Teach preschool kid English

[efrog]

We are a family from China with a four year old boy going to a local childcare. I find my son learned little English at the childcare as local English childcare teachers have a high turn over but poor training. His English is very limited. Neither can he speak a completed sentence nor is his pronunciation proper. We are getting concerned.
I had a discussion with his childcare supervisor and she definitely realized this problem but have difficult to find good teachers as the pay is low for childcare teachers in general.
I considered hiring an English speaking teenager as a babysitter on weekends but hard to find one nearby.
I am also thinking to contact International Schools to find if there are any teenagers would like to do a part-time job in the childcare. The idea is supported by the childcare supervisor. As I do not have any experience with International Schools on such issues, I appreciate if anyone here can provide any idea or suggestion on this matter. Or you have any other suggestion of teaching young kid English. Thank you.

[Mad Scientist]

Try Montessori. Or the British Council but I am not sure of the age criteria.
Honestly he is too young and your concern is so much overwhelm by the going perception of "Kiasuism" in Singapore. Relax.. Let him have time to be kids... Kids needs to be kids. Being kids, slow or fast learners are to be expected. They will manage to grasp while playing with other kids.
I am a parent too , my kids have grown up hence I understand your concern.

[jannalin]

Hi,

The basic foundation to learn English language is through reading. Your son needs to know the letters of the alphabet, phonics and vocabulary in order to know how to read.

If your son already has some knowledge of words , the next step is to introduce phonics so that he can read and spell.

Post sanitized by moderator

[gravida]

I am sorry jannalin, but what a nonsense!
Have you noticed that typically developing child first is able to talk and later to read or write?

You may be proficient in spoken English and you do not need to know how to red, write, recognize letters or know phonics.

Craziness about "phonics" in Singapore is indeed overwhelming. In Europe children learn to read when they are 5-6 years old, here parents of three years old kid are freaking out when their kids do not know 'alphabets' and reading. As Mad Scientist stated - let the children enjoy their childhood.

[jannalin]

Hi, there's is a reason why parents are in this frantic craze. I'm not sure are you local. But if you are and hv kids in primary school, you will understand why.

There are so many kids having tuition twice a week or more once they enter primary 1, on top of the long school hours they have or even weekends. Do you how tiring it is for the kids and i'm thankful my girl is spared from it. Their childhood seem to end at 6 yrs old. In pre-school it seemed like there's not much pressure but once you enter Primary 1, all the bombastic english and spelling and complicating maths sums will be thrown into your kid's face. Even tho now they are using stella education for english, in the end when kids move to upper primary and ultimate need to face PSLE, they will be tested beyond textbook level. This problem has been highlighted in other forum. Even when i'm doing my diploma course, we notice this big gap btw pre-school and primary school, it's frustrating but this is Singapore education system. So what we can do is to allow our child to learn early yet stress-free. This can only be done at home. Tat's why i encourage parents to be trained in phonics and teach their own kids themselves.

Many parents spoke to me tat at K2, their kids can't read well and had problem doing spelling. And they worry becoz the kids are entering formal schooling which are mostly academic based. Many children learn reading or spelling by memory and when they are in Pri 1 and given a longer list of words to spell plus other subjects, using memory is agonising and Stressful. Tat's why understanding phonics is definitely helpful.

I started my 2 kids early, teaching them phonics in a fun way MYSELF plus lots of reading not the kiasu way of throwing them into enrichment programmes...we have fun, they enjoyed, it's good bonding time in an educational way and both able to read well by 4. Once they are able to read, we can relax and from 4 to 6 yrs old, is the time to expand their non-academic talent like music or arts etc. Once they can read, they will be able to write well by K2, it will be a smooth transition once they enter Pri 1 tat's why my gal now at P2 has a lot of time to play (that's childhood) and academically just do homework, no tuition and very little assessment given to her and still can get good results. I attribute this to early learning in stress-free way.

For parents who are both working, i can understand that enrichment prog is the only means for them as they only hv tat much time and energy after long working hour. However, i'm also strongly agst putting kids into too much enrichment programme coz in the end time with the parents and their own time (childhood) is still the most impt.

I advocate teaching phonics yourself early not kiasu way, coz at 2-4 yrs old, there's no pressure in learning and kids absorb like sponge. But if a child start learning phonics at 5 or 6 and still struggling, it will be a continous struggle thruout primary level with tons of tuition and assessment books. Childhood doesn't stop at pre-school level, it shld continue all the way to primary level. Sooner or later most kids will need tuition in upper primary level coz the level of difficulty sometimes we parents can't cope too. Wat we can do to give them the God-given childhood is to delay the extra tuition needed as long as possible. This can only be done if we start early and i mean if parents can spare the time is to start early by doing it THEMSELVES.

