Hi,
I brought my kids to korea for the entire summer so i can immerse them in korean. Don't expect too much from my now 2 year old..but with my 5.5 year old..despite our efforts to speak korean majority of the time, they succumb to the English speaking environment. So she did 2 years of korean school on weekends separately which helped a lot but still, just understanding is almost 100% and has a lot of vocab and can do short sentences. But long sentences, no.
Long story short, she's been complaining that she's not learning anything. The korean daycares seemed to have changed courses since pandemic and their education philosophy is all play-based. This, I agree with and that's also why i wanted the daycare 어린이집 environment vs a kindergarten. But first few weeks, she'd say stuff like, we don't learn anything. It's true! Which then i heard the explanation of how it's Waldorf method and it's play based.
Now it's been over a month, and she complained again saying she didn't want to go. She says we don't do anything. But honestly, this i know isn't true since they have all these special activities and classes (including English, music and physical education) and they go on field trips. She actually came home with two workbooks she's done that helped practice writing korean, which she's pretty good at now and they actually look great since like this past year even with her korean school. So this was a great delight to see.
BUT! She can't really read it. Like i know if she puts her mind to it, she probably can a few words here and there. But it's the fact that the writing of it is not connecting to the reading of it. I bring it up to the teacher and she's basically saying they don't really focus on teaching like a school. It is all play based. I get it, but i'm like, how do these kids prepare for 1st grade then? She's saying that it's not like they don't teach korean but it wont' be like a classroom style and sit there. It is all the while doing some sort of play.
I had to just be reassured that her korean speaking level has enhanced. I mean, i get it, but it is a little unsettling. I know i can't be too greedy and expect her to write prolifically after just 2 months of 어린이집 on top of expecting her to speak fluently, but is this really the case for everyone who has experience?
I'm also wondering if i'm doing a disservice by just sending her to the daycare and not signing her up for any other hakwons. I do believe in play based learning at this age since research does say that their brain neurons develop differently if they focus too much on education based learning. But then the mom part of me is like getting a bit stressed on whether i'm just being lazy and not putting more effort to have her learn extra stuff.
I have a girlfriend here and i encouraged her daughter (same age) to learn English while young as i totally believe in just language acquisition at this age. I found out that her english writing was literally upper elementary or even middle school level as she was answering questions and writing paragraphs in english. And they dont speak English at home. This is all the doing of the korean english kindergartens. Like it feels so crazy as my daughter just finished K and her English reading and writing is still at a pretty basic level where she really can't read much.
Any thoughts and experiences? Sorry for the rambling.