請問有無小朋友有語言障礙之後轉左去讀國際班有好大進步?

lycheema

My son is now 3.5 years old, he can speak a bit English and Cantonese, but he prefers English.  He is very enthusiastic in the English class, but not the Cantonese one.  But he seems has no problem of autism as he can play with his sister, maids and adults very good.  And his teacher in kindergarten said he has no problem in learning, just language developement delay.

He loves to read alphebets and English books, sing English songs and he can spell over 20 English words, like dog, cat, apple, moon and write them on papers correctly. Just than most of the time, he will "ee ee ar ar" not know how to express himself.... he copied the English sentences from his favourite online games, and always says "you did it", "good job", "very good", "try again".... for other English sentences, we cannot understand the real meanings.

His kindergarten is a very good local school but he cannot understand Chinese to learn the general knowledges taught by the teachers, that is why he has low marks in this subject test papers.

His father does not want him to go to International School because his sister is good at local school and he thinks Chinese is important to our kids.

I will quit my job soon to help him, just have not made up the mind whether:-

1.  to keep him at local kindergarten and teach him in Cantonese, I predict there will be many difficulties and slow improvement
OR
2. to change to International School, and not sure if he will improve his ability in expressing himself and we will loss the seat in his current kindergarten

Feeling very upset now..... and what to do?

Lycheema

Stockinette

Hi Lycheema,

I was in similar situation as yourself couple years back.  My son was comparatively better in English than Chinese at the age of 3 year old, just comparatively because he was able to understand and spoke some english but chinese was mostly echolia.  We got so worried and wanted to switched him from local kinder to ESF TY, we rejected ESF TY after we spoke with his local kinder principal for we felt the school care so much about him.  At 3.2 year old we took him for an assessment, he was assessed to be 1.5 year behind in speech,  autistic features and borderline developement delay.

We immediately switch to single language environment, focusing on his cantonese, though we knew his english was better but due to lack of environment support (our friends/neighbors, playgroups were cantonese speakers) we decided to abondan english.  It was the right move for us as together with 1) caring and extra help for his kinder teachers/principal 2) EETC training 3) family support   he improve drastically.  At age 4.8 months old we took him for a formal IQ and Autism test, he score fairly high on Standford Binet assessment and for was diagnose to have no autism.

At age of 5.2 year old, he almost caught with his peer group in terms of language development and he loves reading both chinese and english, he can read and understand most of the chinese characters, but english is very so so.  His english listening is okay but reading is still oxford stage 1/2, but i am happy because he enjoy reading both english and chinese books.  We originally also planned to put him in international school (coz we feel local stream enforce too much dictation and homework), but we changed our mind because we like him to know more chinese.  We chose an interactive local stream primary school for him.

Perhaps you can take him for an speech assesment to understand how much he's delay and also consider switching to single language environement whether it be english or chinese.

Last but not least, I must praise you for your decision of quitting your job to spend more time with him, it will make a world of difference!  A mother's time is way more effective than flash cards, english dvds and computer games.  This is from my own experience after switching part-time!

lycheema

Dear Stockinette

Thank you so much for your sharing of experience here.  I felt so helpless these days as we look at my son behaved just like a baby.  

At the beginning of this month, we have taken him to a speech assessment and the result told us he is 1.5 years behind in Cantonese.  They did not do the English assessment as they expressed my son is in an environment of Cantonese speaking.

In his N1 school, the teachers told me my son likes to teach in English and attend the English classes.  I told myself that he wld turn good in Cantonese when he started his school life in a famous local kindergarten, and we changed to one-language environment for 9 months, but the effect is minimal.

Last week, we talked to him in all English and I can see he was very happy and talked more and communicate with us more.
I was delighted, but yet to decide what to do.

I will forward your posting to my husband and talk to him again.  And thank you for supporting me as a full-time housewife.  I hope he will communicate better when I try my best to help him....



Lycheema

大鴨媽

一般有言語障礙小朋友是不適合在同一時間去處理兩種不同的language,而且一般言語治療是train廣東話的.

只要他先能掌握好一種言語先,另一種也隨之可以.

好似小兒(他是弱聽)連廣東話都未是十分好,但一學普通話卻是很好.

不用太擔心.

原文章由 lycheema 於 08-3-26 14:01 發表
Dear Stockinette

Thank you so much for your sharing of experience here.  I felt so helpless these days as we look at my son behaved just like a baby.  

At the beginning of this month, we have taken  ...

Stockinette

Absolutely agree with 大鴨媽's comments.

Did you take him to assessment in CAC?  CAC is the best place to go, not for the professionalism but the followup training that they provide.  

