Without a doubt this will be the biggest ticket item, you will buy for your primary school child would be an ergonomic table. With his older siblings having their own study table and space, small J now currently in primary 2 should also be encouraged to have a proper table and space for his increasing demands of school work and also one that will cater to his growing years. 

this was his desk and chair previously, which is not ergonomic at all

The single most important question for most parents, is there a need to spend on an ergonomic table? For me personally, I see it as a long term investment, the ergonomic table and chair will see your child all the way to secondary school and beyond as the table and chair will “grow” with the child.  While we can’t change the chairs that are used in school or the demands of a computer era, I can provide a more ergonomic-friendly environment for my children at home.

The term “ergonomics” comes from the Greek words ergon (meaning “work”) and nomos (meaning “rule”) and is defined as the science of human work. In order to safeguard children’s health and ensure they learn well, rather than have them adapt to their furniture, their furniture should adapt to them.

The diagram below shows how an ergonomic table will help in creating a good and correct posture as compared to fixed height table and chair. They should not be leaning over excessively or have a rounded neck while they are seated at a desk. Ideally, the seated posture for kids follow a ‘90-90-90 degrees rule. 

Even if the table and chair is at the correct height, once the child grow, you will need to change another set else creating a wrong posture. This problem is cleverly resolved with ergonomic table and chair which height can be easily adjustable.

I have been using Ergoworks ergonomic school bags for the past 6 years for all my school going kids and I can vouched to its good quality and durability. These are my ergonomic bags review post for the past 6 years , post 1, post 2 and post 3. 

When I decided to source for an new ergonomic table and chair set for my third child, I didn’t need to look any further as I trust their quality and make as I have been using their products for the past 6 years.

A bit about Ergoworks 

They are Asia leading brand in holistic ergonomic, posture care, and wellness solutions for the past 16 years. They offer an extensive range of high-quality, comfortable, and user-friendly ergonomic products, which is renowned for its functional features, health benefits, and professional services delivered to our customers. They provide total wellness and comfort to a diverse range of users across all age groups who desire maximum care for their body structure and posture. Their extensive range of products is professionally endorsed and recommended by both The Chiropractic Association (Singapore) and the Singapore Physiotherapy Association. 

The set I chose for small J is ERGOSTARS – ES-8803-GY – Grey Healthy Kids Desk And Chair Set

Ergonomic features:

A good set of ergonomic furniture is one where the child sit with the feet supported (on ground or foot rest) and their knees forming at 90 degree. With incorrect posture, it will lead to all kinds of pains – abnormal bone growth, abnormal breathing, poor circulation, digestive issues, headaches and back and neck pain. By practising ergonomic from an early age, this will ensure good posture as they grow older.

The table’s height can be adjusted from 58 cm to 80 cm.The table should not be too high, otherwise they will be resting their hands awkwardly on the
table and putting unnecessary stress on them. If the table is too low, they will be leaning forward too much and more likely to round their necks or hunch their backs.

When adjusting the table’s height, make sure your child’s feet are supported, meaning that your child’s feet should touch the ground. If it is not possible, consider buying an ergonomic foot rest (for the same chair model in this set, the foot rest come attached to the ergonomic foot rest as well). The adjustment to the table height is a very simple process using the detachable lever handle. 

Beside table height adjustment, ergonomic table also feature a desk that tilts. This minimises the kids natural inclination to lean forward when writing or drawing, as it allows the desk to be brought closer to them. Desktop tilt angle adjustment is from 0 to 25 degrees to eliminate slouching and strain in neck and to cater to different tasks, such as reading, writing or drawing, as it requires a different angle for the posture (0-5°  for drawing and similar activities ,approx. 10° for writing, 20°-25° for reading). Adjusting this angle depending on the task will provide your child with a better neck position, which will result in less tiredness and stress. 

tilt angle for reading

tilt angle for writing and drawing

lever for desk tilt – adjustable by child

tilt angle for reading

tilt angle for writing

Extra features:

Based on personal experience, you should try to get an ergonomic table with a spacious functional integrated bookshelf. Else you have books pilling up messily or you need to buy book rack to organise the books. A study table need shelves for all the books, stationery etc else you will need another dedicated book shelf etc.  

integrated book shelf  (to me, this is a must have)

more storage

The surface non reflective prevents light and sun rays from reflecting into the child eye. With the light from the desk light reflected the light rays into the eyes can increase risk of astigmatism, myopia etc.

The table edges are design to be child safe with rounded edge bumper. Some other additional features to this table is the easy mobility ,accessible  stationery storage , bag hanger , wrist support pad that holds book and laptop and you can request for tablet/book holder as well (additional charges applied).

rounded edges

stationery storage

bag hook

tablet/book holder (additional charges applied)

Certified E1 European Safety Standard, the sets are assemble locally with high quality parts sourced overseas, desk board- European standard MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) & quality powder coated cold-rolled steel, PP & ABS plastic.

