Eye Level Centre – Our Verdict on the English Lessons

Attending Eye Level English classes is really the very first time that my kids are exposed to an academic enrichment centre. Because of the “taste” of chance to spend time for extra-curricular academic assistance, they gain much in terms of knowledge as well as appreciate their freedom of no tuition. But having said that, 2 months after our last lesson at Eye Level, my kids still talk fondly of Teacher Jdrea and her lessons. They even told me that they do not mind continuing the lessons after the sponsorship! I certainly did not expect that! I guess that speaks volume for their experience with Eye Level!

Topics covered

After the Diagnostic Tests, Missy 12 was recommended to start from Eye Level English Level 6 and Master 10 to start from Eye Level English Level 5.
In case you are curious on what is taught, here are the topics!

Eye Level English Level 5	Eye Level English Level 6
Sentences	Verbs
Punctuation	Sentences
Parts of Speech	Punctuation
Vocabulary	Vocabulary
Reading Comprehension	Text Patterns
Informational Text	Informational Text
Literature Analysis	Elements of Literature
Research Skills	Genres
Writing	Writing
Figurative Language

 

What we like about Eye Level English Lessons

Independence

I believe when a child takes charge of his own learning, he will be responsible for the consequences of his efforts. I truly think that hand-holding for learning cannot achieve much and will cause more harm than good in the long run. The last thing I want to hear from any of my kids is that they are working hard for ME than for themselves!

I like that Eye Level trains the students to be independent even from small details like taking their own homework from the shelf to giving the students an “air-time” for one-to-one consultation to clarify what they do not know with the teacher. The best part of it is the full attention dedicated to the student during the one-one teaching. This, perhaps, constitutes a great part of success in Eye Level curriculum.

 

Duration

The duration of the lessons is well-timed to allow students to focus at best within 45 minutes. Even though it may seem short compared to other enrichment centres, slow and steady wins the race in the long run. You cannot force to cramp knowledge by extending excessive hours beyond what the students can absorb. Thus, the duration is just right.

 

Drilling on Comprehension

Yes, my kids complain on the numerous Comprehension practices during lessons and homework. I am totally with Eye Level that Comprehension practices are much to be appreciated in terms of training understanding, exposure to a bigger word bank, getting used to Grammar and sentence structures, etc. Painful as it may be, exposing to more Comprehension passages help in the long run.

However, Comprehension practices are not all there is in the curriculum. There are much more learning in the basics of English, like Quotation marks, Capitalisation, Tenses, etc that may seem trivial at Level 5 and 6 but totally helpful to correct previous inherited mistakes.

 

Learning at Own Pace

In my opinion, the allowance for students to learn at their own pace is paramount. The reason that many fall behind in normal school hours is because lessons are conducted to a class of varying learning abilities and intellectuals. If a child were to send to an enrichment class and similarly fall behind in the class pace again, this child will be deprived of proper learning and a chance to grasp fundamental concepts.

Eye Level curriculum tackles this aspect very well. The teachers cater to the learning pace of each individual student, allowing them to advance only when they have mastered learning concepts and are comfortable to move up. So, if you are a Kiasu parent who is looking towards a fast pace teaching, then Eye Level will not be a suitable option. Like I mentioned, “Slow and Steady wins the race”. Learning takes time, and mastering takes even more time.

 

Little Gesture Motivates

Another thing I like about Eye Level is more on Teacher Jdrea, whose practices I hope, are a representation of all Eye Level teachers. Instead of marking a cross on wrong answers, she put a circle instead. This serves as an encouragement to students in their learning journey. This may seem to you an insignificant thing, but I see it as an important gesture to boost a child’s confidence and motivates him/her. A cross, to me, especially when it is drawn in exaggerated dimensions, can be intimidating and demoralising. I certainly would not like my boss to draw crosses on my proposal when I present to him. What’s more, a child.

 

Feedback

As mentioned in my first post, I love the feedback given by Teacher Jdrea at the end of each lesson. Parents and Teachers should work hand in hand to complement each other in terms of educating a child. With that, I greatly appreciate that parents are given feedback on their children’s weaknesses and strengths. That helps me in identifying and focusing on the necessary areas of weakness.

 

American English

After singing so many praises of Eye Level, one thing I am not so in favour of is the American English that Eye Level is using for their English curriculum. As Eye Level originates from Korea, their books and lessons are all taught in American English. This is opposed to Singapore’s English which uses British English. As a result, I was afraid that my kids would be confused between the two. Schools do not allow American English to be used in examinations. Hence, I put up a request to Teacher Jdrea that whenever she comes across a part of the English language that uses American English, to explain to my kids the equivalent in British English. She was kind enough to accommodate to this request.

Soon, I found out that perhaps my fears were unfounded. My kids seemed to be able to differentiate between American and British English without difficulties. It could even be a plus point, like what Teacher JDrea said, for them to be exposed and know the difference between the two. After all, kids, by nature, are excellent in adapting to changes and differences.

Then, I was told a GOOD NEWS! Daekyo, the parent company in South Korea, is in the midst of reviewing the syllabus to replace the American English Curriculum with British English Curriculum! More details will be out as soon as they have firmed it up! That means my only concern on Eye Level English Class will be eliminated!

I have written our verdict on Eye Level English Curriculum, now is a chance for your child to experience for himself/herself!

 

GIVEAWAY!!!

Thanks to Eye Level Singapore, I have the pleasure to host a very generous GIVEAWAY for Kids R Simple Readers!
Not 1 or 2, but 5 lucky readers will get a chance to attend a ONE-MONTH FREE LESSON with a choice of Math or English at Square 2!

Contest details:
Prize – 1 month free lesson to 5 winners (choice of Math or English at Square 2)
Giveaway ends – 28 July 2359
Announcement of winners – on facebook post and this blog post

Steps to participate:
– Answer this question on the facebook post: Give 2 reasons why you think Eye Level will benefit your child.
– Complete the steps in the Giveaway App below.

1 Month Free Lesson @ Eye Level Square 2 x 5 WINNERS

Winners Picked!! Congratulations to all of you! Eye Level personnel will be contacting you via email soon!

Joanne Ho
Denise Yu
Olimomok
Anita Kaur

More information on Eye Level Centre:
Fees: $140 for 1x per week lesson; $180 for 2x per week lesson
Website: Eye Level Singapore
Facebook: click here
To enquire: call 6397 6117
To find a centre near you: click here

Click here to read my first post on how the English lessons at Eye Level is conducted!

Disclaimer: We were invited for 8 English lessons at Eye Level @ Square 2 for the purpose of this review. I would like to thank Daekyo Eye Level Singapore for the pleasant experience that my kids had in attending the lessons. I am happy that they have positive feedback and enjoyed their time while learning new things.