6 Replies
Depends ah. Enrichment also enrich what thing. Sometimes they call it enrichment class then check check it's just tuition centre. Some places quite scam la honestly. Pay so much money but you see the place also just bare-bones. Use the old rusty chairs and all. Do super heavy research before you sign up your child for the classes. Don't regret coz some of them also have schemes where you must pay 4 classes in advance that kind(scam lor) Or better yet, you ask for trial for one class then see if your kid enjoy it first or not. Also I think these days you must really ask yourself ah. You want the enrichment class for your child or for yourself. I got hear this one story these parents send their kid for enrichment class coz they want time alone at home to chill ah. Like hand-off to the enrichment centre the kid. Then end up the kid fail the exams whos to blame? End up the parents blame the teachers, don't know for what also. End up the parents also don't know what their child is learning. Parenting must be pro-active and active one la. Good parts and tough parts also. I know as parents its damn tough wanna pick up algebra again to answer stupid questions that make no sense ah. Don't know what lame thing John has 3x more pens than Steve. If John sells his pens for 1.5x more than Steve he will make 5 times more money than Steve, so how many pens does John have. Or something like that ah. It's tough and abit nonsensical ah, but bo bian. Need to help your kid, so you can understand where his development is. What if you sit down and do homework and you find out your kid don't know how to speak his mother tongue? Panic like hell right. Speak basic can already ah. But if totally zero? Who to blame? Anyway Just wanna say, want to send kids to enrichment classes is no issues, but make sure you know WHY you're sending your kid there. Childhood cannot take back one. Just a fair warning sis!
I feel that it is difficult to determine a “best age” per say. What is most important (to me) would be that the child is having fun while learning. Some of the activities offered by enrichment classes for infants (e.g., 6 months and above) can often be replicated at home as the activities are mostly learning and developing skills through play. One factor, then, to consider would be whether parents are able to provide that kind of engagement. Given that most families have both parents working, it is much tougher for parents to provide the same kind of stimulation for their babies. Also, enrichment classes do offer opportunities for social interaction, which may be tougher to achieve in a smaller family (which is also typical of Singaporean families). Hence, I think to decide when to enroll a child into enrichment classes may be dependent on: 1. Child’s personality: whether he/she would enjoy the class setting. 2. Parent’s needs: if both parents are working, playschool and enrichment classes may be a good option as compared to having the child stay home and watch television all day While on this topic, here is a great article on how to avoid overscheduling a child for enrichment classes: http://sg.theasianparent.com/are-we-over-scheduling-our-kids/
The more important question to ask is: "Is your child ready to learn?" Sometimes it's not about age but about where your child is in terms of development. Be sure to be on the lookout for social, cognitive, and (in some cases) physical signs that can indicate when your child is ready for school. In any case, an appropriate ball park estimation for a child's first enrollment could be anywhere from 4 to 5 years old. source: http://www.babycenter.com/0_kindergarten-readiness-is-your-child-ready-for-school_67232.bc
There are two factors to consider, one is if you have the time to teach the child, it's best to train them yourself. If you don't, is your child ready for it? Generally post 18months, kids show interest in learning more. Make sure it is limited to only a couple of hours max, so that they can enjoy their innocence as well.
It depends on what you want your child to learn and how old your child is. I feel that there is no need to send kids for too many classes. Let them be kids. Have fun play and be a kid. They have their whole lives to be busy.
thanks