Ergonomic chair 

The DUOREST DR-289SR Junior Collection Ergonomic Chair  is based on Original Germany Patented Design & Technology. Its dual backrests design is professionally endorsed and recommended by both Singapore Physiotherapy Association & The Chiropractic Association of Singapore. The dual backrest design reduces pressure on the spine, follows the curvature of the spine naturally. 

This chair features adjusted to the seat depth and back rest, seat height adjustment but up to 90kg in weight. The height adjustment is similar to that with the table. If the chair is too high, they won’t be able to rest their feet flat on the floor, applying excess pressure to the back of their thighs. If the chair is too low, this puts them at an awkward position and causes unnecessary strain on their knee joints.

The best part I totally loved is the detachable circular type foot rest which is removable when the kid’s feet can touch the ground.  Instead of getting a separate foot rest, this is attached to the chair itself – ingenious! 

It is made of high density form to provide constant good support, high quality fabric materials to last many years, industrial grade steel & PP plastic parts, ISO certified environment friendly manufacturing facility and class 4 high quality gas cylinder for 100% safety and durability.

dual back rest

adjustable seat depth

adjustable footrest

detachable footrest

Beware of copies outside of Ergoworks, as they are the only company selling DUOREST in South East Asia market.

The ES-8803 table model comes with blue, pink and grey. As for the DUOREST DR-289SR chairs, it comes in blue, pink and green. I chose the combination of grey table and green chair for  a more corporate look and a more gender neutral colour which will look less kiddish as the kid grow older. Buying it as a set will also be entitled to a free gift  Philips LED Eye Care study lamp (worth $79 ) and a Made In Germany Floor Protection Mat  (worth $129 and for prevention against possible scratches & better hygiene). This value bundle set is a complete set up for the children study ergonomic workstation, value for money and hassle free for all parents.

free: floor protection mat

The prices quoted on the website includes 7% GST, delivery (no stair case charge) & installation (by our in house logistic and installation team) with no hidden costs or charges. Ergoworks only provides genuine ergonomic products and sincere services to customers as I am their customers for the past 6 years. 

All Ergoworks products come with free delivery, installation, responsive and a full suite on-site warranty against manufacturing defects and breakdown (excludes surface wear and tear / abuse) , for this value bundle, the warranty is 3 years. 

They have a 3000 square feet full ergonomic concept retail showroom, conveniently located in Marina Square Shopping Mall with friendly and professionally trained Ergonomic Specialists providing correct knowledge and information. Their showroom opens daily (inclusive of public holidays) from 11.30am to 9pm. I would advise to bring your child along to look at the many different models of ergonomic table and chair that they have to find the most suitable model for your long term investment. For picture of their spacious show room, you can see a quick tour here.

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2 years ago when my eldest went to school, I went to Daiso and bought a SGD 2 dollar snack box. Coupled with the fact that he attend afternoon session school and he prefers to eat at the school canteen, I seldom need to a full lunch for him. After the mandatory snack break was implemented late last year, I brought out my SGD 2 dollar Daiso snack box to pack for his snack break which happens at 5pm.

In recent months, due to a popularity of lunch/bento boxes in the social media, my interest was piqued. It definitely cost many times more than the snack box from Daiso but I am attracted to all the pretty lunch boxes and bento boxes made by mummies (ie not some littlemissbento or domestic goddess). The ready-made compartments in the lunch/bento boxes make it easy for “plating” and you don’t need to make rice ball or elaborate cutting of seaweed sheet to create the look and feel of a bento box.

So when I saw Stuck on You newly launched its new range of personalized bento box (which is so so pretty) I need I need to join the revolution.

Its not just any lunch box as I see it with the personalized bento box from Stuck on You, I was given the opportunity (not much of a chef) to create a balanced meal that is pleasing to the eyes of the kids (especially fussy kids).

Given that the kids will be in morning sessions next year onwards, perhaps I could do some simple meals for their recess especially for big C aka miss fussy lee , I truly worry that she has nothing to eat, or rather she eats the same meal. Their primary school has gone forth to introduce healthy eating as part of their school canteen meals – introduction of brown rice, fruits as part of a meal. I truly applaud their effort to create a more balanced and healthier meals for their students, however, it does create any other issue for fussier kids. I heard that they often leave the fruit of the day untouched etc – creating unnecessary wastage. For kids like big J, there won’t be such issue as he is a fruits lover but it is not the case for big C. So I rather I packed things that she eat than for her to waste food.

At first glance

Ordering online through Stuck on You, is a breeze as there is a preview to see how the actual items will look like before ordering.

When the personalized bento box from Stuck on You arrived, (as I have yet to see a bento lunch box IRL)  I thought it was too big for my petite 6 year old. However, after making a full meal (see section Using it), any smaller in size, the portion will not be enough for the going to be primary 1 kid. Both the box and trays are made entirely of food-safe materials , BPA- free and Phthalates-free. Both the inner tray and outer box are dishwasher safe too.

