9 Tips for Preparing your child for Primary One

 

LAST DAY of the year and the children are starting Primary One in 2 days! I am soooooooo late! Anyway hope this is still in time! (Somehow.. maybe for 2018 batch... :(   )

Anyway, these tips are from my years of experience as a head of department for Character and Citizenship Education in a Primary School. Our department manages P1 orientation, P1 first week of school, P1 buddy programme and also the transition and integration programme. My team (including our school counsellor) and I love doing CSI work. So we hope these tips will be able to help parents prepare their children better for this big milestone. :)

Tip #1: LABEL EVERYTHING

 

Everything includes pencil, pencil case, ruler, bag, books, wallet, water bottle, socks and even shoes! 

Why?

Because even if your child is not the blur sotong in class, other kids may be. This is to minimize any situations in the early days that the child has to go through anxiety in looking for their belongings, conflict management to get their items back (which they may not handle very well) or even the fear of being reprimanded if their items are missing.

Also at lower Primary, there are PAL lessons, speech and drama classes or gym lessons, which sometimes require students to take off their socks and shoes. 

Bonus!

Allow your child to label these themselves by writing their name on the items. This will help them to know what items they have and create the sense of ownership. Go through the items in the pencil case and their bag, where each items are placed, e.g. Front pocket is where the handbook is.

You should also have these information in the student handbook: Parents’ name and contact number, medical condition, food allergies, school bus contact, student care contact.

Tip #2: TOILET TRAINING

 

Teach you child how to clean himself up after the session. Especially after a pooping session.

Why?

Our team solved the mystery of some crying P1 kids who wanted to go home and usually at the same timing. We thought it was a case of school refusal so we checked with the teachers if they were too fierce, we checked with the parents on what the kids said about school, we even checked if they had some learning needs hence they kept crying. Turn out, the kiddo had stomachache and he was afraid to go to the school toilet to clear his bowel, because he did not know how to clean himself up. So he cried and wanted to go home. 

Some childcare or kindergartens or even us at home, we tend to help our children wash up after they poop, in fear they did not clean themselves well. It is good, but can be better if we guide and teach them to do it themselves. :)

Bonus!

You may wish to prepare a packet of wet wipe for them and coach them how to clean up. For Malay parents, please teach your child how to wash themselves with the water hose. Our Malay teachers will walk the students to the toilet to show them the cubicles with the water hose.

Tip #3: DENTAL CHECKUP

 

Bring your child for a dental checkup before school start or at least before the school dental nurse start calling P1 kids in for dental check up.

Why?

The dental clinic in school is usually very cold, or at least the one in my school. Imagine you as a P1 kid, got called up to meet the dental nurse. He or She goes into the cold room, meets a stranger, then the stranger starts putting cold metal items into your mouth and worst! the stranger is going to drill a hole in your tooth or pluck out one tooth! And you have to go through all these alone! Man.. I don't think I can handle this.

By going for a dental check up before school starts, means your child already has prior experience of a dental chair and how it feels like to have things in their mouth. Secondly, all the scary procedures (if required) would have been completed with the parents around. Someone they feel safe and secure with!

Bonus!

Having good dental habits since young is important. Also, please do not speak ill of dental visits. Saying the experience is scary is not the best way to prepare your child.

Tip #4: EYE CHECKUP

 

Bring your child for an eye checkup. If there is shortsightedness or other eye problems, make sure spectacles are made or treatment is given.

Why?

When children are in childcare centres, the teacher student ratio is small and most of the time, children sit near or crowd around the teacher during lesson or activities. Hence, even if the words are smaller, a child with shortsightedness can still see and may not know they need spectacles.

Now, in a P1 classroom, the class size is usually about 30-32. Classroom is a lot bigger. Sometimes the children sit on the floor to listen to class but most of the time, they are at their desks, looking at the whiteboard and sometimes, copying instructions or words. If your child is taller, most probably he or she will be placed nearer to the back of the classroom which means further away from the whiteboard.

