Ben and Becks have been learning at Eye Level Learning Center for three months now, and I’m really happy with the kids’ progress in Math.

Actually, I’m also happy to be outsourcing this to their patient and caring teachers and get some time to myself every Wednesday afternoon, even though it’s just sitting outside the centre to wait for them. At least I get to read kdrama recaps, snack on OCK and chill for a while. Ha.

But I digress. Yes, as I was saying, I’m really happy with the kids’ progress because I think they’ve gotten their foundation in the basics right these past three months. Before starting at Eye Level, I’ve taught Ben to count using his fingers and counters and by making him count out loud, but here at Eye Level, they’ve done something even better. Through the activities in the activity booklets he does every lesson (and one more weekly for homework), his teacher guides him to add and subtract mentally (no fingers! and I hear the finger-way is kinda wrong!) and has taught him to count up to 120, and even doing it backwards (to help him understand subtraction). Concepts are revised regularly, and new concepts are introduced with a lot of scaffolding and practice, and then revisited in different ways.

Here’s how Ben’s learned addition up to 2 numbers in a variety of ways:

The activity booklet is designed to cover each concept in a variety of ways to keep the child engaged

At Eye Level, they also provide regular progress reports to keep parents updated. I like that the teachers there care enough to work closely with the parents and even provide a paragraph worth of comments on how the child is learning in class:

I get frequent updates after class, as well as consolidated reports like these

The best part of all these is not that I have a 5-year-old who can count big and add or subtract. Really, if you know me, I’m not a mother who lives to brag of such things. The best part for me is that these are learned without any blood (boiling) on my part, and sweat and tears on Ben’s part, and that most importantly, Ben is enjoying Math stress-free.

Because sometimes I can demand so much from my own kids teaching them. And that actually stresses them out a lot.

Looking at Ben through another classroom’s window: see how much glee there is!

As for Becks, she’s learning to count up to 10 through activities like story telling, colouring, cutting and pasting and sticker fun at Eye Level’s Play Math Programme – and the little girl is enjoying herself much too. She’s learning to count objects properly and systematically (and in fun ways while at it), as compared to haphazardly – and that to me, is great news.

Just look at how beautifully illustrated these counting activities can be from the Play Math Programme!

Prior to attending lessons at Eye Level, Becks would throw tantrums just because I corrected the way she counted (she would point at objects randomly and double count most of the time). There were two things that didn’t work in our favour back then a couple of months ago: she was temperamental (even after exiting her Terrible Twos, yes) and I’ve got a pretty short fuse. Now that she’s three-half, she’s a lot better with those tantrums and I’ve learned also to be gentler when it comes to correcting her. Plus, I’ve also got a win-win situation here whereby Becks attends lessons at Eye Level and gets undivided attention from a very patient teacher whom she likes a lot.

Which translates into her liking Math a lot more now than before.

Becks getting ready for class

We’ll be continuing our lessons here at Eye Level for a while more because I like their systematic curriculum, the way learning is paced to be progressive and the fact that there’s a lot of proactiveness on the teachers’ part. Most of all, I like the idea that Ben and Becks are learning in an environment that’s fun and stress-free, but at the same time developing so much confidence in their thinking ability.

Thank you, Eye Level, for inviting us to review your excellent programmes!

Here’s something special for Motherkao readers, courtesy of Eye Level!

If you’d like to have your child attend trial classes at Eye Level, I’ve got THREE one-month trial passes for ANY programme at any Eye Level Learning Center located in Singapore for three readers of this blog.

You can choose from one of these programmes: Play Math (suitable for ages 2.5 to 4), Math (for ages 4 to 14) and English (for ages 4 to 14) at any of their learning centres islandwide – check for a location near you here.

*Do note that your child would need to take a diagnostic test before the commencement of the trial because Eye Level’s curriculum is designed to be progressive by levels.*

To participate for the random draw, all you need to do is:

1) LIKE Eye Level’s Facebook Page

2) LIKE Motherkao’s Facebook Page (if you haven’t already done so)

3) Leave me a comment here telling me the age of your child, the programme you’d like him / her to attend and your preferred location

Don’t forget to leave your email address so we can get back to you. Giveaway closes on 31 March 2014.

