We started her on Mandarin tuition. Call me a kiasu mom but I'm not confident she can pull through her standard 1 without me pulling some hair. I admit being slack on her Mandarin. Her previous kindy covered only 1 Mandarin subject and adding on, her teachers were always part time and temporary. I have not met or seen her Mandarin teacher. .. and when kindie ended in 2011, the kids did not complete their Mandarin books.
We've placed her in a Mandarin centric kindie this year. Last attempt to brush up her huawen before she goes to Standard 1. Since she's a newbie, she's placed in a class of newbies.. The kindie has 3 class for 6 year olds.. 1 for follow up kids whose well versed in Mandarin , 1 for follow up kids who is not-so well versed and needs brushing up and 1 for newbies. Follow-up class are for kids who have been with the kindie since 4 or 5 years old
Her newbie class consists of 2 Chinese girls, 4 Koreans and the rest, mixed. Teacher had to speak to them in English since the kids Mandarin are just very elementary.
We tried requesting her to be placed in the advanced class for follow-up kids but she failed the assessment test. The principal thinks she's better off where she is now and we couldn't not agree with the teachers, so be it lah.. she'll have to start from scratch.
We engaged a home Mandarin tutor. Costs us a bomb but we think that's the only way to go. We're both bananas and can't help much but I do try and sit down with her to practise her writing and ting xie that tutor sets for her every week. We had hair pulling moments like above.. when I tested her on Ni Men, Wo Men, Ta Men, she had the cheek to write, Ni, Wo & Ta and ask me to read the Men below.. to be shared !!
This girl.. is going to have a hard time in Standard 1 if she don't take her studies seriously now.
