This year, Kieran begin Kindergarten 2. We will be balloting for a space in Primary school this year. Kindergarten 2 is a preparatory stage for Primary One. I hope to prepare Kieran in the social aspects of Primary school. He has to know what is expected of him in Primary One – following rules, following timetable, buying drinks and food from the canteen, making friends, using the toilet by himself and raising his concerns to teachers. He has to learn to be brave and independent.
Academic is important but I think it isn’t the main issue in Primary One. I do not believe that giving children a “head start” by making them go through preparatory lessons to learn everything that they are supposed to learn in Primary One makes much of a difference in academic performance later on in their school life. In fact, that might make them bored in the beginning of Primary school and would erroneously give them an impression that they are gifted, only to feel disappointed when the rest of the students catch up with them by the later part of Primary school. I hope that Kieran can at least learn to read basic sentences and common words by the end of Kindergarten 2. I hope that he can learn and internalise all the good moral virtues we teach him as he develops social relationships with the people he meets in school.
The first question I ask Kieran when I call him is “Are you happy today at school?” and he asked me the same thing, “Is today a happy day, mummy?” Happiness, mental wellness and peace are more important than performances and achievements. I seldom ask him what he learnt in school. These are easily tested in word games that we play and when we read books together. If he knows the words and numbers, he must have learnt them in school. I asked him what he ate in school, whether he was brave enough to play with his friends, use the toilet, help the teacher, etc and which teacher taught him, which friends play with him, and whether he went outdoor to play. Basically, I want to know how his day went and what made him happy or sad or angry.
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