Last Sunday marked the fifth week that he was at this class and he has certainly made a lot of progress since. Although he has not really spoken yet but he is certainly enjoying the songs and story telling and his vocabulary has also increased. However I believe the area that he has most improved on is his sociability.
I remembered our Isaac was all teary-eyed when we were there for the first time for the trial class. He was so afraid that he would cling on to either of us tightly and wherever we went he would follow. He would not sit on the mat but instead on our laps. When the teachers tried to engage him he would turn to face us immediately and cry a little.
We went for another couple of trial classes before committing on this current one. When we officially started his first lesson with this school, although a little more experienced with the concept of attending a class for songs and games, he was still a little weary. He still required a little time to get used to the environment before settling down. Luckily for us we noticed that he likes a particular toy amongst all the others that were laid out before each class starts. He has always like wheels. Be it on an actual bicycle or toy cars, he likes to spin them. So happened that there is a toy truck at this school and it acted like a comfort toy for him. He will sit on our laps and spin the wheels while quietly observe the going-ons in the classroom.
I remembered he was always going for the door during the first two lessons. He would try and open it to let himself out of the class. It is with good reason why there is a little device on the door knob that will prevent any child from opening the door. The fact that it is in place probably means Isaac is not the first child that had wanted to escape and skip class. During the first two classes, Isaac will always aim for the door while waiting for the other kids to arrive.
By the 3rd class Isaac is participating more already and he smiles at the teachers more often too although he still sat pretty much close to us. He also helped with putting all the toys in the box before each class starts and when the teachers start singing “Toys away. Toys away. Time to put the toys away.”
On the 4th lesson he has decided that he is a big boy now and is probably the Master of the room for he will get up and walk to the middle of the class and smile cheekily at the teachers. When he got restless he will get up and round behind all the kids and parents in circles. Sometimes he will make the center of the mat his official resting place too for he will just lie down there and watch the teachers.
Last Sunday, his fifth class, he starts to warm up to his classmates for he will voluntarily wave at them when they arrive. In the past he always gets up to head for the exit and we have to run after him to sit him back down. These days we still have to run after him and get him to sit down but for a different reason altogether. I did not want him to be too disruptive in class by standing right in front and blocking the other kids from seeing the story books.
When the class ends while he used to be one of the first to head for the door, these days he prefers to stay behind and give his teachers the hugs, the high-fives and the blowing of kisses. He seems to really enjoy himself for he even headed back to the classrooms after I put on his shoes for him.
We are glad that he is enjoying himself so much that even though the classes are held during his usual morning nap time he has never been cranky. Oh, in case you are wondering the arrangement we have is the Mrs and I will take turn (alternate week) to be with him in class. We figured this is the best because it will allow us time to play and bond with him.
At the time of posting I only have pictures of these 2 pieces of work by Isaac. I'll be posting a couple more once I find the photos so do come back to place your bids.
Isaac's first master piece. Opening bid at S$1,000.00. Anyone?
This piece of art was painted with real jam. Opening bid at S$500.00.
At the time of posting I only have pictures of these 2 pieces of work by Isaac. I'll be posting a couple more once I find the photos so do come back to place your bids.
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14 comments:
Not bad at all! It's always very comforting to see the kid enjoying themselves! It makes the money well spent, the time spent well spent , above all things!
I wish I can bring cleo for it too..but having claire around, I can't join cleo in it and most of the time, I'm afraid that derrick will be too busy...
Good job, Isaac!
Hi, good to hear that your boy is enjoying his classes. Interested to know which center he's attending. Could you pls share? Thxs.
Hi Nicole,
We are also pleasantly surprised that Isaac is enjoying himself.
Can you not leave Claire with your mother for about 2 hours? Alternatively these classes are also available during weekdays so you can perhaps join while Claire is in school?
Hi there Anonymous,
We are really glad he is enjoying his classes. Like I posted before it is not about academic learning but more for him to socialise.
I can share with you which centre but rather do it in private since I do not have permission of the school to blog about it. So email me if you really want to know.