If you were to pack a full meal, you would definitely need a lunch box carrier (instead of stuffing into the already heavy school bag). Stuck on You also have their personalized and insulated lunch box carrier. For those mummies who are “hoarding” Jujube bags (I am also guilty), I did a test, and it fits perfectly into the Jujube Fuel Cell as well (no need to thank me for giving your Fuel Cell a second life)

But what set it apart of the other in the markets , it comes personalized with your child’s name which makes it so so so pretty and one of its kind. There won’t be another similar bento box in the school canteen for sure!

Using it

After receiving it, I was raring to use it . I looks through my social media and stumbled upon a famous dad from Geelong, Australia (which coincidentally where Stuck on You originates as well) on Instagram who packs for his 2 daughters @schoollunchbox. From the various inspirations from IG, I realized that you don’t need to make very complicated food to make your own bento boxes look pretty.

Here are my maiden attempts for different meals – breakfast, lunch, snack, tea break.

The lid is lined with leak proof silicone seal that covers each individual compartment. That said, it is not advisable to put water or other liquid. The only recommended are yogurt dip and sauces. I did an experiment by putting yogurt and a sauce and tilting the bento box up and down. See this link for my experiment.  Clearly the yogurt and the sauce did not go into the other compartments. However, the yogurt and sauce does end up on the lid. This will not create an issue if the child finish the food in one go. If the child decide to continue eating at a later time,  the child would need to clean the lid before closing it else the remnant liquid on the lid may go into other compartments.

Loving It        

I like that the Stuck on You’s personalized bento box comes in only 1 size but option of 2 inter-changeable trays. The bento box comes with the 5-compartment plus 1 sauce food tray and you can purchase the sandwich tray  (3-compartment plus 1 sauce) separately (in you do not need purchase another bento box just to fit the sandwich tray).

The first time I made the bento (it wasn’t hard as its all ready materials – fruits, yogurts, green, sausages) , my girl went –  I will eat everything ………except for the raw greens. Ok,  none of my kids eat raw greens but big C only eat 2 types of cooked vegetables, yes two, in the whole wide world. The whole presentation (which doesn’t take too much time on my end) makes her a happier eater.

To make the presentation even prettier, get some pretty food picks (from Daiso) and from bread cutters and your bento boxes will look maybe 60 to 70% of the experienced bento makers.

One of the main uses of bento lunch boxes is for rationing and portion control for obese kids.  The compartments also act as a reminder to the mummies/daddies/helpers to pack the 5 main groups of food for a balanced meal.

It comes in 5 beautiful colours (Navy, Hot Pink, Light Pink, Light Blue, Mint) and there are many cute design icons and fonts to choose from. I am sure you will have a hard time deciding the perfect personalized design for your child ( I didn’t have such a hard time as OCD wanted the same matchy design with big C’s personalized school kit which was reviewed here. )

photo credit: Stuck on You

photo credit: Stuck on You

I did a few combinations for different colour bento boxes and the design icons just for the fun of it as they are all so pretty!

photo credit: Stuck on You

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2 years ago when my first child, big J embarked on this milestone, I was  all “excited” as it was a new journey for me as a mother to a primary school kid. I did have a p1 prep series on my blog covering mostly things I have gotten for big J for his primary 1 but as I was an inexperienced parents myself, I wouldn’t be able to elaborate on more intangible items which I will elaborate in this post as I have gone through 1 round with big J. Hence, I am better prepared as a parent as big C starts her journey next year.  I wouldn’t say that I am expert p1 prep mummy but I have gone through one round, but by 2022 when my #4 small C enters primary 1, I will be an EXPERT!

After the excitement of the p1 registration was done and dusted 2 years ago this time, I went on a retail therapy to prep big J for his milestone journey (partly to counter my own anxiety as my first born enters his important milestone.. For this time round, I started much earlier in preparation for this blog series of p1 prep enlisting the help of some sponsors along the way and my own personal experiences.  I hope that you will find this blog useful as you navigate through this milestone with your child especially for the next coming half year before school beckons in 2018.

