Our recent relocation meant that we had to find a new school for N, and when we got here, one of the first things I did was to arrange for trial classes at the three schools I shortlisted. N was understandably anxious about going to a new school, and kept asking me if he could go to his “Singapore school” instead. Thankfully, he warmed up pretty quickly at two of the three schools, and after much discussion, we have enrolled him into one of the two schools, and he will be starting school in January.
I’m a huge fan of using books and stories to help N understand various situations, and even though N will be in K1 next year, I think the Timmy & Tammy Guide to Primary One is helpful in preparing N for his new school. The academic year here in Jakarta begins in July, which means that N will be joining the K1 class in Term 3, instead of Term 1. There will be some catching up to do, but I’m more concerned about how he will adapt to a new school and routine.
The Timmy & Tammy Guide to Primary One has 17 different tips for children beginning their primary school journey, and these tips are presented in simple right and wrong scenarios, followed by a simple question on what the reader would do. The colourful illustrations complement the scenarios well, and N enjoyed looking at the different activities that the children were doing, and talking about them with me. He was pretty amused by the wrong scenarios, and would tell me, “Cannot do that!” before giving me the “textbook answer”, but I think we’ll have to see if he actually puts his knowledge to use when school begins for him in January.
I liked that the tips were very practical, and definitely common enough scenarios that children need to adjust to, especially when they make the transition from K2 to P1. The first tip, “Waking up early”, is one that I think most parents are most concerned about. For N, this is probably one of the biggest adjustments he has to make, since in Singapore, he gets to wake up as late as he wants, because he’s in the second session. Here in Jakarta, he starts school at 830am (I think), and with the unpredictable Jakarta traffic, I think he has to leave home much earlier, and therefore, get used to waking up early.
There are many relevant tips, including “Keeping track of money”, “Checking on change”, and “Writing things down”, things that K2 students don’t have to do in school. Of course, it’ll be best if parents could let their children practise these skills before they actually enter Primary One, but this book can be used to remind kids of what to do, especially if it is read frequently before school begins.
Timmy & Tammy Guide to Primary One
If you have a child starting primary school next year, or even going to a new school, I think the Timmy & Tammy Guide to Primary One will come in quite handy.
Happy reading!
Buy the Book Timmy & Tammy Guide to Primary One on Armour Publishing Timmy & Tammy Guide to Primary One is also available at Popular Bookstores
Check out the previous Friday Flips posts HERE. I’ve also created a photo album on Facebook with some other good reads, and will be updating it whenever I come across more books that we enjoy. Do pop by for a look HERE.
Disclaimer: We received a copy of ‘Timmy & Tammy Guide to Primary One’ for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are, as always, our own.
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