[x9200]

Childhood doesn't stop at pre-school level, it shld continue all the way to primary level. Sooner or later most kids will need tuition in upper primary level coz the level of difficulty sometimes we parents can't cope too. Wat we can do to give them the God-given childhood is to delay the extra tuition needed as long as possible. This can only be done if we start early and i mean if parents can spare the time is to start early by doing it THEMSELVES.

I have no problems to understand that you need to fit the kids to the system but it does not change the simple fact that this is some form of social pathology.

[jannalin]

Yea i agree....and it's getting out of hand.

[efrog]

Thanks, Mad Scientist. I become Kiasu because this is our first child I totally have no experience with kids. It was said manywhere learning a language should start as young as possible. I donot want my son miss the "good time" to learn second language and turn out difficult to catch up:(
Have your kids grown up in Singapore? Are they doing well with two languages?

Try Montessori. Or the British Council but I am not sure of the age criteria.
Honestly he is too young and your concern is so much overwhelm by the going perception of "Kiasuism" in Singapore. Relax.. Let him have time to be kids... Kids needs to be kids. Being kids, slow or fast learners are to be expected. They will manage to grasp while playing with other kids.
I am a parent too , my kids have grown up hence I understand your concern.

[efrog]

Dear Jannalin, your idea of teaching phonics is good for reading and spelling. I only want my son to be able to speak, listen and understand at his age. Be frankly I am not interested in teaching him reading so early. I myself learn to read early and at 5 I read books and newspapers. But I donot see much advantages compare to my hubby, who started to learn readi only when he went to primary school at 7.
Don't you think it would be more natural to learn a language from listening and speaking? Just wield that it is diffcult to find a good English speaker for young kids here.

Hi, there's is a reason why parents are in this frantic craze. I'm not sure are you local. But if you are and hv kids in primary school, you will understand why.

There are so many kids having tuition twice a week or more once they enter primary 1, on top of the long school hours they have or even weekends. Do you how tiring it is for the kids and i'm thankful my girl is spared from it. Their childhood seem to end at 6 yrs old. In pre-school it seemed like there's not much pressure but once you enter Primary 1, all the bombastic english and spelling and complicating maths sums will be thrown into your kid's face. Even tho now they are using stella education for english, in the end when kids move to upper primary and ultimate need to face PSLE, they will be tested beyond textbook level. This problem has been highlighted in other forum. Even when i'm doing my diploma course, we notice this big gap btw pre-school and primary school, it's frustrating but this is Singapore education system. So what we can do is to allow our child to learn early yet stress-free. This can only be done at home. Tat's why i encourage parents to be trained in phonics and teach their own kids themselves.

Many parents spoke to me tat at K2, their kids can't read well and had problem doing spelling. And they worry becoz the kids are entering formal schooling which are mostly academic based. Many children learn reading or spelling by memory and when they are in Pri 1 and given a longer list of words to spell plus other subjects, using memory is agonising and Stressful. Tat's why understanding phonics is definitely helpful.

I started my 2 kids early, teaching them phonics in a fun way MYSELF plus lots of reading not the kiasu way of throwing them into enrichment programmes...we have fun, they enjoyed, it's good bonding time in an educational way and both able to read well by 4. Once they are able to read, we can relax and from 4 to 6 yrs old, is the time to expand their non-academic talent like music or arts etc. Once they can read, they will be able to write well by K2, it will be a smooth transition once they enter Pri 1 tat's why my gal now at P2 has a lot of time to play (that's childhood) and academically just do homework, no tuition and very little assessment given to her and still can get good results. I attribute this to early learning in stress-free way.

For parents who are both working, i can understand that enrichment prog is the only means for them as they only hv tat much time and energy after long working hour. However, i'm also strongly agst putting kids into too much enrichment programme coz in the end time with the parents and their own time (childhood) is still the most impt.

I advocate teaching phonics yourself early not kiasu way, coz at 2-4 yrs old, there's no pressure in learning and kids absorb like sponge. But if a child start learning phonics at 5 or 6 and still struggling, it will be a continous struggle thruout primary level with tons of tuition and assessment books. Childhood doesn't stop at pre-school level, it shld continue all the way to primary level. Sooner or later most kids will need tuition in upper primary level coz the level of difficulty sometimes we parents can't cope too. Wat we can do to give them the God-given childhood is to delay the extra tuition needed as long as possible. This can only be done if we start early and i mean if parents can spare the time is to start early by doing it THEMSELVES.

[jannalin]

Yea...if speaking English is your only concern then learning phonics is not that impt. But reading to your child is still an advantage.