Things to purchase

• Ergonomic table – You can read about my review and current on-going giveaway (giveaway has ended) of the I-Study T120. 
• Ergonomic school bag – Ergo or non ergo? I believe this is what most parents will be asking.  We grew up in the era where we have never heard of the word ergonomic and I think we all turn out pretty fine, though the loads that the primary school students carry today maybe be far greater than what we had carried during  our time. I do acknowledge that ergonomic bags are much heavier than regular school bags due to its make and its spinal support, but I personally prefer to spend a bit more on a better structure bag especially as the child will be using it on a daily basis. There are many ergonomic bags which are in the range of SGD 100 plus and it probably can last 2 years or more. Some brands also offer trade in for the old bag for a  discount for the new purchase. Big J has been using Impact’s Comfort Spinal Protection since start of p1. You can read my review here  and 1.5 years old I must say it is still in pretty good shape despite being thrown everyday on the floor. There are many ergonomic brands in the market, Ergobag , SPI, Lego, Deuter, Dr Kong, Moonrock.  My word of advise, do bring along the child when you try on the bag, what is pleasing to you may not be suitable depending on the child’s height and built. See review here for IMPACT IPEG 223 by Ergoworks. 
• 
• Pencil case, stationery etc -I will not encourage to prep the child with the fanciest stationery like from Smiggle etc. They are bound to lose at some point in time. Also fanciful stationery will attract attention and take the focus away from class proper. Some school teachers do find it a huge distraction when pupils gather to “play” or “fiddle” with the fanciful gadgets or stationery. The best place to get the stationery will be from Popular School fair which happen every year end where I will go on a massive stock up of stationery of school. This time round, I also manage to do get a personalized school kit from Stuck on You for big C.   See my review for the school kit here.

5. Name label, clothes label, shoe label – see my review from Stuck on You

• Lunch box/snack box – with the implementation of snack break, there is a need to bring a lunch box to school . In the past when there is no snack break, J prefers to buy from the canteen during recess (coupled by the fact I do not have time to prepare for him) , hence there was no need for any lunch box per say. For the new mandatory snack break implemented by MOE ie healthy food and less messy food are to be consumed in the classroom. Big J’s preference is fruits which is easy for me. For big C, I will have to think hard on what to pack for her. I got her a cutesy my little pony lunch box (I cant remember where but was at some departmental store and check out the Stuck on You label. Do check out the latest and newest personalised bento boxes from Stuck on You , newly launched –  big C will get her own personalised bento box from Stuck on You – see my review here

photo credit: Stuck on You

• Wallet – I find the nicer one at Toys R Us or Smiggle and the elastic chain you can get it from Popular or the school’s book store
• Water bottle – as the kid will get to refill it often at the water cooler, there isn’t a need to get a giant size one. Also no particular need for a strap as they normally placed the water bottle on the designated table before purchasing the food
• School shoes and polisher – There are many brands such as BATA (there is a model which is lightweight that J particularly liked though it does not last very long – so far a pair last him half a year), the school uniform vendors also sell them especially for  some schools which uses black school shoes instead of white . If you are making trips to Malaysia, the white shoes are generally cheaper in Malaysia too! White shoes are just more functional than fashionable at this juncture. As the feet grow in size and daily wear and tear, there isn’t a need to invest in a branded white pair of sports shoes (in my opinion those some parents may differ).  There is also a brand called Raymax which seems to be a popular choice among students as well. http://www.raymaxscience.com.sg/
• For girls – hair accessories in approved colours ie black
• Name stamp or label printers (in substitute of of name labels) My mum actually used this for me during my schooling days! This is an alternative to pre-printed name labels.  There are also printer labels from brands like Brothers or Dymo  . See this for review of Brothers’ label printer.
  
• Watch – big J didn’t have a watch in p1 and he survived through it. There is a wall clock in the classroom and school bells at the end of every period,hence there isn’t much need for a watch. However, if the child start attending cca outside school hours and when you think time management is a critical skill , you can invest in a rather inexpensive watch such as Casio. Big J started to wear a digital Casio in p2 to better manage his time and have some sense of time.  Digital smart watch is currently in the rage, some are rather pricey and you require a sim card plan in order for it to function at its full capacity. It has phone calling and GPS capability. It is targeted who pupils who does not own a smartphone – an in between till they are officially allowed to own a smartphone.  The prices of such high tech gadgets cost from SGD 60 to SGD 200++ This device will be useful when the child take public transport on his own and leave the vicinity of the school compound on his own – location tracking. If the child is either in student care or school, there isn’t a real need to do location tracking. Big J already lost a Swatch watch (not brought for p1 but his birthday present) in school , so no thank you for now, and I don’t feel the need for a smart watch at this juncture and more so for the p1. As in point above, the more fanciful an item that the child brings to school , there is more distraction created which is most unwelcome by the teachers! 
• Uniform – a tip – buy more PE attire than uniform, it is more comfortable. I cannot speak for all school but big J wears it every day because it saves me the trouble of ironing and more comfortable as well as he is in the afternoon session. The school’s general rule is on days of PE and CCA, they are allowed to wear PE attire. It may differ from schools to schools so do check with the school teachers on orientation day and gauge the correct proportion of uniform vs PE attire when you are about to purchase from the uniform vendor during orientation day.
• Textbooks – most parents will purchase them lock, stock and barrel during school orientation day as it is all pre-bundled with exercise books, folders,book covers etc . However, if you have the book list you can also purchase the text book at Popular with some additional savings and credit card rebates, however, you will still need to purchase some school specific items like journal, exercise book etc (hence you still need to make a trip to the school book store) So in short, if you want to save the hassle (as the savings is not huge), do get it all at the school book store. Some school book store also offer delivery service saving the hassle of carrying it all home. Do remember to get the plastic book covers as well to save you from the hassle of cutting and wrapping their textbook.
• Alarm clock – this is good to train independence, however if you have sleeping log like big J, the loudest alarm clock wouldn’t rouse him from his deep slumber

