Preparing for Primary One- Before Primary One
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| Photo by Photoxpress |
Prior to being in primary school I sent Monkey Boy to both nursery and kindergarten. I feel that it is important that he get use to a formal learning environment before he enters primary school. I also wanted him to learn how to get along with other kids and learn from other teachers besides me.
Besides sending Monkey boy for academic classes I enrolled him in piano and swimming as I feel that it’s important to help nurture his right brain through music and physical prowess through sports. Swimming is a must for my kids as it’s a lifesaving skill which may come in very handy as we are living in an island state.
Before entering primary one Monkey boy is expected to know more than his ABCs and 123s. It is assumed that he knows the following
English
Vocabulary
- Classification of verbs (eg. jump, walk, crawl) and nouns (eg. aeroplane, house, shopping centre)
Grammar and Punctuation
- Singularity and plurality, adjectives, pronouns, possessives
- Present and past tense
Written Expression
- simple descriptive sentences for composition writing (Eg, Jane is wearing a red blouse and blue jeans.
- penmanship- legibility of words written given a specific passage. (I’m personally not too concerned if Monkey Boy’s writing is not print perfect. It is more important to me that he and the teachers understand what he is writing. )
Oral and Show and Tell:
- Formal tests involving:
- Reading of a passage in the presence of the examiner
- Discuss the events depicted in a picture with the examiner
- Develop and present materials for a presentation to the class based on topics chosen by the teacher (eg. “My Favourite Toy”)
- Having a dialogue with the examiner based on a given scenario.
( *This is something new which will be slowly introduced to the students to prepare them for the changes which will be implemented during PSLE in the coming years. ) - Students will be graded based on clarity of delivery and content.
Mathematics
- Addition and Subtraction up to 20
- Multiplication in 2s, 5s and 10s
- sequencing and number bonds
- completing 2 step questions and problem sums
It’s quite a fair bit but all these are tested during the 1st semester of Primary one so I have two years to get Doggie Boy ready before he gets to Primary one.
If you missed the earlier parts here are the links to them
Part 1- The Registration
Part 2- Meeting Expectations