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Minor Issues: What I wish I knew before my children entered primary school
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To foster the love of learning, parents can follow a child’s interests, celebrate effort instead of perfection, and allow imaginative and outdoor play.
ST ILLUSTRATION: CEL GULAPA
- Focus on habits of learning like curiosity and persistence, not just spelling skills, as these benefit children long-term.
- Consistent parental support, such as calm routines and reading time, provides emotional stability for effective learning.
- Socio-emotional and self-help skills, like self-awareness and managing recess, ease the transition and boost confidence.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – When my eldest child, now 19, was about to enter Primary 1, I enthusiastically bought him a Chinese assessment book after I heard how much his pre-school classmate had enjoyed working on it.
We barely made it through the first few pages before he questioned me repeatedly why he had to do it. I gave up on making him do the extra work when I realised what an uphill task it was.