I can understand fully it'd be a hard decision for you whichever language you go for.   If I am not mistaken your boy at age 3.5 is a young boy (i.e. born Oct 2004)?  If so I like to share my experience with you as I have a small boy too (born in end of Dec. 2002).

1) Be extra cautious when you pick international school for him, different schools have different cutoff date, for example ESF all children born in the same calendar year go to the same grade, whilst ICS their cutoff date is Aug, those who born after Aug must go start school a year later.  It is best to have you child as big boy rather than young boy.  

If you choose to stick with local kinder, you have a choice to repeat K1.  My son's principal suggested he repeat N2 but we turned down the offer, if we could go back in time we would likely take her suggestions, being big boy has more  pros than cons e.g. i) closer match of speech ability with younger peers might help to boost his confidence to speak out more ii) not have to burden by homework so soon you can spend more time to play and train him iii) if you line up for government service, you get an extra year as usually government cut service once the kid start primary school (again another reason we not consider international school as kid start primary school as early as 4.9 year old).  We did not follow the principal's suggestions to repeat, though we managed but I can tell you it was extremely challenging and my hair turned gray.

2) English ST is limited, whether it be private or government.  If you choose this path make sure you secure the resources ahead of time.

Also might help to discuss with his teacher and principal, we were extremely lucky as our kinder teachers and principal never called us to complaint but rather always encourage, praise and extra help.

原文章由 大鴨媽 於 08-3-26 16:44 發表
一般有言語障礙小朋友是不適合在同一時間去處理兩種不同的language,而且一般言語治療是train廣東話的.

只要他先能掌握好一種言語先,另一種也隨之可以.

好似小兒(他是弱聽)連廣東話都未是十分好,但一學普通話卻是很 ...

大鴨媽

多謝你的回應.很高興有人agree我的comment.i just have to
share my experience. yes, govt's service cut after your
kid to primary.  

仲有 i位or s位是好似till6歲,so repeat is not good.

so make sure you choose the right track for your kid.

yes i do agree at 幼稚園not have much homework, you
can spend more time to train your kid.

after primary, lesser time la as busy with homework and school work la

just like me now, don't have much time to do training
with son, so just by doing it during daily dialogue.

even, govt just give money to normal school for st training, but just like my son, he still not good at 語理,but the st said his 發音is okay, then stop treatment for him.

but in nursery is much better la

so enjoy days in nursery.

no need to be so worry, after you decide it , go right on the track la

原文章由 Stockinette 於 08-3-26 19:51 發表
Absolutely agree with 大鴨媽's comments.

Did you take him to assessment in CAC?  CAC is the best place to go, not for the professionalism but the followup training that they provide.  

I can underst ...

lycheema

Really thank you for sharing!

Although we are still considering the change of kindergarten, my son has better communication with us these days after we talked to him in English…he said “snow white every day” to indicate he wants to see the story book of snow white every night in bed… it is a small thing, but I feel so delighted of his advancement.

I have a 5.5 years old daughter who is studying in K3, she managed to speak very good Cantonese now (though she was also late in talking too, she said only simple sentence in 3 years old). She knows her brother (3.5 years old) cannot understand Cantonese, so they communicated in simple English. Therefore, it is not easy to have a pure Cantonese language environment among us in the past few months.

I think I am responsible for my son’s weak Cantonese speaking, making confusion because of the employment of one Indonesian and one Philippines maids. They flashed English cards to him from 2 years old, let him see lots of English VCD, DVD and many English books --- but my husbands and I were too busy to have time to teach him Cantonese, even if we have time, we are busy in entertaining his elder sister.

After the private assessment, he was said to have 1.5 years (Cantonese) behind, but for English, he cannot say at his own age. I know his classmates did make funs on him….but even if he was unhappy, he was unable to tell us though…. I think I need to do something to help him, before it is too late. I will help him with all my time and heart after quitting my job.
Should try to be a responsible mother now and teach him to talk BY MYSELF……
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[ 本文章最後由 lycheema 於 08-3-27 16:36 編輯 ]

大鴨媽

one thing more research already said not just playing the video for children to see will get them learn the language.  adults should accompany them and talk with them also.

one point is to change the kindergarden because classmate make laugh at him. this is the most important reason.  as a result it will affect your son's self image and confidence to talk with others.

take good care be a great full time mom is not an easy job either.

原文章由 lycheema 於 08-3-27 16:35 發表
Really thank you for sharing!

Although we are still considering the change of kindergarten, my son has better communication with us these days after we talked to him in English…he said “snow white  ...

lycheema

Thanks.  Tendered my resignation today, but boss pursuaded me to stay or do half day at least for some months.  After discussed with my husband, I will leave the company I worked for almost 7.5 years anyway.  He really wanted me to have better and "intensive" care to my son.

$$$ is not everything, right? we lose money here, maybe will save some money on my son later, who knows....