Skills to learn

• Handling money – Money counting skill and most importantly how much to bring if the child eats in school and saving. Some preschools and child cares will also organize a trip to a nearby primary school’s canteen to let the current k2 the joy of purchasing food on their own. In this aspect, I am not too worried for big C as she often tag along her brother to buy “safe” food and drinks at the hawker centre but she hasn’t really learn to count money. Rest assured even if the child is unable to count money by the time they enter primary 1, the canteen aunty are always helpful to return the correct change to you, and it is a skill they will learn in no time.  Its for the parent to gauge the correct amount of money to be given to the child in the initial periods. Some school canteens have electronic payment system whereby it can be deducted from the child’s preloaded student pass. A trip to the canteen on orientation day will give an idea the average cost of the food. Recently, big J’s primary school introduce healthy meal eating which has raised the cost of canteen food due to inclusion of healthier food such as fruits and multigrain rice etc. Some school also have a buddy system during the initial days at the canteen  or some school  will have parent volunteer to assist them in the first few days of schooling.
• Cleaning own-self in the toilet – When I ask my fellow mummies what are the main concerns in primary 1, one common response – cleaning themselves after big business. I didn’t have an issue because big J never did big business in school (don’t ask him how he does it, but he only does his big business at home) but letting the child try on his own (with monitoring) and maybe bring along a Kleenex toilet tissue will ensure a cleaner wipe than regular toilet paper.
• Reading analog time – This is similar to handling money, even if you don’t read time, with the school bells ringing at every period end, you will be able to survive p1. Then said, it is part of the p1 Math syllable but nearer to the end of the year.  It will still be good to teach the kid to teach analog clock during the school holidays but do not stress over it too much!
• Class of 40/30 kids vs a small size class setting in childcare or preschool – I was not prepared for this until big J started p1. I didn’t think it was an issue but it was for big J. His K2 class was smaller in size and he is often the one contributing in class etc. When he transited to primary 1 and in a class size of 30 (all strangers to him) he is unable to contribute as much as he wish to as the teacher would want to give every one an opportunity especially the more quiet kids. I do not have a solution to this for big C but I would have to mentally prep her that it is a much bigger class than her current k2 class with unfamiliar friends and teachers.
• The school book store – Some kids discover this early, some not so. But as parents we have to navigate it carefully. This is similar to the snack store in school. First rule of them, do not give them excessive money – when there is no excess they will not be able to buy unnecessary items. Then again there are kids who skipped the meal entirely to buy unnecessary items or snacks. From the start of the school, parents have to be firmed on what the money can be spend on. If there is a need to buy something from the book store, ask for permission before purchasing it. Big J had been caught a few times buying country eraser and some fancy erasers from the bookstore.  If all stern warnings do not solve the issue, then the most extreme measure will be cut away the pocket money entirely.
• Journalling – the habit of writing homework, outstanding items etc . Most school will require students to purchase My FTGP Journal ie diary where the main purpose is to jot down notes, and most importantly school homework so that the child/parent do not need to rummage through the whole school bag to search for undone homework. Do not worry as the teachers will guide them through the initial weeks and they will be an expert in no time.
• Being responsible for items required in school ie no helicopter parenting -School not allowing parents to bring missing items to school, I am totally for it. The child will need to learn to be responsible for his /her own items.
• Adapting to student care – some student care encourages the p1 going child to join in Dec so that the child can get use to student care before p1 begins, you can explore this option with the student care when enrolling your child in the student care
• Phone call – As the p1 are not encourage to bring handphone to school, if there is ever a need to call the parents, there is a coin telephone (ie your child need to remember the handphone of either parents or both) or the final resort will be to seek the assistance of the school office admin who will definitely have the parents’ phone number in file.

Knowledge to acquire

• Hanyupinyin (“HYPY”) – There is heavy emphasis in HYPY in primary 1, even more so that the Chinese character recognition.  It is best to expose them to some foundation before going to primary 1. I do know that most k2 syllable and Chinese enrichment classes which will touch on HYPY in K2.
• Handwriting – I was shocked when I discovered there is hand writing book in p1 and even p2 called Stellar. It looks rather elementary to me but I had realize that legible and neat handwriting is very important and should be inculcated from a young age. Generally girls have neater handwriting than boys based on my general observation . That said, I realised big J has improved on his handwriting neatness so that hand writing book does help in a way.
• English–  you can check my review on some supplement material for your p1 going kids. I found this interesting write up on young parents on 8 things your child must know before he starts primary school from the English language perspective
• Mathematics  – you can check my review  and here  on some supplement materials which could be useful for your p1 going kid
• I found a few articles on young parents website on the level of knowledge your child should have entering primary 1-  English, Math and Chinese. That said, do not be overly worried as most schools will have remedial classes for weaker students as early as the beginning of primary 1 so that they can catch up with their peers. The articles’ content were mostly provided by enrichment centres hence expectations maybe on the high side. I also know some schools which practice segregation to cater to students of different learning abilities by class too.

