Preschool Insights and Experiences

[mrs.boeck]

^^ sis normal naman yang nararamdaman mo. sometimes, ako din ganyan. when hubby and I were still in school, we were both an achiever lalo na si hubby. hubby was even awarded as one of the top ten outstanding students of makati. kaya because of all the achievements, inaasahan nila na pati yung anak ko will be the same like us. kaya sobrang pressured ako. plus the fact pa na my son skipped nursery kasi daw his thinking and skills ay pang kinder na.

what i did, before we enroll him sa school, hubby and I talked na we will not pressure our son. kasi nga hindi maiiwasan na yung ibang tao sa labas especially our parents eh magkumpara. kaya mismong sa aming dalawa, wala dapat pressure na dapat laging perfect etc. so far, ok naman yung anak ko sa mga quizzes niya, may iba may mistake but normal naman yun. ang ginagawa ko na lang pag may mali, nirereview na lang namin at home. he knows naman that kapag may X ibig sabihin eh incorrect. plus, sobrang hands on kami ni hubby. take turns kami sa assignments and sinasabi ko mga results ng quizzes. so kahit pag naglalaro sila, iniincorporate namin yung mga school activities or mga lessons nila. there was even a time na my son asked me why he needs to have a perfect score. i asked him who told him that and he said si yaya daw. i answered him na hindi naman need na perfect kasi everbody commits mistake. what is important eh matutunan niya yung mga tinuturo ng teacher niya kasi in the long run, it will help him. at after nun, pinagsabihan ko si yaya. 

[marose17]

^^ You should be happy because your child is happy in school.  To give you another perspective, how many adult achievers do you know who can recall saying they got all stars/first honors/outstanding student/awards galore in preschool?  If these are more important to you than having your child love learning for learning's sake (and not for the sake of stars and rewards), I seriously think you should rethink what your goals are for your child in terms of education.

[cloudzy_09]

Sometimes I also feel pressured to teach my daughter everything na shes only 1.5 yrs old pero marunong na siya ng shapes, mag count, colors and mag basa ng letters and number mas na pressure ako turuan siya noong sinabi nila kailangan matuto na mag basa anak ko before 3 kasi yung daddy niya 3 yrs old natuto mag basa ng news paper. But i realize na dapat hindi ako nag fo focus sa achademic achivement ng bata especially in pre schoool dapat ang e culture is eagerness to learn and pagiging confident niya. Since naging ganon mantra ko mas nakita ko excited mag pa tuitor si baby and mas mabilis siya turuan.

[DV]

^^^^^It's good that you acknowledge that you need to change your attitude when it comes to your child's schooling. That feeling is valid naman, ganyan kasi tayo tr-in-ain ng educational system natin--carrot and stick motivation (pag good behavior, maganda ang sulat, mataas ang grades, etc, may reward/awards). My advice is, while your child is young, encourage creativity/imagination dahil mas long-lasting ang satisfaction (boosts self-esteem, and satisfaction comes from self, vs rewards that come from other people) at mas nae-excercise ang different areas of the brain when one is able to create something. This is also the time to focus on teaching values (sharing, waiting your turn, good manners). While grades in preschool do not matter as much, what and how children learn during their formative years are very important (may book nga na All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten). Sabi nga ng academics, when a child reaches 7 years old, ingrained na sa kanya yung mga itinuro sa kanya earlier because the brain gets less plastic/moldable then. So there, don't focus too much on grades right now.

[KVsWahmmy]

sis marose17: yes I am happy naman na she's happy in school, nakakatuwang malaman na I've placed her in an institution that makes learning enjoyable enough for her to say na school is fun. I've always said I wanted her to enjoy learning, that I want her to be a confident, smart, and happy preschooler - I guess I got 'lost' nung lumabas na ang quizzes and seatworks - I got so OC about grades and mistakes - not realizing na hindi lang naman yun ang gauge for true education. Thanks!

sis cloudzy_09: I noticed din yan sa daughter ko, mas excited sya mag-study time kami pag hindi ako mataray. and she easily remembers and absorbs what we study kapag light ang mood namin pag nag-aaral.

sis DV: thanks for the suggestions sis... I definitely see your point. I'm really trying my best to change my attitude and teaching method sa kanya when we're at home.