[ 本文章最後由 lycheema 於 08-3-29 01:58 編輯 ]

大鴨媽

good, nice to be a full time monther, but not an easy job either. share with us what is going on with your son.

原文章由 lycheema 於 08-3-29 01:26 發表
Thanks.  Tendered my resignation today, but boss pursuaded me to stay or do half day at least for some months.  After discussed with my husband, I will leave the company I worked for almost 7.5 years  ...

lycheema

Sure...life is full of challenges.

大鴨媽

yes, let us support each others in here la.  although our
child has different problem, but similar that is not good at language la

原文章由 lycheema 於 08-3-30 01:27 發表
Sure...life is full of challenges.

EthanMama

lycheema
Stockinette
大鴨媽

I'm so glad to see your discussion here as I have similar dilemma...

I got 3 kids and my eldest one is 5.5 years old.
So I focused on him most and ended up ignoring my No. 2 one who is turning 3 soon.

I haven't taken him to any assessment yet but I suspect he's got mainly pronounciation problem.  (eg. cannot say "Gor Gor" but "Dor Dor", cannot say "S" but "TS"..)
He's now in N1 at a small but caring Kinder (YWCA).  His nursery teacher asked me to take him for assessment at Heep hong already.

However, he also got admitted to St Cat which people normally thinks may give better chance into "famous" primary school than YWCA.  More sarcastically, he got into English-Mandarin class.  I am worried that he'll be very confused with 3 languages. (currently I only speak to him in Cantonese)  Having learnt that most kids got problem with Cantonese can do well in English or Mandarin, should I switch him to St. Cat or let me stay in YWCA?

ChattyST

Ethanmama,
如果小朋友只係發音問題, 而表達理解無遲緩.
咁多語環境對佢既影響唔係咁大.
所以你首先要帶小朋友去做語言同發音評估.
如果係語言遲緩, 咁你幫小朋友轉去ST.CATHERINE就唔係咁好啦

大鴨媽

seems that you have to check and confirm your second son is speech delay first.

if yes, stick to one language, of course cantonese first.

well, after he can acquire cantonese. he then can pick up others well.

my son now is primary one. he can pick up mandarian okay wow.

although he is not in a famous kindergarten.

if you totally switch to another language in kindergarten, you may need totally change the whole envirobment like change to an international school at primary.

so my suggestion is stick to cantonese first.

get training for him first like speech therapy.

原文章由 EthanMama 於 08-4-25 22:26 發表
lycheema
Stockinette
大鴨媽

I'm so glad to see your discussion here as I have similar dilemma...

I got 3 kids and my eldest one is 5.5 years old.
So I focused on him most and ended up ignoring my  ...

EthanMama

Thanks for your reply.
Just wondering where do you do the assessment, if I'm willing to go private, do I still need to wait?
Would you recommend Heep Hong or any other?

大鴨媽

Heep Hong is okay or you can apply Hong Kong Christian Service心橋．

they are more systematic.

still need to wait la

otherwise try 香港言語及吞嚥治療中心(this is private)

原文章由 EthanMama 於 08-4-26 22:49 發表
Thanks for your reply.
Just wondering where do you do the assessment, if I'm willing to go private, do I still need to wait?
Would you recommend Heep Hong or any other?

lycheema

My boy is at KV, the teachers are kind and caring to him.  However, I have arranged my son to study at Anfield, an international kindergarten in this Sept for K2. And starting from April we all talked to him in English, we found that he understands more and can speak short complete English sentence now.  For the past, we noticed he refused to learn and talk in Cantonese.

My son will have a government examination next Friday and I will finish my full time job next week. Hope with my company, he will improve very soon. Hope your kid will be fine too!

Lycheema

原文章由 EthanMama 於 08-4-25 22:26 發表
lycheema
Stockinette
大鴨媽

I'm so glad to see your discussion here as I have similar dilemma...

I got 3 kids and my eldest one is 5.5 years old.
So I focused on him most and ended up ignoring my  ...

lycheema

My son has improved steadily in English speaking after I became a full time mother, that is encouraging! Especially when we took him for a 5 days trip to Thailand with his sister, he became a bit smarter, I think, and he is more willingly to talk.

Lycheema

EthanMama

Congrats!

I have been talking more to my son too and he seems to be more conversant too.
I think we as parents also need to spend more time really talking to our kids to solve the fundamental problem, I just realized I've been treating him like a baby, just feeding and playing...
Anyway, how does your son like Anfield?
I have already declined St. Cat and I bet many people will think I am stupid to give up Eng-PTW class offer...(Sometimes I struggle whether the decision is right too)