N1 last year, his teachers and myself agreed that we would not push him too hard but it is time now for us to spend more time and effort with him before his lose his confidence.

Many times, find it very hard to balance between work, household chores and 2 boys. Ds1, who is in K2 this year, is a fast learner, though still need to guide him in spelling, tingxie and abacus. Ds2 is slower and prefer playing with his cars rather than learning and reading. Frankly speaking, I did not spend as much time with ds2 as compared to ds1, hence feeling very guilty now.

Both boys are in the same childcare where students have 5 spelling words in K1. K2 is worse, 10 spelling words is ok but it is the 10 tingxie words that kill as it may consist of few short phrases and even 1 sentence. Ds1 used to cry every night when we have to learn tingxie but now we can relax a bit. Come to term with myself, as long as he learns the words it is ok he gets some of the words wrong in school. Don't think a child (and even some adults) can remember a word if he is not writing constantly, especially those chinese characters which too many strokes.

Lili 22 wrote:he is only 3.5 yo.

Is he a year end kid?