We’ve randomly picked… AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE THREE WINNERS!

Disclosure: Ben and Becks have been invited to attend Eye Level’s Math and Play Math for a term of three months (and now another three more months!). Motherkao has accepted sponsorship for her reviews of their programmes and endorsement of the centre. All opinions here are Motherkao’s own (with input from Ben and Becks).

Ben is enrolled in Eye Level‘s Math Programme and has been attending their once-a-week Math lesson for two months now. At each lesson he attends, he’s basically exposed to two things: Basic Thinking Math and Critical Thinking Math.

For about an hour or so, he would complete the two tasks (two booklets for each lesson that his teacher would give him) under the close supervision of his teacher. Teacher Emily reads him the instructions in the booklet, guides him when he needs help and teaches him the key concepts for each lesson. However, unlike in a private tuition setting, she doesn’t hover over him for the entire time he’s there. She also attends to other students in the class who may or may not be at the same level and standard as Ben, and together with other kids, everyone present engages in self-directed – but heavily scaffolded – learning.

The classroom setting: Ben in class with his teacher and another student

I was told the ratio of teacher to student for the Math Programme is 1:8, but at Ben’s timeslot, Teacher Emily usually handles 2 to 3 students (including Ben) at one time. Which is great, I think. Not too many to distract him (he can get very distracted, alright), but enough to spur him on to sit down and concentrate, just like them. It’s also good that the kids are also older, and he learns from their example.

This setting, which he’s exposed to once a week, is proving to be extremely beneficial for me at home. At home, Ben is now able to sit down on his own to complete his work (he gets homework to revise the concepts he’s learned at Eye Level). He doesn’t need me to accompany him anymore (*finally*) and is able to cancel out distractions from his siblings all by himself to complete his work.

Ben completing his work at home

Hurrah for self directed, independent learning, I say.

Eye Level Learning Center’s Math Programme is designed to help students improve their mathematical thinking and problem solving skills by enabling them to master concepts each step of the way as students progress through the curriculum. For now, Ben has got his numbers 1 to 110 all settled in terms of counting (in order and in tens), writing, ascending and descending orders and simple problem solving (involving counting). He’s moving on to addition and subtraction this month – something which he is already acquainted with – and I can’t wait for the programme to extend this learning for him, simply because I am really bad with teaching anything beyond simple math. Hurhurhur. 

He also tells me he enjoys Critical Thinking Math more, because it’s “more fun and interesting”. For critical thinking, he gets his spatial sense, depth perception and problem-solving and reasoning skills developed with puzzles, blocks and shapes and math games that are very well designed to engage young minds.

Basic Thinking Math at Level 2 (counting from 1 -20): Ben did these in December

A glimpse from the pages of one of the Critical Thinking Math booklets: Ben learned patterns here

Like I’ve mentioned in an earlier post, the kids really look forward to going for Math enrichment every week – Becks is at Play Math (and I shared my review of the programme here) and Ben at the Math Programme (SGD$120 for a once-a-week lesson, and SGD$150 for twice a week). I’m just really glad they’ve been offered this opportunity because it has gotten them interested in Math, all thanks to the fact that the programmes at Eye Level are so thoughtfully designed to engage the little ones. I don’t remember being so happy learning Math at preschool – what with all the forced memorisation of multiplication tables and assessment books – and I am heartened to have my preschoolers like numbers and even finding it fun to count.

AND JUST FOR MOTHERKAO READERS:

Eye Level is extending a promotional offer to all Motherkao readers! For $10 (usual price $60), your child can take the diagnostic test, attend a trial lesson (30-45 min) and get a complimentary study skill analysis.

Simply quote [Motherkao] to enjoy this offer via walk-in to any of the Eye Level Learning Centres island-wide. You can also leave a Facebook message on Eye Level’s Facebook Page or make a telephone enquiry to any of the Eye Level centres.

Disclosure: Ben and Becks have been invited to attend Eye Level’s Math and Play Math for a term of three months. Motherkao has accepted sponsorship for her reviews of their programmes and endorsement of the centre. All opinions here are Motherkao’s own (with input from Ben).