Tuition at centres has been suspended in view of the escalating Covid-19 situation. I never thought that Singapore would ever see such a day. But desperate times call for desperate measures.
While I had been planning this post for some time, with online learning becoming the norm now, this seems almost like the perfect time to tell you about our year-long experience of our online writing course with Big Ideaz Education.
It’s been a year since I enrolled my boy in the Junior Writing Course with Big Ideaz Education. In my previous post, I shared with you how the lessons are conducted, what to expect and the pros and cons of e-learning. You can hop over for the details.
The Junior Writing Course is targeted at Primary 1-3 students (composition based on 4 related pictures). If your child’s school is not following this format, and has chosen to proceed to the new PSLE format, this course may not be entirely suitable for you. Your child can however, still learn the basics of writing a well-developed composition.
So, after one year of attending the e-course, what have we gained?
(1) Confidence in using good phrases
Frequently being exposed to how to describe a character’s feelings through the e-course, my boy has internalised some phrases and uses them in his compositions.
(2) Ability to develop a story logically
You’d be surprised, but there are many children who cannot develop a story logically, even in the middle block (P3-4). “Practice makes perfect” is definitely true when it comes to writing. I feel that there is just not enough time in a school curriculum to target the weaker students to learn how to develop their story coherently. Doing his writing assignments bi-monthly through the e-course has helped my boy learn to process his thoughts.
(3) Time saved (from travelling to and fro to a brick and mortar writing centre)
I think it’s actually more than just time saved, especially in these times where the CoVid-19 virus is making its presence felt globally. We learn in a safe environment (home) and do not need to travel and mingle with others – something I think everyone appreciates these days. Home-based learning has never been more appealing and favourable.
(4) Time saved (from not having to source for teaching materials)
If you are always grasping at straws when it comes to choosing which books to buy to improve your child’s writing or scouring the Internet to look for resources, I’d highly recommend that you channel those resources to just signing up for the course. Many of the model composition books are not really beneficial – I have stayed at Popular for probably much longer than I was welcomed to browse through the books there that purportedly improve your child’s writing.
Perhaps if the child is really weak, those books might be useful; but if you are looking to hone a skilled writer, your child would benefit from having their work marked by experienced ex-teachers who run the show at Big Ideaz Education. Reading a model composition is not the same as trying to write one. With the pre-recorded videos which help the child progress in writing, the curriculum at Big Ideaz Education is a sound one – I can assure you that, having been with them for a year.
(5) Learning to be more self-disciplined
Like I mentioned in my previous post, self-discipline is important in this e-course. If you end up not doing the assignments due to lack of self-discipline, you will not benefit from the course. We took a month-long break from the e-course as there was some issue with my laptop, but eventually, we got back on track. Not having self-discipline at this moment doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t become better at it. We need to have the growth mindset to believe that even we, as adults, can learn to become better and improve.
If you’re undecided about the course, you can always opt for the 7-day free trial. During the 7 days, you can cancel anytime and not be billed for the lesson.
If you prefer lessons at a brick and mortar writing centre, Big Ideaz Education has a branch at Tampines, although having lessons there in the next month will not be possible due to the new measures in place to curb the spread of Covid-19. If you have other questions, you can check out the Frequently Asked Questions. You can also hop over to my previous post for more information.
Disclosure: We were provided with a year-long access to the e-course for the reviews. No monetary compensation was received.
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