If your kid was born in 2002, then you must be getting all flustered and stressed by now, seeing how in less than 4 months, your little one will be heading off to school to begin his primary education. Starched uniform, white shoes, a school bag that weighs a ton….bring back memories don’t they? Now it’s your little one’s turn to be making memories of what is usually termed as the most memorable period of a child’s educational life – his first year in a primary school.
Primary one can be extremely stressful for any child. Going to a school where children are taller and louder, learning to buy food, sitting for almost 5 hours of lessons and such. We have to teach our children, before bundling them off for the first day, about common problems that may be overlooked, such as paying attention, not disturbing the child who is seated beside, sitting through long assembly talks, etc.
However, as more childcare centres bloom island wide, parents are assured that at least certain aspects are being nurtured such as self hygiene, attention spans, getting along with peers, etc. However are these all enough for your child to have a smooth sailing first year? To ensure this, there are some learning centres here that willing to go the extra mile to make sure the 6 year olds are better prepared for Primary 1. One such place is MERCU™ Learning Point.
Mercu Learning Point
Set up 1999, MERCU™ offers programmes from early childhood to enrichment and even student care. For the K2s, a special programme is introduced, known as the ‘K2 Immersion Programme’ where the centre ties in with a primary school and together develop the ‘buddy system’. Intriguing? TheAsianParent spoke to Mdm Norliza Amin, Senior Manager for Early Childhood of MERCU™, to find out more about such a unique programme.
In which month is it usually carried out in?
The programme is usually conducted in months of July and August.
How long has it been around for?
We started the programme since 2005.
What is the duration of the programme?
The programme is conducted with selected primary schools over half to one day. This year, the centres collaborated with following schools:
– Coral Primary School
– Huamin Primary School
– Fuchun Primary School
How have the children responded to it?
For children stepping into a primary school for the first time, they do find the size of the school rather overwhelming. However, through the various interesting activities organised by the schools and tour to the different facilities such as computer room, library, Art and Math Room, most children managed to overcome their anxiety. The children had hands on experience in the computer room and experience buying food from the school canteen. In some schools, the children were ‘ buddied’ with a Primary 4 or 5 student. Towards the end of the programme, the children were excited and had a more positive attitude about going to primary school.
Any feedback on how children have adapted better to Primary 1 because of the programme?
The children were more aware of what to expect in Primary 1. The immersion programme coupled with our parental talks on Transition to Primary One, have given both parents and children a better understanding of the transition. Parents of our 2007 K2 children have feedback that their children are more confident through the experience. They are also able to discuss the positive aspect of primary school even before the child enters primary school as the child is able to relate better, having gone through the programme.
With such a programme, MERCU™ is certainly taking a step further to boost a child’s confidence upon entering Primary 1. Familiarising themselves with the place, procedures and more, these children will find no difficulty adjusting into the curriculum once school begins! !