Thanks for all the advice mommies!

[cldy_1981]

^^check too ben and Bella at the ICITE building (Informatics) inside Eastwood City

hi hunny_ally could you share what's the structure of Ben & Bella? Is it like Gymboree? Kidzville in Podium? Active Fun in Fort? Is it free play?

[hunny_ally]

^set up is more of like Gymboree than active fun. It's really more like of a daycare facility but they offer classes. Last i heard they were offering already preschool modules. My son attended a 3-day art workshop there. Though he enjoyed it and i was able to pick up some activities that i can do with my kids, I'm not really impressed with the facilities nor with the teaching approach. Lets just say if I'll be preschool hunting, i wont include it in my short list & would instead opt to enroll him in Gymboree's preschool program. But overall, it is good enough if you're living or working around the area and would want a place to leave your kid.

[vixencharmed]

Hello! Just wanna ask kung merong may experience na sa inyo sa Little Apprentice Preschool sa Daang hari? and also sa Abba's Orchard sa Daang hari rin.. I have a 2 yrs and 6 mo. old boy which I plan to enroll next year. TIA

[daisy_duck]

Hi sissies, meron bang hindi chinese dito na pinasok ang kids nila sa chinese school? Kasi dito sa Greenhills/San juan area, karamihan chinese school. Parang natatakot kasi akong mag pa peer pressure yung daughter ko since hindi naman kami chinese, im looking at apples and berries orchard, pero im not sure pa. any pre school by greenhills, san juan or addition hills area?

Ako po. I enrolled my son in a chinese school and were not chinese nor we graduated from a chinese school. Eto kasi ang pinaka accessible na school sa amin. So I always encourage my son to listen to his Lao Shi kasi we cannot help him in his chinese class. He is in nursery now and so far he enjoys his chinese class.

[Jewelshine]

As a graduate of a Chinese school naging madali naman sa akin kahit my family is not Chinese. The language becomes natural kasi lahat yun ang gamit sa school. But it was a lot easier for my classsmates who get to practice their chinese at home.

[kiz_me1109]

For nursery students, ano ba talaga dapat yung mga tinuturo sa kanila? My son just turned 4 years old and its his first time to go to school.now, we feel like he's already burned out sa school. feeling ko intense masyado yung lessons nila and they dont have any activities aside from friday as fun day. pero hindi pa wole day yung fun day nila every saturday. they will have a quiz first and then 1 hour lang yung fun time nila. they already have parts of the plants, less than or greater than, where plants live (aerial, land or water, etc. basta sobrang hirap na ng mga lessons nila na dapat sa preschool pa or sa elementary na dapat tinuturo. i dont know what to do. i dont want to pressure my son but at the same time, i dont want him to stop going to school. =(

[marose17]

^ Talk to the teacher, sis.

Your son is in a traditional preschool, from what I gather kasi may quizzes and stuff.  This is good in a way kasi the school is preparing him for grade school, which is more rigorous (if you plan to send him to a traditional grade school).  There are preschools which are less academically rigid in their approach, but the children learn nonetheless.  The lessons that your child is learning now are not difficult, in my opinion.  My children also learned all those things in preschool, minus the quizzes (they went to a Montessori preschool).  I think if the lessons are presented in an age-appropriate manner to fit the profile and comprehension of the students, there will be no problem.  The brains of children aged 2-7 absorb information like a sponge so this is the best time to feed them information, but the teacher should present the information appropriately and when the kids are ready.  May issue lang ako sa daily quizzes sa preschool ng anak mo, to be honest.  I don't know kasi what the preschool is trying to accomplish by quizzing 4-year old children.  And may Saturday class?

By grade 1 (6 years old), a child is expected to be able to read and comprehend what he is reading, write legibly, speak/recite in complete sentences in English and Filipino in correct grammar (more or less ha, siempre hindi naman perfect all the time ang grammar ng bata), perform simple mathematical operations and have practical life skills - fully toilet-trained, knows how to dress himself, eats by himself, knows his name, address, parents' name and address, etc.

