School

Since beginning of this year, AN has been given weekly 听写 and this quarter, she has to learn her spelling.

She has formally informed me that she doesn't like chinese. It's no surprise to me (I didn't like to do Chinese too). But for the sake of school and her future, she has to learn as much of it as possible.

Compared to most mums, I'm actually not giving her too much work. It's mostly only what school expects, and what music expects.

I thought she's stronger in English. She didn't have to learn her English spelling much and could spell simply using phonics, with the occasional 'k/ph instead of c/f', '2 l instead of 1' etc.

Her spelling tests came back with stars.

Then complacency sets in: her, and me. I only needed to know she can spell and I won't make her practise writing those words repeatedly (unlike chinese).

This time, she made a mistake: a missing "d" in the word "behind".

Because she didn't hear Ms Ivy pronounce "behin-D-".

-____-"

So, it's advisable to practice writing repeatedly. Because most Singaporeans do not pronounce our "D", "T", "P" and "TH" becomes "F".

I make it a point to remind her to speak clearly because she can spell IF she can pronounce those words. Otherwise "behind" becomes "behin".

Chinese, on the other hand, requires considerable practice. It's really not easy. She's writing words that according to my cousin's son "some of these words I learnt last year in Primary 4!" (when he saw her practising during my grand father's wake).

What??

But practise makes perfect. That's what I hope.

She's been rewarded with perfect scores for her 听写 up till now. *phew* but her adverse emotions towards Chinese started after this.

Goodbye to interest on learning. Pressure really kills interests.

For now, she still obediently practises when she's required to. I hope this goes on.

She still enjoys doing her enrichment books.

Let's see when school is going to kill that enjoyment.

Sigh...