Others

• Silent reading books (most school do not encourage comic, even it is from general knowledge magazine like Young Scientist etc) . Personally I prefer a light thin books or books from the library, non hard cover etc as the school bag already weigh a ton! Especially for Chinese books, there are many suitable thin Chinese books from the Singapore collection that you can borrow for your child to bring during silent reading during assembly. For your home’s Chinese book home collection, I would recommend Flip for Joy to build your own library of Chinese books. See my review here.
• Daily cleaning of classroom – since the 2017, students are tasked with different cleaning duties, be it at the canteen table, sweeping the floor in the classrooms . Parents are also encouraged to reinforce such good habits at home.
• Have good personal hygiene– ensure they have proper hand washing technique and also when they should be washing their hands ie before and after meal, after toilet, after sneezing or coughing or after class duties
• Being involved as a Parent Support Group (“PSG”) – I am a PSG myself though due to work commitments (signed up on the first day of school), I am not the most active but I do try my best to volunteer my time for school activities and the week –long programme. When your kid sees that their parents are involved in school activities, they will feel a sense of support and pride. PSG also allows me to know the parenting networks and the teaching cohort better.
• Familiarising with the new environment – As compare to the childcare or preschool, the primary school compound maybe be intimidating to the child. Do take the child around the school during the school orientation day to familiarize themselves especially the important areas like toilet, assembly hall, canteen and office.
• Helping your child develop a routine – As more and more schools are turning into single sessions should, it’s time to get the child to go to bed early and waking up earlier. Do try to develop a routine closer to school reopening so that the transition will be smoother. Pace year end activities – do not come back at the tail end of the school holidays so that the child will get ample rest before his big milestone. It would also be useful to help them develop an after-school routine/ time- table, such as setting aside time for homework and play.
• Buy food and eat faster -To make the transition easier, you may to pack a small sandwich or snack for your child for the first 2 weeks of school so that they will still have something to eat if they find it too difficult to manage at recess time.
• Guiding kids to make healthier food choice  – no child can resist snacks or sweets especially when they have their own pocket money. As parents we should model and guide them on selecting healthier food and leave the snack and sweet treats for special occasion or rewards.
• Do a Transport Dry Run– Whether you will be walking to school together, taking public transport, or using the school bus, it is always a good idea to do a dry run together –this is also to gauge the approximate travel time , though morning rush hours and traffic and bad weather will add on to the travel time.
• Set aside time to talk to the child after school – often the teachers will relay informations for the parents tthrough the child. You will also be able to find out about his emotions, fears and and on-goings in school. There are kids who would just spilled everything once they reached home, others will be only say when asked.
• Communication with teachers and other parents – the most popular will be an app called Class Dojo. This is a platform for teachers to communicate with parents (without divulging their phone number). For parents, there is the group whatapps chat group though they are two camps of thought on whether is it beneficial to join. Some parents do not feel the need to have the safety net of information if the child has missed out a spelling or homework. For myself, I use those reminder by parents as a reminder to myself more than that of the child as I have multiples kids in different schools, it is sometimes quite tough to remember it all.
• Tuitions for parents –  For parents who wants to be more involved and guide the child, and not so familiar with the requirements and MOE Syllable, Marshall Cavendish Education organises parents workshop for subjects like Math and English for the lower primary students. Recently I attended a workshop on comprehension, you can read my review here. I thought it was time/money well spent on a Saturday and if you have multiple kids like me, you will bound to reap the most benefits….well until the syllable changes.

Useful sources:

Here I share some useful links / videos that may be helpful to you and your child as you navigate to the “whole new world”

ISBN: 9789814765206

http://www.armourpublishing.com/product/timmy-tammy-guide-to-primary-one/

ISBN : 9789814765749

http://www.armourpublishing.com/product/timmy-tammy-saving-and-spending-money/

Last but not least, enjoy this milestone with your child. It may not be one that you are excited about (manage your own anxiety as your child will be able to feel it) but unless you going through the homeschooling route, you have the embrace the challenges ahead with an open mind and desire to learn this new journey with your child. For non first timer , I  am sure you are like me, more confident to be able to guide the child as he /she navigate her way into primary school. And if there is anything that I missed out to make this list of mine more comprehensive, do drop me PM on my blog’s FB or comment on this post, I would be more than happy to include and make this list as comprehensive as I possibly can for future reference and sharing. Feel free to share this blog post with your friends who are going through this same journey as you -the 2011 babies and hopefully we can all help and support each other! And for all those still awaiting registration into the school of choice, all the best!
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This is the second of a 3 part series blog review for the wonderful publications and products by Add-venture Learning. It is not just 1 magazine but 2 magazines in 1 issue. Hence each issue has 2 covers, The Wonderful World of Words (WOW) and Exploring Our World.

