How to Help Your Child Practice Mandarin At Home

enrichment classes for kids in Singapore

Although it is a language that is spoken by almost one-third of the world’s population Mandarin is a very difficult language to learn even if it were your mother tongue. The fact of the matter is that to be able to properly understand and be able to learn this language it is important for the child learning the language to be fully immersed in a Chinese environment. This will help your child to be more fluent in the language; however, that is not possible as we live in a world that is mostly English speaking and it becomes difficult to create a Chinese immersive environment.

However, it is not a lost cause you can always make a few simple changes in your lifestyle and home that will help your child practice what they have learned at their Mandarin training centers.

Learn Mandarin with the help of comics:

Which child does not like to read comics and these comics are available in all the different languages of the world if your child gets hooked onto reading these comics they will have no problem graduating to other books with passages or even their textbooks. Comics can also help to grow your child’s vocabulary and go beyond the scope of your child’s learning.

Watch news in Mandarin

It may be a weird thing to do as your child will not understand the words that are being but they will be able to subconsciously recognize the subtle differences in the tone and grammatical structure while they watch the news and television shows while they develop an interest in current issues.

Find ways to challenge their Chinese Vocabulary

Make practicing Mandarin a daily routine and make it a point to constantly quiz your child on any nouns or verbs that you may be using at that moment. You can also tell your child the names of feelings, food, or even clothes that you happen to come across that will help your child to grow their vocabulary. To goal is not for the child to remember it at the first go but to make it a fun game that your kid will want to play.

Alternatively, you can let your child attend enrichment classes for kids in order to improve.

Share Family History & Culture

By giving your child a personal interest in the language it will help them to focus more on learning and understanding it rather than just mugging it because they have to, this personal interest can be instilled by sharing with them your own family history.

Fun activities for enrichment classes

kids enrichment classes

Importance of Early Childhood Education:

It is true that many parents have reservations about sending their children to playschools. This is because they are apprehensive that their children may be negatively influenced and the value that they have learnt in their home may get diluted. However, researches have shown that children who are enrolled to preschool programs benefit more from formal education. Preschool programs increase the IQ of the child and also make them better behaved as they learn to cooperate with their peers and the team spirit is also shaped in these preschool programs.

Many psychologists are of the opinion that children learn the best when they are not pushed very hard and are made to learn at their own pace. In preschool children learn at their own pace. Also it’s a psychologically proven fact that children learn better when they are taught with care and kindness. In preschool, children are taught with a lot of care.

Enrichment activities for toddlers:

In Singapore there are many such preschool programs. Many children going to these preschool programs are interested in extracurricular activities like sports or some form of art. Enrichment classes for toddlers in Singapore are arranged to make these children better in activities outside academics. It is very important that parents get involved in such activities along with their children, because parents have maximum impact on their children. There are many enrichment classes for toddlers that include parents in it too. Some of them are:

Artistic activities: in Singapore the Armory Centre for Art has many fun activities that are designed in such a manner that they involve the participation of parents along with their children. Both parents and children are involved in art activities and it reinforces what the child and the parents learn together.

Visit to museums: a visit to a museum is one of the most enriching learning experience for the child, especially if it involves parents and children together. Parents and children can have a discussion about the artefacts that they are looking at and what exactly attracts the attention of the child.

Exploring the internet: the internet has a plethora of knowledge. There is no dearth of knowledge in the World Wide Web. Online explorations can only enhance the knowledge that the child has assimilated. The parents can help the child sieve out the best knowledge from the mind boggling range in the internet.

Activities for teens and tweens: enrichment classes for kids  and teenagers are a good source of learning for them.

The Best Way to Prepare Your Child for the Future is to Allow Him to Learn Chinese

enrichment classes for toddlers and kids

Did you know that in todays world learning Chinese can be a great way to secure your child’s future? It continues to be a language on demand. It can give your child an edge in this competitive world. There has been a marked growth in the demand for the Chinese speakers all over the world. Boasting one of the most powerful economy, the growth of the country has also resulted in the surge in the importance of the language itself. If you look at the sought after languages around the world, Mandarin continues to be on the top of the list. Making your child learn Chinese would mean that you are putting him at a significant spot in the future job market given the current trends and the demand for Chinese speaking professionals.