If your child does not know the blurness is due to an eye issue and does not communicate it with you, they will start underperforming, or even feel frustrated. Over time, it may lead to school refusal.

Bonus!

Frankly, it is kinda fun going for eye check ups!

Tip #5: FINANCIAL LITERACY

 

Does your kid know how to order food or calculate? Even if they cannot count well, we should at least expose our children regularly to speak or order with vendors. 

Why?

Your child may not have their older sibling in the same recess time slot and surely won't have you help them order in the canteen. Hence, it is important to build the confidence in the child to first, be able to decide for himself what he wants to eat; second, to know how to order; and lastly, be able to calculate the amount needed or how much change to receive. Regular practice will be good!

Bonus!

Ask the school about the food prices and even they are on the HPB healthy eating programme. If the school if on the programme, it is gonna be a lot easier. Food are sold in set bentos, in S/M/L sizes, priced at $1.20, $1.50 and $1.80.

If not, by knowing roughly the food prices, you can plan with your child how much to bring. Do also advise your child to buy food FIRST, before going to the book shop. We had so many new P1 kids just splurging all their lunch money on meaningless stationery or even origami paper. They ended up not eating properly.

So, for the first two weeks, you may want to prepare some snacks for them to bring to school and also bring along some snacks when you are picking them up from school. Your kid may have starved himself for the whole day already.

Tip #6: WATCH YOUR WORDS

 

Speak positively, enthusiastically and passionately about this transition! 

Caution yourself to NOT ask one million questions after your kid comes home from school. It may have been an overwhelming day for them. Let them rest a bit if they are not ready to speak up. Do not get frustrated and push them to share. Take it easy! :)

Why?

What you say makes a big difference to the way your child views school, teachers or even homework. If you gossip or grumble, your child most probably will also view their teachers, school and learning negatively. I have heard parents saying things like, "so much homework!", "homework so difficult!", "teacher likes to torture!", "teacher unfair to you", "this activity is so stupid", etc. Seriously, how to have a good perspective after hearing these?

Bonus!

Share about your experiences when you entered school and when you are in school. BUT if it is a set back, remember to always end the sharing with a good ending or positive outcome!

Some topic you can discuss:

*recess time, 

*separate boys and girls toilets, 

*School bus routines

*the school bell and what it means

*Classroom Setting and what to expect 

Tip #7: WATCH YOUR ACTIONS

Actions speaks louder than words. Expressions too! Be calm and composed.

Why?

If your child is in morning session, wake up earlier, so you will not end up having to rush your child, and everyone is frustrated. How to start a day happy, when you just got scolded? Even if you did not scold, the fact that it is not a leisure walk to school or to the car, it just builds the anxiety more.

Bonus!

Send your child to school on time and do not be late in picking them up. The former builds confidence and the later builds trust.

Tips #8: HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND HABITS

 

Maintain a consistent sleep and wake time daily, including over the weekends.

Why?

School-going children need between 10 to 11 hours of sleep. Adolescents require about 9 hours of sleep. There are so many benefits to a well rested mind and body. You are generally happier when you are not tired. And you definitely absorb information better. 

Bonus! 

Try to ensure the room has no stimulants like TV or computer or other gadgets that can distract the child to sleep early or well.

Tip #9: BE A SUPPORTIVE AND CONCERNED PARENT

 

DO:

*monitor your child’s daily work

*give encouragement and support in areas for improvement

*praise your child for any progress made

*have conversations with the teacher and ask how you can be involved in school activities or how you can support your child's learning

DO NOT:

*put too much emphasis on marks and grades

*compare your child’s performance with others

*give more homework than necessary, or as punishment

Why?

Like I always say, our actions and words define the importance of school for our children.

Bonus!

Some questions you can train your child to ask himself/herself each day after school.

Have I finished my homework?

Have I checked my student handbook?

