Fun ways to get ready for Primary 1

Playing games such as Simon Says and reading together can help prepare children for formal school better than preparatory classes or assessment books

- Jane Ng Senior Correspondent

Madam Nasrin Shah Beevi and Mr Nizamudheen Ishak role-play selling food items to their daughter, Nur Zahirah.

(ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO)

Madam Nasrin Shah Beevi has been role-playing as a cashier, selling food items to her six-year-old daughter and getting her to use actual coins for the transaction.

She says getting her daughter, Nur Zahirah Nizamudheen, to do simple mathematics will help with recess meal purchases when she has to handle money.

When they are out, she encourages Zahirah to try to read words she comes across on advertisements or signage.

“This is a good way to get a child to recognise words,” says Madam Nasrin, 36, a registered clinical counsellor. She is married to Mr Nizamudheen Ishak, 52, a senior IT manager.

She is preparing Zahirah for Primary 1 in 2026 without the use of assessment books or sending her for preparation classes.

Another activity she has been enjoying with Zahirah is to read books in English and Tamil to her.

This serves the dual purpose of exposing her to the languages, as well as to share lessons on values with her daughter.

For instance, she may pause to talk about characters in the scene, to see if the girl empathises or to ask her what she would do in the situation.

“My daughter learns through reading stories, especially those on moral values or emotions. When I read with her, I can remind her about what is appropriate and what is not, and how she can be a kind individual,” she says.

Parents may have preconceived notions about Primary 1 that may not be accurate, say educators.

Madam Wong Pei Fen is a senior teacher for lower primary learners and pupils with learning needs at Yishun Primary School. She says some parents think that Primary 1 is heavily academic from the start, when the transition focuses on adapting to routines, managing emotions and peer interaction.