Learning Chinese can prove beneficial in the business scenario

China continues to be the major manufacturing hub of the most popular gadgets and more. With the ever growing trade opportunities Chinese is a language that can give your child a bright scope in the business world of the future as well.

Children can learn multiple languages when they are young

Some might simply stick with talking with the child in one language thinking that multiple languages might delay his speech development. On the contrary, at a younger age children are able to grasp multiple languages and they can learn them fast. Mother tongue should definitely be taught there is no doubt. But teaching Chinese at a very young age has its own benefits. There are numerous enrichment classes for toddlers would all be helpful which might also teach Chinese. These can help improve the Chinese communication skills on the whole.

A competitive skill that can set your child apart

Be it now or in the future Mandarin goes a long way in giving your child that competitive advantage and the right push to boost his career. With the number of people fluent in Chinese still being very less outside China, giving your child a Chinese class at a young age would be a great investment that would secure his future. Besides the other enrichment classes to boost his skills Chinese language classes can be very useful. It can also help your child choose to work internationally in various locations in the future if he is fluent in Chinese. It is now a language which is sought after in several parts of the world.

It is more than a language – it is a culture

After all learning a language also requires a deeper level of understanding the culture of the region as well. And Chinese culture is an interesting one to learn. The culture of China dates back to several thousands of years. And this is also one of the oldest languages. It can thus help understand the history of the country as well as that of the rest of the world. Starting early means that your child would have a lot of time to explore the language and every nuances of it rather than simply learning the literature. It can help understand the significance of various practices and the various segments in history and Chinese culture.

Be a part of a community

Chinese language communities prevail all over the world. They can further expand the exposure of the child and also improve the language efficiency in a lot of ways. Such communities would also give the child opportunities to converse native Chinese and Chinese language speakers from all over the world. It would thus be a practical way of mastering the language.

Singapore’s Enrichment Classes Can Boost Your Toddler’s Developmental Skills

toddler enrichment classes

A child is expected to sit, walk, and talk, etc. within a predictable time frame. These are called developmental achievements. They occur in five main areas like cognitive, social & emotional, speech & language, fine motor skills, and gross motor skills development.

The kids must be able to learn and solve problems. They should also be able to interact with others and show signs of self-control. This includes playing in turn with others, smiling, and waving bye-bye. Next is to understand and use language for communication. They should, further, be able to pick & hold small objects and learn how to sit or stand with support as their fine and gross motor schools.

Singapore enrichment classes adopt fun and educational activities for toddlers to boost their developmental skills. These classes teach many things from ballet, swimming, gymnastics, cooking, and a lot more. There are also reading, storytelling, music, singing, and visual & performing arts cooking classes. As the toddlers take part in these classes, in a group, they learn how to work as a team and contribute to the group objective.

Find out more about the enrichment toddler classes offered at Chengzhu Mandarin Centre here.

This article by The Finder, Singapore tells how to encourage talents of the toddlers in unique fun-educational ways. Read more here!

Know How to Plan Fun Activities for Toddlers And Infants

No matter if you happen to be a parent or a teacher, you must plan lessons for their growth and development. If your program makes the little darlings smile and giggle, they will be engaged immediately. And, this will stimulate them to learn things.

Infancy and toddle-hood are the times when the babies start knowing about their surroundings using their senses. They also learn to manipulate their body and discover what they can do with this. Using things that demonstrate cause and effect relationship like making noise or bouncing back when things are hit is good at this stage.

One can also provide them playmates like a doll, teddy bear, or materials from around the home. The babies will love to play with these and mimic adults in the process. Such things help to build a strong interpersonal connection.

Infants and toddlers are always after moving. Provide them enough free space for moving freely. They are ever curious and imaginative. Provide them durable books with rich images. Also, sing songs and recite rhymes for learning the language.

This article by ECDA, Singapore dwells on planning fun activities for the growth and development of infants and toddlers. Read more here!

