Exploring Options In Private Or International Schools In Malaysia

More and more parents in Malaysia are seriously considering Private or International Schools as an option for schooling their kids. However, before you even consider this option, you must do some research.

Questions You Must Ask Yourself And The Private Or International Schools

• What is the difference between a private and international school - Besides the cost, there may be other differences for example you may have a private school doing the Malaysian syllabus (SPM) or a private school doing an international syllabus 
• Are there any entry requirements - Newer schools may not have it because they may want to raise their intake. Some other schools may have entry examinations so you need to find out when these are and what are the requirements and when (before the semester starts or anytime of the year)
• What syllabus do the schools offer - Local or International. If international, what syllabus?
• When does the new intake begin - For example international syllabus schools may have their intakes in Sept whereas private schools doing a local syllabus may have intakes in January. 
• Are there any hidden costs - Besides the annual school fees, what about book fees, extra curricular fees etc
• How may teachers do they have - Where are the teachers from. Local or international. You may want to know whether the teachers stay or whether there is a high movement in and out
• Is transport provided or can it be arranged easily - especially if the school is far from your home

There are many other questions you should ask but these are a few basic and important ones that you need to know to do some planning. Some parents may opt to go to private or international schools starting from primary school, in which case you then need to ask about preschools and whether there is auto transfer from preschool to the private school so you won't need to sit for entrance examinations. Some parents plan for their kids to attend SJKC or SK for 5 years and then switch to Year 7 (equivalent to Form 1) in September or January (depending on whether you choose a local or international syllabus) skipping the UPSR altogether. Some prefer their kids to do 6 years in SJKC, then go straight to Year 8 (equivalent to Form 2).

So you see, there are many things to consider and research is very important. Visiting a private and international school fair is the best way to find out some of these things easily and quickly to facilitate your planning. You can then do a comparison on the schools, cost, distance, syllabus and more.

For your information, there is going to be a 6th Private and International School Fair on 7 - 8 November 2015 at Mid Valley Exhibition Centre from 11 am to 6 pm. You can check out the details on our main website. If you are planning to go to the fair, here are some tips to make the most of your visit.

Tips To Get The Most Out Of Visiting Fairs And Exhibitions

1. Go early first thing in the morning before the crowd comes in (these fairs can be really crowded) or register before hand if you can. At the start of the day, the exhibitors are more relaxed and you may get your chance to ask your 101 questions and get answers from them more readily.
2. Head straight for the layout map, mark and go straight to the exhibitors (schools) you wish to find out more about. Don't be distracted along the way. For others, collect whatever brochures they have to offer. You can go home and have a look and compare them later
3. If you are going with young kids, make sure you hold onto their hands (make sure you are holding the right hand!). Kids may wonder and get lost in the crowd
4. Find out if there is going to be a talk. (Usually talks are given and some of them provide a lot of useful information for your research) If there is one that you would like to attend, you may have to go during that time instead to avoid having to hang around for a long time or missing the talk
5. Go prepared with your questions so you ask the right questions and get the best answers. You don't want to go home and say "I should have asked that question when I got the chance" Of course you can take a name card and call up again later but it is not the same as face to face conversation
6. Do not be afraid to ask questions - Even if you think your questions are trivial, do not be afraid to ask them. That is what the exhibitors are for and they will be more than ready to answer any questions you have.

Why We Should Develop Both Sides Of The Brain Hemispheres In Kids

Children At Work Using The JELIC multiple intelligence puzzle boxes.

It consists of 450 learning boxes with over 3000 multiple intelligence games! 

The Left Brain And The Right Brain

If you are a left brain person, you are more logical and analytical. The left brain is responsible for language ability, math and planning.

If you are a right brain person, you are more creative. The right brain is responsible for imagination, fantasies, dreams and emotional responses.

Do you know which part of the brain your child uses more? In conventional education in schools, quite often programmes of learning are focussed on the left hemisphere while the right hemisphere is neglected.

I spoke to Jane Lim of Sunshine Thinkers and she told me that it is equally important to develop both sides of the brain hemispheres in children. This is because the human brain works best when both sides of the brain are well-developed. Children's full potential can be harnessed by cultivating and developing both sides of their brains.

Developing both sides of the brain hemispheres help kids to...

1. Sharpen their observation skills
2. Improve manipulation and fine motor skills
3. Enhance curiosity for discovery
4. Build up self confidence
5. Develop good people skills

That is why she has a programme at Sunshine Thinkers called JELIC. JELIC, an educational programme for 3-5 year olds, has a comprehensive curriculum based on hands-on experiences with various types of manipulatives to enhance children's capacity for procedural and creative thinking. 

If you have any enquiries about this programme, do leave a comment in the comment box. 

10 Things Parents Can Do To Help Their Young Children Learn To Swim

Swimming Class at Erika Peres Swimming Academy

With our new website http://www.mumsgatherfinds.com officially launch, we hope to bring you expert advice from participating service providers on this blog which is now part of our new site. Today, we are interviewing Erika Peres who runs Erika Peres Swimming Academy to find out her expert opinion on this topic - 10 Things Parents Can Do To Help Their Young Children Learn To Swim

10 Things Parents Can Do To Help Their Young Children 
Learn To Swim

1. Join your babies during swimming sessions because it is a joyous bonding time for parents and babies.

2. The optimum time for baby to stay in the water is 30 minutes as they will be restless after that. The younger the child, the shorter the time span.