[KVsWahmmy]

sis kiz_me1109: as in daily quiz talaga sis, tipong 10 items talaga? not worksheets or really short seatwork (5 items)? saka what are the signs you saw that made you see na burned out na sya?

my daughter kasi is also 4 years old, and also studies in a traditional school. although di naman everyday, pag regular school day madalas meron silang sinasagutan sa book or may worksheet sila (as in 5 items lang, no more than that naman). Pero quizzes are like twice a month lang per subject. And napansin ko actually, yung pacing ng lessons nila is hindi mabilis. kumbaga kung sa ibang schools (like your son's) nasa greater than less than na, sila nasa recognizing numbers and number sequence pa lang. siguro they're concentrating talaga on building a good understanding talaga of the concepts para mas ma-absorb ng bata.

if you're concerned sis sa curriculum, I think it's best you talk to your son's teacher. they should have an explanation naman siguro for why they chose to include those lessons.

[marose17]

I saw this: What Should a Four Year-Old Know?  http://magicalchildhood.wordpress.com/2010/08/31/what-should-a-4-year-old-know/

[kiz_me1109]

marose17  & KVsWahmmy

- With the quizzes, I really don't have any issue about it since 5-10 items lang naman siya. And my son seems to enjoy doing it naman. What concerns me is their long test every month. Each subject has 40 points minimum. I really don't get it bakit kailangang may ganun kahabang tests. And another thing that bothers me is puro sila aral. As in walang fun day. Friday is supposed to be FUN DAY. Meaning, it will be fun all day. They will either sing, dance, watch cartoons,etc. But because they have missed school days because of the Holidays and bad weather, the entire week e lessons talaga. Tapos may quizzes pa.

And they dont have any activities at school. Grabe. Kahit yung Trick or Treat e wala. I really think na kailangan e merong activities sa school for kids not to be burned out.

[hann-hann]

^Sis, 40pts is a lot nga for nursery students. My daughter is in Kinder, sa previous school nya, they have monthly quizzes too pero 20pts each lang, ang periodical exam nila 30pts. Sana sa lilipatan nyang school ganun din.

Yung previous school ng daughter ko kagaya din ng sa son mo, wala silang activities. Since June walang activities. That's one of the reasons kung bait ko sya nilipat. She's too pressured and walang fun time, puro aral.

[thebratinella]

^^ Yung friend ko worried din sa school ng anak niya. Nursery pa lang but they study the parts of the computer na then may long quiz na din. Nahihirapan siya to review her kid for the tests kasi puro laro pa gusto ng anak niya. Sa school ng daughter ko, they have worksheets almost everyday pero more on identifying colors, sizes, shapes, parts of the body, letters etc. Hindi naman mahirap since the teacher sends the worksheets home for us to check and sign. Our daughter (she's 3 years and 8 months) is able to cope and she's having fun. They have circle time and exploration time wherein they sing, learn about the days of the week and weather and they get to play with the toys inside their classroom. On Fridays, they have storytelling and film viewing because my daughter tells me they watch Toy Story, Mickey Mouse and Handy Manny. When I ask her what they do in school, she would tell me they sang songs, played instruments and colored. Magugulat na lang ako kasi sometimes she would hum nursery rhymes that I didn't teach her. Natutunan niya pala sa teacher niya. For Halloween, they went to the classrooms and offices for trick or treat. Ang dami niyang nakuhang goodies from the staff and older kids. In the afternoon, they also had a Halloween party which she really enjoyed. They have oral and written assessments per term. 15 items lang per subject so hindi stressful for her. Wala pa kasi sa muwang yung daughter namin kaya ayaw din namin mapressure. Nahihirapan kami minsan to convince her to do her homework na tracing and coloring lang. What more siguro if yung complicated stuff pa. I suggest that you talk to the teacher, sis. If you're not really satisfied with the curriculum or stressed na anak mo, look for another school na lang.