Get the Younger Children Moving and Growing with Physical Activities!

Daily physical activities are good for everybody, especially for children. As a parent, you must also move with the kids to make it family fun. The kids enjoy this and will keep it doing. As a result, they acquire better movement skills.

It is better to start physical activities in early childhood. Age-based physical activities should be introduced for drawing maximum benefit. These can be started even before the babies learn to walk. They can be placed on a large blanket or something like that for learning to tilt their heads. When babies starting walking, things like climbing stairs becomes a fun activity.

One can also give them the practice of bouncing, catching, hitting, and kicking softballs as they age further. Throwing, chasing soap bubbles, silly walking, throwing balls, etc are great for the next stage.

As the year passes, you can also let them have organized sports like riding tri-cycles and then bicycles under supervision. Also, involve them in jumping and dancing to music. Lastly, let your child play in a group.

This article by Baby Bonus, Singapore gives unique parental tips divulging how physical activities are vital for the growth and development of the babies. Read more here!

Investing in Your Child’s Future: Which Enrichment Classes Should You Choose?

enrichment classes for toddlers

Asian and Singaporean parents always rack their brains trying to find out how to give their child the best start in life. Most begin to send their kids to enrichment classes on the weekends. These classes have many forms and styles from learning cognitive and social skills to art and craft classes.

Children learn new things every day. They are curious and are blessed with a creative mind. So, the parents must offer them opportunities to support these traits. If the kids are engaged in interactive learning, they feel excited and it enhances their love for learning.

Ideally, the kids should be taught some skills other than their school learning. Putting them into music, coding, phonics, financial literacy, and learning a third language is good to start with. Read more about educational and interesting activities for toddlers here.

This article authored by Joanne Poh gives insights on the enrichment classes that pay off both for you and your kid. Read more here!

Know The Edutainment Places In Singapore That Kindle Learning Aspirations

Bending over the desk throughout the day is not the right way of learning for the kids. On the contrary, the ideal way of learning must be able to assist the children to explore their full potentials. It must activate their interest, enhance abilities, and nurture their talents for building knowledge and confidence.

For this, you need something other than the traditional classrooms. Coined by Robert Heyman edutainment is the new tool for garnering knowledge through education and entertainment. When kids are put into such environments, they get amused.

The early years are of much importance for the children. With their toddlerhood, they learn to know their surroundings through play. The edutainment places ignite their creativity and they start learning at a good pace.

Singapore houses several unique edutainment places.  These theme parks are dedicated to nature and various cartoon characters. Some of them have bouncy castles, Tayo stations, and a plethora of interesting venues where kids can play the role of actors, firefighters, policemen, etc. There are also multi-activity play centers that allow the kids to climb walls giving them a taste of adventure.

This article by Timeout tells all about the edutainment facilities in Singapore. Read more here!

These Indoor Plays in Singapore Work Best For Babies, Toddlers, and Grownups

Because of its geographical location and a vast coastline, Singapore is humid and has abundant rainfall. Sometimes the weather becomes finicky and it turns irritating when your kids are at home without anything to do. 

During such time and also when dragging your kids to a shopping mall, indoor games can provide opportunities to learn many things. Kids are creative and curious. So, they love to accept new challenges and learn many things from basic motor skills, collaborative techniques, effective communication, and many more.

Indoor games have the power to help kids learn and grow. They help the child to know his abilities and prove its mettle. As these constitute fun activities, the kids immediately get absorbed in them and enjoy learning. other than physical strength, these further helps the kids to utilize senses, control emotions, act socially.

There are many indoor play centers in Singapore.  They include many activities like puzzles, dancing, storytelling, gardening, colorful climbing challenges, exploring bouldering walls, jumping, etc. These centers also have suspended net playground and terrifying slides for the grownups.

This article written by Sassy Mama, Singapore reveals how indoor games can help kids to learn different skills uniquely. You can read more here!

Review of Top Kindergartens in Singapore

The best way you can promote writing in kids is to make sure that they are constantly exposed to writing on a regular basis. When kids are in nursery school they are promoted to scribble in order to build their motor skills. In kindergarten, however, it is more about being creative and writing more words and short sentences.