3. Kids who become exposed to water at a young age become less fearful of water. So start them young. We have babies as young as 6 months old for our Water Babies Programme

4. Make sure baby eats at least 2 hours before swimming and they should be offered a snack after swimming because swimming makes babies hungry. 5. Do not expect your child to be able to swim soon after they are introduced to the water. Every child is different. 

6. Listen to your child and do not pressure them till they are ready.

7. If your child looks like he or she is not enjoying the water, do not give up!

8. Do not compare your child with others.

9. Don't worry or fuss if your child accidentally slips or swallows water as this is a learning process. Just lift your child up gently and put on your best smile. Praise and encourage them for trying. 

10. Give your child some time and let him/her develop his confidence, very soon he/she will be able to enjoy the wonderful experience of being in the water.


This article was contributed by Erika Peres 
Erika Peres Swimming Academy

How To Bring Out A Shy Child Through Singing

Do you have a very shy child? Perhaps you are wondering how to draw out your child's best personality by getting him or her to open up.

One of the ways you can do that is by encouraging your child to sing. You don't need to have any special skills or instruments to sing. Your voice is the most natural instrument for most. You may have noticed how your toddler takes to learning song and rhyme. Did you notice how your kids pick up a tune even way before learning how to read and write? 

Debra Abraham, principal and founder of Rockstarz Performing Arts Studio has this to say.

"Lots of shy kids just need nurturing and a non-critical environment. Although singing pitch is important, it can be a challenge for very young kids between 3-5 years old. What they need is a chance to showcase their enthusiasm and be given encouragement for their boldness to stand in front of a crowd just singing their lungs out. 

Lots of shy kids open up through singing. Singing is very therapeutic for everyone  young and old. It allows people to express the joy, insecurities, sadness etc of their very souls. There is a feeling of connectedness as your voice truly comes from within your physical body and does not need to be transferred onto a man made instrument for it to "speak".

It encourages an acceptance of oneself as everyone has a different voice, a different timbre, a different vocal range and yet each voice type is able to communicate expression - a message to a listener.

Did you know that a very shy, reserved and withdrawn student started singing - wrote about her issues, placed it in songs, produced an album and eventually won a singing competition in Australia. 

Another student who is autistic has improved her diction, communication skills and is on a journey to take up singing as her vocation."

Such is the power of singing!

To recap on what Debra has said, here's

How To Bring Out A Shy Child Through Singing.

1. Provide them with a non-critical environment. Do not laugh or make fun of them when they are singing
2. Give them a chance to showcase their enthusiasm. Let them sing their lungs out. Then slowly encourage them to do so in front of a crowd
3. Encourage your child to express their feelings through singing whether it is sadness, anger, joy or insecurities. Singing is healing, therapeutic and most important of all fun

So if you have a shy child, a singing class just might be what it takes to bring get them to open up in a fun, non-threatening environment.

This article was contributed by Debra Abraham, principal and founder of Rockstarz Performing Arts Studio. Debra is a vocal instructor and also the founder of Rockstarz. She is passionate in teaching the performance arts to kids, teens and even adults. Her youngest student is 3. She hopes that she can help bring out the confidence in kids and teens through creative expression. 

Here is a video of some children enjoying their lessons at Rockstarz. Enjoy!

Mumsgather Finds - A One Stop Center For Parents In Malaysia To Find Service Providers

NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH!

We're officially launching today. Welcome to our new website - Mumsgather Finds

With Effect From Today, This Parenting Blog Is Now Part Of A Website - Mumsgather Finds Which Aims To Be A One Stop Center For Parents Searching For Service Providers.

Hello Parents, in particular parents who have been following this blog and  the Malaysian Primary And Secondary School Parents on Facebook members. In my continuous effort to bring more benefits to us parents I am now starting a new website.

We're officially launching our new website today!

We've been hard at work getting our new website up and running for your convenience. We've tried our best to get everything looking pretty good there. However, there may be some odds and ends to clean up so if anything looks out of sorts, please bear with us.

Why are we having this new website?

After more than 2 years administrating the Parenting group on FB which now number over 10,400 members, I realize that we busy parents are always searching for enrichment classes, tuition, school holiday programmes, back to school promotion and other events and offers related to parenting our school going kids.

That is why we have started this new website called Mumsgather Finds. The tagline or this site is "Helping Malaysian Parents Find Service Providers." The idea is to make it easier for us to search for service providers visually at a glance, all in one page. At the moment, we have categories like "Enrichment Classes", "Tuition Centers", "Events" and "Offers" etc. We plan to build on this and make exciting additions. The vision is to make the website a one-stop centre for all the things that could be important to us and our children.

Mumsgather Finds - Helping Malaysian Parents Find Service Providers

You may noticed that I have linked this Parenting Times Blog to the new website so that more parents can enjoy the Parenting Articles that I have been writing and will continue to post. Going forward, we could be expanding our blog categories to cover "Parents Reviews" on service providers and "Expert Tips" from participating service providers.

I also hope to get good discounts and offers specially for our FB group members from the service providers featured on the website.

Last but not least, to make this succeed, I will very much need to have your support!

So, please Subscribe, Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Instagram, Follow Us On Twitter, or Follow Us on Google plus to get the latest updates. Just choose which you prefer or do all. Thank you for being so supportive and for your wonderful sharing in the group and here.

If you have been following this blog and is puzzled by the new look, please note that we are now part of the website called Mumsgather Finds as explained above. I hope you will continue to follow this blog because nothing has changed. In fact, this blog will now be improved with more parenting tips and articles for you. Thank you for following me throughout these years.