Is this too rigorous for a child?

I assume he/she goes to school every day, right? Then I'd say it's too much. If not -- too little.

Instead of phonics 'exercises', read to him and with him instead. Have lots of fun books. That will encourage him to read so much faster than any ol' exercises.


And can you do some before school and the rest afterschool? That would break up the work.

at the end of the day, a child is still a child. these days there is far too much pressure on the child to 'succeed', particularly in asia, and in doing so, the child misses out on being a child and playing.


also, the child, in not playing and socialising misses out on the key skills on being a human being, which also, is being noted by many socialogists globally - learning to share, play, teamwork, competition, physical activity are all key components on that child as a person and how he/she develops.


from my experience - my parents were quite pushe when i was young. my mother made me learn cantonese, german, ballet and play the piano from an early age. my comments to those is that unless you keep up the languages throughout your life, you will forget them and therefore it would have been a waste of time. and as for piano, i was forced to play it until i was 16, hated every minute and have never touched it since!


the one thing i did enjoy was reading, but i was encouraged to read what i wanted to read. when i waas in school i easily had a reading age at least 5 yrs above my current age, and i now can read a book in several hours.


i would say to let your child have some fun and cut down some of his studying or at least try to make it more entertainnig. if he finds a lot of it boring, you can bet that when he has a choice later in life he wouldn't continue with them!


fyi, i don't remember any german now, my canto is good but only because i live here in hk, and i cannot stand ballet or the piano to this day!!

Wow, all for a 6 year old! No way, far too much. At that age they should be learning social skills, enjoying interaction and playing not going through a regime that resembles the local school system. These are the skills that will allow a child to grow into a fully rounded person. Take a look at the kids coming out of the school system now, yes great exam results after years of drilling. But social skills or skills required in the workplace - absolutely none.

Dear Iso-no-wabi,


Personally I don't believe a child of six should be doing so much study, perhaps the odd class - swimming or a team sport.


My child comes home with a small amount of homework (ESF). It usually takes about 30 minutes to complete, at this age I feel that is enough.


I know Asia has a very different mind set in regard to children and study but I prefer the "learning through play" approach.


Your child's play may look trivial but quite often it will require problem solving and allow a child to develop his or her own skills.


My six year old son has just discovered Harry Potter and we have a wonderful time reading the book together. He loves reading and I can only hope that because it brings him so much joy, he will continue to do so (although unfortunatley I believe they grow out of it later).


My son also enjoys helping me cook dinner at night, another great life skill.


And don't forget excercise, your child needs to get out and be physical - vital for a young growing boy.


I can understand you want the best for your child and that you want to be sure he is not sitting infront of the TV while you are at work.


Perhaps you could look at your son having a mix of study and fun games.