This is where journaling can come in very handy as the child will automatically learn to experiment with different prints and start writing regularly. If you intend to send your child to a nursery, do consider Chiltern House School. They prepare your child for formal education, and their activities include lessons in linguistics, Mathematics, Science and social group learning. If you are serious about a holistic education for your child, do check their website above.

Here are a few ways in which you can prompt your kindergarteners to write more and write often. Model Writing: this is where you as a teacher can write and share your thoughts and what you’re writing and even take a few pointers from the children while they are writing. Shared Writing: This is where kindergarten kids as well as adults get together and write something creative.

The adults can also ask the kids for inputs when it comes to things such as pictures, letters, or words that are used in the writing. Unstructured Writing: by allowing the children to write independently you will be able to foster imagination and writing into the Childs life. This can be very useful even when the child is playing pretend. Writing activities: These can be things such as making cards, creating a shopping list, or writing a letter to their parents and friends.

Journal Writing: This is one of the best ways to get the kids to write on a regular basis. This is a continuous activity that would improve the child’s writing ability to a great extent. Journal writing tips You can incorporate journal writing into your routine having a monthly session of journal writing can help the child explain the entire month’s activity into that journal entry. You can also get your students to write out regular entries on paper and then put it all together in a folder.

You can also collect all of the months writing activities and create a folder. You must also make sure that you give preference to quality writing rather than the quantity of writing. Using different forms of writing prompts can be very useful in the long run. You don’t have to start with the big stuff right from the beginning you can start with asking the kids to start with writing out simple sentences that describe something around the classroom or around the school or home.

How to tell your child is ready for preschool

Some parents in Singapore wait until their children turn three years old before taking them to preschool. Some, however, take their children much earlier, especially when they want the children to benefit from early childhood interactions. If you want to take your child to preschool before the expected age, how do you know he is ready for preschool? Read more here about what attending preschool will do for your child: https://www.chilternhouse.com.sg/

Is Your Child Comfortable with Strangers?

One way to confirm how your child will behave with caregivers and teachers at a preschool is by assessing his re action towards strangers. For example, does he shy away when meeting someone he is not familiar with, or does he chat happily?

Parents are naturally worried about their child’s reaction towards strangers, but a child can be moderately friendly and safe. If you worry about using strangers to evaluate your child’s readiness, check his response when he comes across people, he is not in contact with all the time. It could be your family or friends.

How Independent is Your Child?

Toddlers are naturally great at seeking attention, and preschool teachers understand this. However, some independence is expected. A child who demands attention all the time can be overwhelming for teachers, especially since they are required to give equal attention to all the children. Besides giving the teachers a hard time, a child in need of constant attention will end up in distress when he feels forgotten.

When preparing your toddler for preschool, it is essential to give him space to identify activities he enjoys so that he can spend some time on his own. Over time, he will only seek you out when he needs you.

How Does Your Child Respond When Things Don’t go His Way?

When your child goes to preschool, he will interact with other children. If this is his first time in such an environment, you can be sure there will be a lot of giving and taking. Unfortunately, children have a lot of trouble when it comes to managing their emotions.

Some children explode in rage whenever something doesn’t go his way. In a preschool, this could be several times a day. This can be overwhelming on your child, other children and the teachers. Although aggressive tantrums are expected from toddlers, it is vital for you to guide your child on matters sharing and how to handle a negative response.

It would help if you also learned how to say no whenever you need to so that he can become accustomed to such a response. If your child lashes out whenever he doesn’t get what he wants, he will become socially isolated. In the long run, he will be a lonely, unhappy child at the preschool.

How Responsive is Your Child to Change?

Going to preschool is a massive change for a child who has only known one environment, home, since birth. If you have been travelling, you were always there with him, so the transition wasn’t hard. The only change, in this case, was the where. He was still with the same people he relates to at home.

In preschool, he will encounter many people, all of whom don’t live in his home. He will have a different routine from the one he is used to, and his parents will not be there to hold his hand for several hours.

