Don't put pressure on children.

The "pre-primary" class at Ngoc Linh Primary School, City.

To ensure their children don't fall behind when they enter first grade, many parents are willing to invest time and money in "pre-primary" classes. Ms. Lem Thi Phuong Thao, from Quyet Tam Ward, City, shared: "My husband and I work and are busy all week, and we lack effective teaching methods, so we feel a lot of pressure. The current curriculum is demanding; without prior preparation, our children will struggle to keep up. Sending them to 'pre-primary' classes helps reduce pressure on our children, the teachers, and ourselves."

Sharing the same sentiment, Ms. Duong Thu Ha from Quang Huy town, Phu Yen district, said: "My child is entering first grade this year, and this summer I've enrolled her in a 'pre-primary' class to instill good habits and gradually familiarize her with letters and numbers, so she won't be surprised when she enters first grade."

Math course at TV Kids Center - Accompanying your child, Son La City.

According to our investigation, although preschool children are introduced to letters, numbers, and basic thinking skills, their learning is primarily based on games and visual experiences, and preschool children are characterized by "quickly remembering but quickly forgetting." Therefore, even knowing their children have learned these things, many parents are still uneasy.

Responding to parental needs and concerns, tutoring centers and some private schools are collaborating to open "pre-primary" classes, primarily in the centers of districts, towns, and cities. In addition, some teachers from skills centers, private schools, and some public schools are also involved in teaching. Each session lasts 2-3 hours, focusing on writing, reading, writing numbers, and math within the range of 10, with fees ranging from 2-2.5 million VND per month or for the entire course.

A math lesson for the "pre-primary" class at Ngoc Linh Primary School.

Looking for a "pre-primary" class for our child in Son La city, we were introduced to TV Kids Center - Accompanying Your Child. Here, the courses are well-structured and clearly presented, divided into specific content according to the skills that first-grade students need to acquire. Specifically, the reading course focuses on pronunciation and spelling in 100% Vietnamese, enabling students to read books, newspapers, and stories. The writing course focuses on practicing strokes and handwriting according to standard conventions, and writing short sentences. The math course covers calculations within the range of 99 and familiarizes students with first-grade math problems. The center guarantees and provides post-graduation quality assurance, and students receive review until they enter first grade. The cost of each course ranges from 1.5 to 2.6 million VND.

Teachers at TV Kids Center - Co-instruct students in handwriting practice.

In discussions with officials from the Preschool and Primary Education Department of the Department of Education and Training, it was learned that current regulations do not prohibit the teaching of "pre-primary" classes. However, it is crucial for each parent to correctly identify the goals of the pre-primary stage before deciding whether to enroll their child. Parents should also not worry too much if they do not enroll their children in pre-primary classes, because at primary schools, first-grade students participate in two weeks of introductory and review classes before officially starting the new school year, helping them to initially develop a readiness for learning.

It's clear that whether or not to enroll children in these classes is a decision for each family, helping them feel less overwhelmed when transitioning to a new school level. However, more importantly, parents need to consider carefully and avoid turning precious summer months, which should be for fun and experiences, into a stressful race against time for early learning.

Comment (0)