Cheers
I could roughly guess which school this is, if I'm not wrong its in United Square eh? I sent Regan there when he was about 15 mths old and we stayed for about a yr or so. Pretty good place I think and it aids in his speech as well. Good choice! :)
am so proud of fat and of u guys for hanging in there and giving him a few more weeks to get used to the classes.
unlike fat, cate's 'prob' is that she is the total opposite. during her trial class, she kept going to the teacher to touch the butterfly, to grab the egg rattler and to high 5 her. i had to keep carrying her to sit back with me. aiyoh...
not bad lah, this place.at least the activities linked where the action she used for shaking the egg rattler was the same method deployed for making her painting.
as a parent, it challenges me to go beyond the comfort zone - my class is for up to 18 months and cate being not even 11, was challenged to drink water from the cup directly and sit there to eat her biscuits. additionally zoo phonics was something that we were both not exposed to. so now, one more thing for me to read up, research and learn from and see how she is able to incorporate her baby signing with this.
the only gripe i have is the lack of parking space and that the chinese story telling part was a tad rushed.
well done Isaac! At least he did not make a big hoo ah about going to class.. I guess because either the MRS or u will be around so it’s still a comfort thing to him. I wonder how he will react when both of u are out of sight! Hehe
I am looking around too for Kaelyn but so lazy and I think my problem is the same with Nicole that having one more makes it really difficult to split oneself into 2.. the MR needs to work on Sat and so Sun is our only family day together so if any “enrichment classes” to attend would have to be on Saturday.
Eh so this class that Isaac attend is which one? Can email me the details?
Hi Von,
I’m sorry to say you are incorrect with your guess. We’re not going to United Square and definitely not a mainstream centre. This is a relatively small setup they’re expanding as we speak.
So far each class has been an average of about 5 or 6 kids only and always 2 teachers not counting the Chinese teacher. This is not counting the 1 or 2 kids who are there for trials.
Not sure if you’ll consider ours a good choice but we are comfortable there and the teachers there genuinely like Isaac, er…. I mean children. hahahaha
Sis,
We were always going to see it through. We figured it is only a matter of time before he gets used to being amongst other children and join in the fun.
Unlike you we more or less went in as a blank piece of paper so everything was new to us. Things such as Zoo Phonics were alien to me. I guess in a way we are attending it just like how Isaac sees it. Now we have reciting the zoo phonics and watch him trying to perform the action.
We even have fun with the Hello song now. We will sing and say hello to people in the house including the twins and Isaac will wave at them and we always reserved him for last where he will get all excited waving both hands and cheering. You should try it with him sometime.
Maybe it is the timing because when we’re there every Sunday at 9.30, there are many vacant lots.
Hi Cecilia,
He hasn’t made a big hoo haa so far but who’s to say he won’t be doing it in the future? Kids are very emotional creature so just have to find him in a cranky mood and I’m sure his hoo haa may be a lot worse.
Not so sure about classes but he is not afraid when we are out of sight. I have tried leaving him in the car while I went to pay for petrol (doors are locked and keeping an eye on the car of course) and when I returned worried that he would be crying, he surprised me with his laid back attitude. He was merely sitting there watching people going on with their business.
When he walked very slowly behind us at shopping malls, we hid ourselves from his sight and observed him for a while. He was shouting for us but when received no reply he will go on about his own business. He never looked worried or scared to me.
I understand both Nicole’s and your limitations. In fact we have already planned to continue bringing the twins to such classes when they’re about Isaac’s age now. We’ll leave Isaac with Ani and we will bring both of them together. It should be fun.
We learned from another reader, Faith that we should try and spend quality time with each child separately which is what she’s doing with her twin girls. We’ll make it a point to bring one child out with us each week. This will probably be on a Saturday leaving Sunday for family day.
I’ll be happy to share with you which centre we go to but you need to email me first.
Cheers
oh i got it wrong eh.. haha But the syllabus and structure are so similar, the "toys away song", zoophonics with actions..and there's a hello song as well. :)
Anyway, its good that the class size is small and zoophonics really help with their speech. I can just imagine Issac doing the actions.. thumbs up!
Ahh.. how enterprising this daddy is! You're suppose to put up his drawings around the house for him to admire you know! haha
Anyway I'm so glad to see him settle down so fast. My friends' boy (about the same age as your boy) is holding hands with the little girls alr! haha take a pic when Isaac does that? :)
Hi Von,
I have a feeling most of these centres teach more or less the same things. This is to stay competitive.
Ya we like the fact that the class size is not big so that things are more organized and the kids will learn to know each other better.
I’m not sure about improving his speech but Isaac is now learning to do the Zoophonics action whenever we recite it with him at home. He seems to be really enjoying it. I’ll try and capture it on video for you all later so stay tuned.
Hi Bobo,
With 3 kids to feed and Isaac starting nursery soon, daddy here has to come up with ways to make more money. Do you know of anyone looking for babies of toddlers for any product endorsements? It will be ideal if the kids can make their own money now. Hahahaha
We are really pleased to see that he is enjoying his Sunday classes now and when we recite the zoophonics at home with him he will carry out the actions that accompany it as well.
Holding hands with girls now eh? Hmmm… actually Isaac has not done that yet. They merely round around the classroom together but I’ll try and capture it should he hold hands with any girls.
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