The Wonderful World of Words (WOW)

This magazine follows the adventure of the Royal family of WOW and learning grammar in the fun way. The first issue introduces King Norman Nautilus Noun. No prizes for guessing what the King will be teaches the readers….NOUNS! There are colourful pictures to introduce what are nouns and even a picture puzzle to find nouns in the picture. In the second issue, Queen Verb is being introduced to the readers and there was a fun exchanges between the King and Queen whether Noun or Verb is more important.

Besides introducing the royal family, the magazine also introduces the Fabulous Forest of WOW. Kids will also learn grammar through problem solving by helping Owl, Rabbit and Squirrel by finding out why the animals of WOW are behaving so strangely. There are also fun mazes and games to accompany each story.

Exploring Our World

This magazine introduces social issues and values through the use of stories, poems and lots of hands-on activities which follows the adventures of Kit and his friends, Mitra and Hairy. They will be exploring the world around them and introduce values such as positive self-esteem, how everyone is special and many more through the 8 issues.

What accompany this magazine are many fun hands-on activities. Some of the examples are shown in the pictures below:

There is a poetry corner to introduce the values taught in each issue.

Finally like in the +venture in Maths magazine, there is a half a page of Parent’s page to outline how parents can further encourage the child using  the values outline in each issue and on how to use the Hands-on activities with the child.

There is also a section called “Dear Kit” where the child can send short notes to the publisher and they will be rewarded with little gifts.

Both magazines are written by local English educators and are in line with MOE syllable. 

With all schools on STELLAR programme for English language, there is no longer a textbook or a workbook for English. Some parents like myself may be a bit lost when we don’t see thick textbook to accompany the child’s learning. With the Inspire magazines, the parents are guided as to what the expectations are for primary 1 English syllable.

The colourful and short comic strips on both magazines are also very engaging not just for my p1 boy but also for my younger kids aged 3 and 5. They are able to appreciate the stories and also engage in the hands on activities such as finger printing whereby the kids are introduced the concept that finger prints are unique.

I am also thinking of using this magazine to slowly introduce English in a more systematic manner to my 5 year old girl instead of throwing her with English worksheets and workbook randomly (that was what I did for J).

The magazine can be subscribed via school or home at a price of SGD 37   for 8 issues per academic year (additional top up of SGD 10 for home delivery). As this magazine is newly launched in 2015, , currently they only have it for primary 1 and are currently working on issues for the primary 2 onward. For more details, do check out their website. 

You can view my earlier post in on +venture in Maths here.

Next up, will be my review of the many many games that you can play with your kids using the Numbers and Geomety Math-A-Morphosis game sets. As there is continued emphasis for less screen time and more face time, board games are the way forward and I can tell you my kids are begging for me to play with them every night ever since they spotted these two sets at home!

The giveaway will be revealed on  the third and final post of this blog series, do follow these blog posts closely. Do remember liked and shared this blog post as well to qualify and also like mypreciouzkids on facebook so that you wont miss the final blog series which has the giveaway as well.

Disclosure: I received a set of +venture in Maths , Inspire  and Math-a-morphosis game sets for the purposes of my review. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own. 

 
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After going through the Junior Young Scientists and the Young Scientists magazines (see here for the previous review) for my two older kids (J & C),  and how light and fun reading is able to inculcate early awareness and interest in the science subject, I started to look for similar book materials -ie magazines/newsletter for other subjects in primary 1.

Besides science, I found out there are also locally published magazines catered towards Mathematics , English and Mandarin. The publisher – Add-venture Learning Pte Ltd publishes the Mathematics( +venture in Maths) and English magazine (Inspire). I will the covering the a 3-part blog series for all the wonderful products by Addventure. Firstly, I will be reviewing the +venture in Maths , followed by the Inspire and finally the Math-A-Morphosis game sets.

magazines and games set by Addventure Learning

+ venture in Maths magazine

+venture in maths magazine is catered for primary 1 to primary 6. The magazine has 16 full-coloured issues (4 issues per term) with 2 bonus issues for lower primary and 1 bonus issue for upper primary 1. And what makes the magazine relevant is that the contents of the magazine follow very closely to MOE syllable as the magazines are written by local mathematicians. The magazine can be subscribed through the school or directly to home (for home delivery, there is an additional top up SGD 10 for delivery fee). You can check with the class teacher before subscribing on your own to save on the delivery fee and potential bulk discount. What I understand most primary school who are partnering with the publishers will offer this subscription to the students by end of Jan.  You can check out the primary schools with partnership with them in this link

I will be reviewing some of the earlier issues (in term 1) for primary 1 with J. Firstly, I wanted to find out the comparison of MOE math syllable for primary 1 for term1/2 and compared it against what is being introduced by the first 4 issues of +venture. Yes, the magazine follows closely with the current primary 1 MOE syllable and textbook.

p1 textbook

first 4 issues of p1 magazines

Every issue is divided in 7 colourful sections and 1 bonus e practice worksheet (online)

1. Funstart are stories on the history of Math. The first few issues introduce how Egyptians wrote their numbers. They even posted the video of the Funstart stories on their youtube channel. Even though it may not be relevant to primary 1 syllable, but it is fun general knowledge and to introduce simple mathematics based stories to the young. Even my 5 year old girl enjoyed listening to the short stories. You can view the video for the story in the first issue here to get a flavour of the short stories.