[KVsWahmmy]

my daughter's school is also very 'tipid' sa school activities like your kid's sis kiz_me1109. the last one they had na school-wide was Linggo ng Wika. They didn't have a UN celebration this month nor a trick or treat/halloween event, kasi they prioritized catching up on lessons dahil sa days they missed because of the holidays and the suspensions (due to bad weather),they also had one saturday class this month. and yun pala they just had their periodical test this last week of October, so I think no chance talaga. as far as length of quizzes, yung twice a month nasa 10 items lang at most per subject. they don't have monthly tests or long tests either, yung periodical test lang talaga (30 items) per quarter. Ako personally, I don't mind if they don't have as many school activities, for as long as they balance naman play and learning when they're inside the classroom on a daily basis. 

my daughter's school is focused talaga on academics, and they told us that nung nagiinquire pa lang kami, which is a good thing because we knew what to expect. Pero in all fairness, not once, since June did I ever feel na napressure yung anak ko sa school or na napagod sya sa dami ng inaral or na ayaw nyang pumasok. I take and pick her up every day sa school, and she's so happy to go inside the classroom, and naka-smile pa din sya pag-uwi nya after. And whenever I ask her how her class was, she'd readily say it was fun. She also comes home with 'baon' songs, games, and stories na natutunan sa school, so I think they must be doing something right na hindi na-stress ang mga bata kahit naka-focus pa din sila sa academics. Either that or talagang yung learning style ng anak ko ang fit sa teaching method nila.

If you think may dapat lang improve sa methods ng teaching sa classroom then perhaps you can talk to the teacher, I'm sure open naman sila sa suggestions. Or you can request na mag-sit in sa class para you can see for yourself talaga kung anong nangyayari.

Pero if it's the school itself that you're having issues with, if you think na wala nang chance to improve, then transfer na lang siguro to another school.

[Dacian]

meron bang pre-school or kindergarten sa st. benilde taft or sa de la salle taft?  o college lang sila?

[guilleanne]

my daughter whos turning 4 on january is doing well in her nursery class.

they are 11 in the class all will turn age 4 within the school year except for one who just turned 3 last august.


she's studying in a christian school with traditional approach.


for nursery, the subjects are english, science, math, filipino and christian living. no PE and ART yet although they color and draw but its part of their current subjects, the kinders have PE and ART, the PREPs naman have computer subject in addition.


my dau have quizes every monday and monthly exams.


as of november, ang na cover na lessons na nila

english. vowel sounds, consonant sounds, cvc words beginning b c f h m r s t p medial a e i  ending t n r g.

science. parts of the face, the body, sense organs, taste, proper hygine, good and bad foods, veggies and fruits, living and non living things, big and small plants, parts of the plants, needs of the plant. land air water animals


math. line tracing, straights and curves, shapes, color, size, object positions and relationship, more and less. counting and writing 1-10

filipino. patinig. mga pantig ng b h s m r s p t.


christian living. memorized 8 bible versus, mostly in genesis. the creation of the world.


binibigay sa parents yung lesson for the week. nung una feeling ko parang kaya na ba ng 3 years old aralin yung mga tinuturo ng teacher, takot nga ako baka ma burnout si dau. pero madali lang sa kanya. she reads in english and filipino, filipino is a lot easier to learn pala kasi my dau can spell and read words she doesnt even know. nung tinuro nga yung pantig ng t, she wrote tae and showed me, she knows the word pero walang nagturo sa kanya how to spell it.


they dont have play time, no movie time, they celebrated nutrition month, teachers day and united nations pero they only practise 2 days for an hour a day for their presentation. they have a seperate play room for preschool, yung may padded floor, pero kinder and prep lang gumagamit for their PE. walang toys sa loob ng classroom.


parang boring no, pero the kids are laughing everyday, they hate when classes are suspended, and they adore their teacher. theres only one teacher who handles all the pre school class, and lalaki pa si teacher. para syang child whisperer. hehe. iba ang approach, not the usual motherly style ng pre school teacher. he is more like a cartoon character. hehe. pwedeng mag sideline na party host.


and monthly exams pala pag nursery ay one on one kaya all the teachers in the school are assisting the nurseries during monthly exams, pero the kinders takes the exam as a class since they are expected to understand instructions well na and even read the instructions on their own.


the teacher discourages din na mag advance lessons ang parents sa bata since it usually cause confusion sa bata, but we are advised to review the kids with the topics na naturo na. di rin araw araw ang assignments and if meron konti ang mabilis lang gawin.


i guess na kay teacher din pano hindi ma pressure ang kids. di rin nag tatatak ng stars si teacher kasi madumi daw.