The first three months in a Singapore classroom

Almost every family we meet is worried about the same three months. Here is what we have seen, many times over.

Weeks one to three: the quiet phase

Your child says very little at school and comes home tired. This is normal. Listening in a second language all day is exhausting in a way that is easy to underestimate. Feed them, let them rest, and do not add extra work at home yet.

Weeks four to eight: the frustration phase

The tiredness turns into irritation. Your child knows the answer and cannot say it fast enough. Some children cry. Some go silent. This is the hardest stretch and it is also the one that ends.

Weeks nine to twelve: things start to move

You will hear a full English sentence at home that nobody asked for. That is the turn. From here progress speeds up, because your child is finally learning from the classroom rather than just surviving it.

What is actually worth worrying about

• A child who stops eating or stops sleeping.
• A child who says nobody will sit with them, more than once.
• Written work coming home with nothing on the page at all, week after week.

If you see any of these, tell the form teacher, and tell us. Do not wait for the next report.