2. Concepts

This is where the MOE syllable kicks in. The concept for that issue will be explained in colourful and fun illustratives. For example, you can see how the number bond and substraction concept is being “taught”. I have taken a step further to do a side by side comparison vs a typical assessment primary 1 math assessment book. I am sure the kids will more keen to learn from the very colourful and thin magazine as compared to a black and white thicker assessment book.

3. Practice

Then to apply the concepts into the real work would be 2 to 4 pages of Practice.

4. Games and Puzzle

To enforce the concept even further, there will be  a page of games or puzzle.

In the first very issue, parents are tasked to help the child to make hexagon counters as manipulatives. (Do note that if you have also bought the game set, in the Number game sets there are also 20 hexagon counters which you can make use of). For those who did not buy the game sets, fret not, there is even on online tutorial to teach who to make the hexagon counters from straw. These hexagon counters will be used for games found even in the first issue!

One page puzzle also can be found in some issues which are like mazes, tangram puzzles,  number bonds etc

5. Explore

Using the same concept taught in this issue, this one page section introduces new and function activities to further strengthen the concept. For example in the issue on basic shapes, Explore section introduces students to make their own Tangram, how a square can be made into  2 triangle and so on.

6. Parents’ page

It is a half-a-page extra notes and pointers to parents on how to further strengthen the concept ie through the use of outdoor activities, games, daily observation, etc

7. Competition

This is always on the last page of each issue whereby students can complete and have to mail to the publishers. The first 20 correct entries drawn from all the entries will win attractive prizes.

p/s there are also answers to all the practice, puzzle and explore sections at the back of the issue!

8. E practice (bonus!)

There are also e-practices that can be downloaded from the website. The password for each issue’s e practise will be revealed by solving a simple puzzle or question found on the cover of each issue.

What I really like about the magazines is that it is full of colour, non intimidating, thin (16 pages)  mathematics “worksheets”. Some parents may find the concepts in the initial issues a tad too easy as these concepts may have already been covered in K2, but these concepts served as a revision and to bring a standardised level of knowledge to all primary 1 students coming from different background and preschools such child care, kindergarten etc.

As I have received the issues at home, I will let J do an issue every fortnight before the concept is being taught in school. Now it is only Term1 week 2, not much has been taught in school, so we can slowly introduce the concept through the magazine at home. So when he goes to school, he will have better appreciation and be familiar with the concept. What he is unsure, he can further check with the Maths teacher. This is also my quick read up on what is being taught in school week on week basis and term by term basis.

In most primary schools, the students are required to bring English/Chinese books for silent reading before assembly. I like to offer these magazines as reading materials for my son as it is light and thin and the short stories or comic strips can be completed in 1 sitting (they probably have 10 to 15 min to read if any). This is unlike having a thick and bulky story book, which he could probably finish just a few pages and having to carry the book to student care, then to school and back home is not something I fancy. For now, J is bringing his Young Scientist issues to school. He can now have more options such as the +venture in Maths and Inspire magazines.

The +venture in Maths magazine set is priced at SGD 37 per level which work out to be around SGD 2 dollar per copy. You can also top up another SGD 60 to obtain 2 game sets (Numbers and Geometry) to accompany the magazine set. The combination of the magazine set and the game sets is called the + venture Set which is priced at SGD 97. The game sets will be reviewed in the third and final post. For further details, do check their website. 

Do check with your child’s Form teacher if they have partnered with the publisher to save on the delivery fee and receive the issues through the school. As the issues are distributed every fortnight through the school to students,  it will be kept in pace with the school delivery of the different concepts. Some primary schools are also using the magazines as supplementary materials to further reinforce the concepts in a more colourful and interactive manner.

Next up will be my review of the Inspire English magazine. This magazine also can be subscribed via school or home at a price of SGD 37   for 8 issues per academic year (additional top up of SGD 10 for home delivery). As this magazine is newly launched in 2015, currently they only have it for primary 1 and are currently working on issues for the primary 2 onwards. 

2 magazines in 1 Inspire issue

The giveaway will be revealed on  the third and final post of this blog series, do follow these blog posts closely. Do liked and shared this blog post as well to qualify.

Disclosure: I received a set of +venture in Maths , Inspire  and Math-a-morphosis game sets for the purposes of my review. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own.
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