Is there any form or worksheet to be signed or given to my parents?

Did I prepare pocket money for tomorrow?

Have I checked my timetable?

Have I packed my school bag?

Simple DIY Christmas Cards (if phoebe can, so can you!)

Hahaha.. Yan Can Cook, So Can You! 

Did I just revealed my age? If you know this line, you are also not that young. :)))

Anyway, we were preparing some simple cards with the kiddos for their teachers this Christmas!

 

Don't worry, it is fast and simple and yet nice and sincere. Hahaha, 我讲到完！

All you need is:

(1) a palate (or just a plastic plate also ok)

(2) cotton buds (Q-Tip if you talk like Ang moh)

(3) paint

(4) card stock

(5) markers or Colour pencils

 

I did one first so that the children can have a visual guide / example.

We started with discussing the colours of the tree, trunk, star and the ornaments. We also talked about the shapes. Triangle, square and star!

This is to deepen the understanding of the process and the details. So I suggest you don't skip it. It will actually reduce some hiccups. :)

 

For phoebe, she is a little young, so I drew the shapes for her.

She has to first dot on the lines then fill in the space with more dots. :))

 

Last step for her would be to put the red and pink dots at where the "holes" or empty areas are.

 

Nathan wrote the words and designed the card himself.

 

 

Simple right? Hope this is in time for you!

Here is a variation you wanna consider. :)

 

 

 

We paired the cards with some wafer rolls!

 

Word Play: Sarahbelle's Playful Puns

Some may not like travelling in a car with kids because they usually don't understand the concept of indoor voice very well and some times you cannot really control what happens at the back seat: "Kor Kor hit my face!" "Mei Mei is licking the window!"

For us, we are very thankful that my kids are relatively quiet and calm when they are in the car. Especially for Nathan, when he has a book in hand, it will be silence throughout the journey. This little dude is a bookworm just like his daddy. 

We received a book in our mail when we got back from Taiwan last week. 

It is written by a fellow mother and her 6 year old daughter. It was colourful, with all the girly Colours!

 

I was the first to read it and personally, I didn't give it deep thoughts as settling down after a trip to winter Taiwan means A LOT OF WASHING to catch up with. 😩😩😩

I read it again the next day and being a teacher, I started to assess its tempo and punch, whether it is interesting and who should the target audience be, blah blah blah. (This is so embarrassing.) I told Elvin I need sometime to digest.

I left the book by my bedside and went to bed.

The next morning, I found Nathan reading it. I thought, let's see what he says. He was giggling and I think he easily read it three times, with a wide smile.

We went out that morning and I found out that he brought it along with him and was reading it in the car.

 

He was reading it aloud and laughing. I kept hearing him say, "this Sarahbelle ah, she is funny!"

Later in the day, there were several occasions which Nathan would say, "Sarahbelle said that otters... " "do you know you can play with words? Sarahbelle mixed these two words up!" (I don't wanna spoil it for you.)

This is his favourite page.

 

He just kept giggling about the word puns!

Guilty. I felt so guilty. For not enjoying a book as it is. For being fast to analyse and comment. Sometimes, reading involves more than what you receive at surface value. Nathan is not just reading. He is enjoying the book. He is learning. He is relating. He is creating!

This morning, guess what I found Nathan with again? 

Yup, he was reading "Sarahbelle's Playful Puns" to Phoebe and teaching her the words in it!

So, I would like to recommend this book, simply because it is sincere and resonates with so many of my moments with my two cheeky ones AND children will enjoy it.

ALSO, we should support budding local authors! Definitely, there are some areas for improvement but for a Mother of three young kids to take a leap and publish a book, we can encourage her by buying one for ourselves or getting one for someone you know who has a cheeky one like mine. :)

Support local author and get her book from this crowdfunding site or at Le Petit Pumm, Centerpoint, #03-05. It will make a great christmas present for the 4 to 8 years old.