[gravida]

and nice of you, jannalin, that you removed your email address from your initial post Now it seems more possible that you are indeed only speaking as the experienced mother of two sharing her story, not someone who tried to advertise her services

[Mad Scientist]

Thanks, Mad Scientist. I become Kiasu because this is our first child I totally have no experience with kids. It was said manywhere learning a language should start as young as possible. I donot want my son miss the "good time" to learn second language and turn out difficult to catch up:(
Have your kids grown up in Singapore? Are they doing well with two languages?

My boys are in the overseas tertiaries, one in US and the other in UK. My daughters are going to join them soon once they finished their degrees and Masters.
We are a mixed bag in the first place as I am Indonesian by birth but a Sger and wife is German/Swedish and a SPR.
But we DID not follow the norm what the SG parents set out to do. Yes, they studied in local neighbourhood schools but the first initial years is more like having fun . Lots and lots of it. As parents I want to enjoy their childhood life with me . Not digging into books or phonics or pressuring into learning maths whatever.
It is always the inquisitive ways of feel, touch, smell and listen method. No pressure, no force. Just being kids !! Coz there are boundaries that we set for our kids which must be adhered strictly.
Yes, when they entered primary school abit of struggle but if you nuture them correctly, those obstacles are easy to manage. It is what you instill in them when they are young that will make them a better person in the future. My second son was a late bloomer and he turned out alright.
My kids speak and write English, Indonesian/Malay, Mandarin, German and local dialets though they start to picking in in school.
We Never had any tutors or live in maids. I run a business. Wife runs the house and the kids.
I did not regret what we taught them nor do we miss their childhood as there was no regret. They are responsible young adults and learned to take responsible of their own actions.
This is what life and having family is all about. Living and enjoying life together NOW not later as it will be too late by then and regrets will set in.
As long as you provide them with well informed informations , whatever they decide to do with their life is easy to decide. As parents we must support whatever decisions they made for their future.
Parents in Singapore has this mentality of being scared to lose out. Too materialistic in nature. The parents bombarded the child with educations as young as One or Two ! Music lessons at 3. No matter how you justify by saying "learning phonics in a fun way when they are young" , you are taking away their childhood age of just being kids !!!! Who are you justifying or comforting? Yourself or the child ? I bet you , it will be yourself as you are scared too lose out in the rat race.
Do you really want your kids to be just another smart zombie but not able to face the real world and decide for themselves. Everything needs to have a trailing maid to spoon feed them . Or be a responsible person and take responsibilities of their life and future themselves. ?
I have seen this during my military days where the recruits called back home not to talk to their parents BUT their maid on how to cook "maggi"or iron clothes and on every single minor chores !!
Relax. Go easy on the child. Let them enjoy their childhood life. Take it slow and enjoy it when they are still a child or you live to regret in your later life.

[sundaymorningstaple]

^^^^^^

+1

[jannalin]

Hi Mad Scientist, you are a very involved and responsible father. Kudos to tat. What you are doing seemed perfect but it may not apply to everyone coz each of us and each family unit is unique and hv different ideas in life esp in Singapore.

Technology has changed, culture has changed (now man demands their wife to go and work if not, i will be a happy SAHM and posting only good advice like you), education has changed and generations changed esp drastically for our young children. Even babies are much more smarter now. In every generation there will be good and bad outcome. There's no perfection in this world. I dun deny my generation is one of the better off than now. So watever our kids go thru esp in Singapore where change is so rapid, it can't be helped. My generation is like how yr kids were brought up, we were stress free, play all the time coz education is not as complicating as now. Nowadays, it's rare to have big families with many siblings playing around, many had only single child with parents working. You are right watever the changes may be (be it go enrichment or not), ultimately the values instill are the most impt.

See, becoz we are different, our views will also be. I beg to differ hat kids going thru educational teaching will lose their childhood, if doing craft work and activities is no childhood, then watch TV and playing toys all day long is? Both are extreme and unfair views. I'm not totally right, you are not wrong too. I respect your view and i also respect other's view becoz we are all of different made. We just need to make sure our child is not depleted of all their happiness becoz of parents extreme kiasuism. In Singapore it's hard not to be kiasu when everyone else is. Standing outside the school gate hearing parents talk about result and tuition (even in kindergarten) makes you feel the pressure and feel odd. Yes, ultimately watever choice parents made is not to get TOO overboard and overly-stress in this stressful formal school environment unless they do away with ranking and put good teachers in the not so good class. It's impt tat parents are relax and not stress coz once they are, the kids will get the same pressure if not double stress. So be it enrichment or not, time with kids to enjoy with them is the most impt in watever way and parents shld love their kids for who they are not becoz of how good they are.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I've never heard such clap in my life. And this coming from a supposedly former school teacher? Who cannot even spell herself? You ought to be ashamed of yourself. If you want to be taken even partially seriously here, you should attempt to get your own phonetics correct and spell correctly instead of using sms texting crap in your posts. Pathetic.