Question:
What is a good age to start on proper English training?Asked By : Caroline
Words from the Expert:
Question:
Is a pre-schooler too young to start on any serious academic (eg. English) enrichment programme as some parents believe we should only start stressing them in primary school? What is a good age to start on proper English training?
Answer:
The development of your child in the preschool years is fundamental in shaping his or her academic journey. It is important, as parents and educators, for us to play a role in building that strong foundation early on in a child’s life.
At The Learning Lab, we believe that it begins with nurturing the love of learning in your child.
A good enrichment centre will be able to spark your child’s innate curiosity towards the world around him or her. It is important not to douse the interest in learning at this age, so enrichment classes should be fun and engaging.
TLL’s preschool enrichment programmes aim to guide and channel our students’ energy towards learning in a fun and engaging way while building their cognitive and language abilities. We incorporate current affairs, games and activities to make lessons more enjoyable and relatable to their experiences.
It is never too early to expose your child to the intricacies of the English language. As the main language of communication (and also the language in which most other subjects are taught), it will be beneficial to introduce English enrichment to your young one from an early age to build a strong understanding of the language.
It’s important to first examine what is suitable for your child depending on his or her age.
For children aged 5 and below (N2-K1):
• Exposure to words and letters, as well as building up their confidence to vocalise their thoughts and opinions in front of an audience.
• Kids at this age must be constantly engaged, so enrichment centres that apply kinaesthetic methods and introduce interesting topics to these young minds would be ideal.
• Parents love that our young students are exposed to current affairs such as the Rio Olympics and the top athletes in each sport and even the implications of Tesla’s driverless cars!
For children aged 6 (K2):
• At this level, you can choose a more academically focused programme for your child to prepare him or her for Primary 1.
• Programmes that focus on writing, spelling, basic sentence construction, vocabulary development will be beneficial for your child.
Lee Sue Lynn, Academic Director, The Learning Lab answered the above parent's question.