P/S: while Nathan was brushing his teeth this morning, he was grumbling about something, and I said "it really doesn't matter, dude." This cheeky boy replied, "I am not metal. You are not made of plastic." Then he broke out into crazy laughter. 

“Sarabelle’s Playful Puns” is written by a local writer, Anastasia, who is a part-time working mum to three young children. An ardent advocate of reading, she believed that learning and speaking a language can be immensely fun and enjoyable.

The 5W1H of Kidzania Singapore

Although this is topic was not in the voting list, as we just went Kidzania and we have several of you asking about the experience, we are going to give you the ultimate tips to have a fruitful trip to KIDZANIA SINGAPORE!

 

WHERE is Kidzania?

Sentosa!

Going to Sentosa Beach station then walk is the best way to go. :)

 

 

Palawan Kidz City. 31 Beach View #01-01/02 Singapore 098008

WHO should go?

If your kid is under 4, I think we can save the money and go for Port of Lost Wonder, just opposite Kidzania. (Oops! POLW is closing in Dec!?)

Most (or all) of the establishments would require some basic ability to understand and follow instructions, IN THE ABSENCE OF THE PARENT/GUARDIAN. This is because they do not allow parents into the rooms, you can only view the kids from the big big glass window.

Look at this photo! Phoebe was alone on the second floor because she wanted to be a nurse for the nursery and take care of babies. I literally asked an older girl in the queue to help take care of her... because there is no way I can look out for her.. because I cannot even SEE HER!

 

Although tickets are sold for 0-3 years old (half price), they are only allowed into two establishments: kindergarten and home. 

For me, Phoebe was 3yr 2months when we visited. We upgraded her to the normal child admission ticket hence she could go for the activities. I guess she could manage the activities because she is slightly more advanced in her literacy ability, more daring and most importantly, Nathan (5years old) was bringing her around and taking care of her when they were inside.

 

We saw some crying young kids when they have to be detached from their parents at entrance of each establishments or ended up exiting the room early as they kept wanting to go back to their parents... so don't say I didn't tell you first ah! Kidzania tickets are not cheap and they do not offer annual passes so make you trip worth while by only going when the kids are ready.

I would recommended Kidstop as an alternative place for jobs exposure for young kids. Parents can follow, participate and facilitate the learning themselves.  

 

📸: http://www.thewackyduo.com/2014/10/kidsstop-singapore-science-center.html?m=1

HOW should we start?

1. You must have TICKETS.

You can either go search the internet for some promotional tickets or like the Kidzania Facebook page for promotions. 

Tickets are priced at:

 

2. Dress comfortably and with good walking shoes. 

For adults, be prepared for quite a bit of standing while waiting for your kids to finish each activity (20-30min per activity).

For kids, preferably no skirts for girls.

Here's a photo of my mama standing there for a good 20 min to watch the grandkids finish the session.

 

PSST! There is also a parent's lounge for you to chill! Especially if your kid is older and more familiar with Kidzania, just go rest up! We were in there only for 15min.. because there is no viewing window at the Aviation school.

 

 

WHEN should we go?

1. Weekdays are good, if not...

Weekends and school holidays are definitely gonna be crowded.

2. *IMPORTANT* Be there EARLY.

Although Kidzania opens at 10am, be there at least 30min earlier to get your tickets and get tagged/checked it. We were there on a Saturday at 9.40am and we only got in at 10.20am. Hence, we missed the opening parade at 10am. :)

See the crowd?

 

Getting tagged...

 

Purchasing the tickets and getting the boarding passes...

 

And finally at the departure gate... here's Nathan with his ATM card and some kidzos!

 

WHAT should we do?

1. Go STRAIGHT to Aviation School and Sticky station

These two establishments issue queue number by batches. The moment you enter Kidzania, go straight to these two establishments to get your queue card. It runs out fast because each session only allows 6 children to enter.