To a child, this is a different world altogether, and it can be overwhelming. You can predict your child’s reaction based on his response when you are in a different environment. If he clings to you more than usual, he is likely to experience hardship in preschool.

If your child is not prepared for preschool, you can take steps to help him. Fortunately, children accept changes quickly, sometimes much faster than adults. Please take steps to give him some independence while at the same time, let him know you are close enough to support him.

Different types of child care services available in Singapore

Are you considering Child care services in Singapore for your kid? There are several options available for every parent. All you need to do is to select the one that best suits your requirements. However, it is important to note the type of child care in which you child can develop effectively. Considering a child care for your child can be done due to several reasons. These may include that you need some time for your tasks or care for other kids. It is also essential for the better development of your kids as they will be engaged in several learning activities that will boost up their intelligence levels.

Types of child care: There are different kinds of Child care in Singapore centers that provide care to your children in different ways. All these types have their own important points. The decision can be made on the basis of their specialties.

Here are the major types of Child care providers in Singapore: In house care provider: The first type of Child care in Singapore you can get for your kid is in the form of nanny or an in house care provider. The best thing about selecting this type is that the nanny will involve emotionally with the kid and will be able to spend multiple hours. They, at the same time, will work on the teaching and education of the children.

If you are planning to consider this option, you dont have to rush every morning to a day care center to drop your kid. Instead, the nanny will be there and your kid doesnt have to go to some other place. Day care center: The next option for Child care in Singapore is the day care center for the kids. It is a place where there are several kids who get involved in various activities.

These activities can be learning based or playing based only. However, all of these kids are cared by some professionals of the day care. As a result, they spend time with their fellow kids in a safe and secure environment. One of the best things about day care is that it provides parents with the opportunities to leave their kid in an educational environment where their kids will develop in an effective way. Day care center provides a lot of opportunities to the kids so that they can socialize with other individuals as well.

As a result, kids learn to communicate in an effective way with the kids and other adults. This socialization allows them to learn a lot of new things and concepts that will benefit them in their later life. Family day care: Another option of Child care in Singapore is the family day care. It is quite different from other types of the child care option. A family day care is a place where your kid will have to live with a certain family. Care is provided to the kid by the head of the family and the kids will spend some time with the whole family.

This can be done with a family who lives in the neighborhood. It is best to select a family who has few kids. In this way, your child will be able to develop social skills. Also, by considering a Child care in Singapore the transition to school or to some formal Institute will become easier. These are the major types of Child care in Singapore you can consider for your kid. Dont forget to analyze all the needs of your kids before you finalize your decision.

Choosing the right school for your child in Singapore

Parents in Singapore and other parts of the world are faced with the challenge of choosing a school for their children. Choosing just any school is not really a good idea because they may not be able to handle the needs of your child.

Presently, Singapore has a large community of international schools. This makes it somewhat difficult for parents to choose between them.

Comparing the various schools in Singapore has helped a lot of parents to find a school that can meet the needs of their children. If you don’t take your time as a parent to find a good school for your children you are likely going to enroll them in a school that will not be able to take care of their needs.

If you are looking for a Singapore IB school or international school in Singapore, ISS International School is a good option you should consider. They cater to children from kindergarten through high school age and have holistic programmes with a broad range of learning activities. If you are looking for a global education for your child, do consider ISS International School.

The following article by guidemesingapore discusses how you can choose the right school for your child.

International schools in Singapore: choosing the right school for your child

Singapore has a large expat community and is very fortunate to be home to a wide choice of world class international schools. When faced with a new school system, it is important to make comparisons across several key criteria. Read more here

You likely now know a lot about the various schools in Singapore. Just before you enroll your child in one of them, you definitely will want to know about their curriculums.

The following article by Georgina Hockley shed more light on the curriculums of some of the schools in Singapore.

Guide to international school Curriculum in Singapore: we explain the IB, IGCSE, Montessori and more.

