Congratulations! You have gotten past the massive stress of Primary 1 registration. So, what’s next? Your child is moving on from the fun preschool years to more formal learning in primary school. At this juncture, you may start to worry if your child is ready for this next jump. You have a host of questions – how do I prepare my child for Primary 1? Is what they learnt in kindergarten enough or do they need additional support? How do I give my child a head start? Especially if you’re doing it for the first time, you’re bound to have these questions. To help you out, we got experts from The Learning Lab (TLL) to weigh in.
Expert Opinion – It Is Not Too Early to Prepare Your Child for P1
Sue Lynn, Academic Director for the Early Years and Lower Primary Programmes in TLL says, “Having your child go for enrichment early can help your child see the world of English and mathematics in their daily life. It is never too early to have your child be able to tell how much time he or she has left at the playground to play before dinnertime or to have your child confidently hold a conversation at the dinner table with adults about a driverless car that he or she learnt about at enrichment that afternoon!”
Let’s take a closer look at how enrichment in the early years can help your child in specific areas of development.
Look, Mum, I Can Read and Count.
Sue Lynn emphasises that literacy and numeracy skills are important when it comes to building your child’s confidence and preparing them for primary school. “At the Kindergarten 2 level, being able to read is important. When children can’t read, they won’t be able to follow written instructions, and they may also struggle with maths problem sums. Being able to read makes a big, positive difference.”
The same goes for numeracy, as a strong number sense sets the foundation for higher-level mathematical thinking at Primary 1. Melanie Shen, Head of Maths Early Years at TLL, shares, “Children begin to develop numeracy skills from a very early age. If your child is entering Primary 1 next year, developing a strong maths foundation is going to be crucial—it begins with cultivating a strong number sense.”
Sue Lynn adds, “Exposing your child to literacy and numeracy skills from a young age enables your child to make the transition to formal schooling in primary school more confidently and comfortably. Confidence is key in developing passionate and self-directed learners. Waiting till your child is not doing well in primary school can affect your child’s confidence level, and in turn, his or her attitude towards learning.”
F is for Fun and Foundation
As a parent, you are often torn between wanting your child to build a strong foundation for primary school and wanting him or her to enjoy the kindergarten years. You are not alone. In fact, many parents face the same dilemma.
But you really don’t have to worry about it being too early. What’s most important is finding a fun, safe, and nurturing environment for your child to pick up literacy and numeracy skills. Sue Lynn stresses the importance of a safe space. “Undertaking challenges, failing in a safe space, and bouncing back from mistakes allows your child to develop the right learning dispositions like perseverance and inventiveness.” Sue Lynn added that enrichment is a great way to prepare your child not just for primary school but for life in general. Apart from the knowledge and skills that your child can pick up from enrichment lessons, enrichment can also help to develop many positive learning dispositions such as a growth mindset.”
What your child needs at this stage is the right type of enrichment to pique their curiosity and ignite the spark of learning. As Sue Lynn describes, “It is important that your child picks up these literacy and numeracy skills in an environment that is fun, safe, and nurturing. Enrichment lessons do not have to be boring and stressful.”
Routine and Repetition for the Win
When your child makes the leap from kindergarten to primary school, there’s a lot to get used to. Topping the list would be the early mornings, longer school hours and more structured work. Even if your child attends full day sessions in preschool, kindergarten is more play-based and significantly different from primary school.
One way to help your child prepare for Primary 1 is to establish structure and routines. You can establish routines in simple and fun ways such as getting your child to prepare his or her own school uniform, finishing the day’s tasks before dinner, helping to set the table, and so on. Be firm and help your child to build discipline by keeping to these routines. However, you do not have to be rigid or unreasonable when enforcing routines.
In doing so, your child will start to understand the concept of structure and this will definitely give him or her a head start in primary school.
Forge Ahead with Confidence
Confidence is important in every aspect of your child’s life and especially so when transitioning to primary school. Sue Lynn reminds parents, “Classroom confidence is important and can be developed through cultivating good classroom habits.” This can be done whilst your child is still in kindergarten.
You can build your child’s confidence through a 3 pronged-approach:
- Encouraging independence and responsibility for their own actions
- Working on a healthy attention span
- Teaching them when and how to ask for help
These will go a long way in cultivating good classroom habits and confidence in your child.
Discover the Joy of Learning through a Hands-on Approach
If you’re looking for ways to support your child’s transition to primary school, look no further than The Learning Lab (TLL). TLL’s Early Years programmes empower young learners like your child to take ownership of their learning. It uses a wide range of multisensory activities to enable them to fully grasp the abstract concepts and techniques taught in class. The lessons are carefully curated to spark your child’s curiosity in the core subjects and cement his or her foundation, setting your child up for success in school and beyond.
theAsianparent and The Learning Lab also conducted a webinar “Preparing for Primary 1: Beyond the Basics”. This webinar will help you understand how you can best help your child prepare for Primary 1. Watch the full recording below.
Visit TLL’s website to find out more about its Early Years programmes and enrol your child today.
If you started reading the article thinking K2 is too early to start preparing your child for Primary 1, perhaps it is time you think again.