At 10am, they will release queue number cards for 10.30am, 11.00am, 11.30am, 12.00pm and 12.30pm sessions. At 12.00pm, they will release the queue number cards for 1.00pm, 1.30pm,.... you get my point la.

With the cards in hand, you can go for other activities but return to the establishment 10min before your session.

2. DO NOT GO STRAIGHT TO THE BANK to activate your debit card or bank in your money.

You can do the activity using the cash which I kinda like it more. When my kids finished cleaning the windows and their boss gave them 6kidzos in cash, it is definitely more shiok then handing your boss your debit card and he/she transact the money into the card on the computer.

 

Payment time!

 

 

Also, you can always activate it when the queue is shorter at the bank. (EVERYONE rush to the bank once they enter. Don't join them.)

Here's phoebe only going to the EMPTY bank at like 3pm VS Nathan going at 1pm

 

 

3. GO TO THE paZZport OFFICE (Level 2)

You have to get the passport. With the passport as a naturalised citizen, you will earn 2 kidzos more at each establishment and if you collect 18 stamps, you will be upgraded to the next citizenship tier which allows you to earn 4 more kidzos each time!

You will also get discount at the merchandise stores!

 

 

4. DO NOT HESITATE. JUST DO IT. ✅

Do not keep wanting to check out each establishment. You see one with a short queue or no queue, just do it first. 

This is how Kidzania works. Each establishment will have a sign at the entrance telling you:

(1) how Long the session is

(2) how many kids allowed to enter each time

(3) the recommended age

(4) earnings/payment

 

So if the establishment allows 6 kids each time and the session just started, you have to wait for 20-30min. And if you are in the queue but you are the 7th person in the queue, means you have to wait for 40-60min for your turn. And by the time you finish the activity, you have spent 90min at ONE stop. At ONLY ONE STOP! You have so many more to cover you know!

So go for those with no queue or short queue, there is some learning point at every establishment. As a parent you can manipulate the minds of your child to go for anything and still enjoy, I know you can. :)

One more tip, there are some establishments on level two that are not very visible so always no queue. Like interior design and flooring.

WHICH are the must-go?

1. KFC or PIZZA HUT

Not because I like to eat, BUT the kids will be making their own burgers/pizza and that would be just nice for lunch! (Save some 💰💰! The tickets already so expensive!)

We planned our timing such that we go for these activity at about 12+pm or 1pm and the kids can just eat the food they prepared. We bought our adult portions (with real cash/cards) while waiting for them and all could sit down for a meal once they finish their job!

 

2. A&E and Fire station

Because you get to sit on the ambulance or fire brigade to travel to the fire site or accident site.

 

3. Paddle pop/ water quality control/ hand soap/ Pediasure / sticky candy

Because I'm an auntie and these places give FREEBIES.

 

 

4. Make up / body art

Yup yup, vain I know but after earning some kidzos, why not just use it? I brought phoebe for her first make over. 

 

5. Hourly clock tower show

The clock tower has an hourly performance put up by the kids. The kids have to report to level 2, a little wooden door beside Pizza Hut, 15min before each hour. The Trainers there will dress the kids up, teach them the dance steps and when clock strikes, the kids come out and do their moves! Suuuuuper cute!

 

 

 

6. If your kid is taller than 130cm....

Go for the high element activities or the driving school!

(I didn't manage to go for many, hence not in the best position to recommend more BUT I don't think there is one establishment that is boring or non educational)

WHY must my kid go?

As the slogan says, it is a place that dreams come alive. 

Kids are not just exposed to different occupation but they were also taught to be polite and to be brave and effective in communicating with other.

Kids have to say "Kai" with two fingers on their chest when they greet people. They have to ask for permission before doing things, introduce themselves during performances, etc.

There are just so many learning points and teachable moments!

In closing, I hope this post is helpful in some way but if you really need only ONE TIP, I shall go with:

BELOW 3 years old, DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY. :)