Whether you are choosing an International School in Singapore for the first time or just looking to move your child to a new school, one thing’s for sure, the variety of school curricula – and just the tongue-tripping acronyms – can be confusing. You’ve probably already checked out our handy article and infographic on what it really costs to send your kids to international school in Singapore, so you are already ahead of the curve. When you want to dive deep into your shortlist of schools or compare your favorites, head straight to HoneyKids School Selector: Singapore’s original online school comparison tool and the source for real research, testimonials and essential insights that will help you find the best school for your family. Read more here

Obviously, you now have a picture of the curriculum of the various schools in Singapore. International Baccalaureate schools have one of the best curriculums. Students who are enrolled in IB usually come out with an excellent result.

The following article by Justin Ong shed light on the secret behind the success of IB in Singapore.

Behind Singapore’s success in the IB: more tuition?

SINGAPORE: Behind the closed doors of a grey, nondescript facility at the sprawling one-north business park, groups of teenagers gather every day with one goal in mind: to get the necessary knowledge to score a top grade in the International Baccalaureate (IB). Read more here

Final note

The fact is that there are a lot of schools in Singapore, and this makes it even more challenging for parents to make a decision. One of the way parents have been able to pick a good school for their children is by comparing the curriculum of the schools they plan to enroll their children. A report has shown that IB international schools have one the best curriculums. The bottom line of this report is that the curium of a school determines the performance of the students who are enrolled in it.

How Can You Make Your Kids Love Learning Chinese?

Do you want your children to learn Mandarin Chinese ? In case, you have made up your mind to get them admitted in a mandarin class for children then they will also become a part of over one billion people in the world who speak it as a primary or a secondary language. Thus, you are all set to take a big leap towards making your litter ones global citizens who may get a yearly head start in the future employment market and will also become smarter.

But though there are several merits of learning the Chinese language, making your kids interested in it can really be quite a struggle. It is specifically true in the beginning of your child’s language journey. The initial adaptation process can be frustrating for the kids as it is not easy for them to realize and appreciate the real benefits of picking up Chinese.

However, you should not feel disappointed since there are various interesting ways that will make sure that your children get interested in learning the language. In fact, you will soon find your kids will look forward to attaining proficiency in this language,

Cooking with your kid

Is your kid interested in practical activities? If that is the case, cooking is an excellent method for learning as well as maintaining their interest in the Chinese language. So, how about planning a session on cooking with your kids soon? However, you need to ensure that you get the instructions and the recipe printed in the Chinese language. Tell the kids to read out the recipe while you are in the process of assembling the dish. You can also teach your child important nouns and verbs while both of you cook together.

Chinese magazines/books

It is a globally-connected society today and many popular books in the category of both non-fiction and fiction have been translated into various other languages. When you get Chinese versions of some of the popular books for your kids, it is a fantastic and innovative way of getting them interested in the Mandarin Chinese language. In fact, you should look out for Chinese versions of some of the best-selling works, which are specifically written for teens and kids and hand them over to the little ones. While they read these books, they will start getting interested in the story plots and would definitely want to pick up more vocabulary in Chinese so that they are able to understand more and read these books even faster.

Travel

It can be a short trip to your nearest Chinatown to savor some delicious and authentic dumplings or a bowl of a Chinese soup to get your kids interested in the Chinese culture. Alternatively, you can also go for a relaxed family holiday to the sea beaches and towns of China. If you travel to a Chinese-speaking place with your children, they will be more curious and it can also trigger their interest to learn Chinese. At various occasions, it is not an easy job to inspire your kids to learn Chinese. It is specifically true when they are being brought up in an English-speaking ambiance ever since they were born. You can tell the kids some days before the trip that they should speak in Chinese to communicate with the local people. Now that means using the language to order their food, querying for directions and finding out the restrooms. When your kids understand that learning the Chinese language is a requirement and not a nice to know skill during the trip, they will definitely get motivated to learn Chinese either complete dedication.

Learning the language does not necessarily have to be memorizing the notes or solving worksheets in their character books. The above-mentioned ideas can really make learning the Chinese language a fun and exciting experience. Finally, your complete support is very crucial to improve the Chinese speaking skill of your child. You should spare some time from your hectic schedule to read with them, travel with them, participate in fun activities, which interest them and cook together while you expose them to the Chinese language.