How Your Kids Can Cope with the K-12 Curriculum by Your Tutorial Center + a Giveaway!

For the last few years now, parents and students alike have had to confront with the changes brought about by a major education reform known as the new K-12 curriculum. I have to admit that although I’ve done some research about it and have attended briefings in my kids’ school, my understanding about it was still quite limited. Thankfully, I recently got invited to attend a more comprehensive talk about the topic by Your Tutorial Center.

Your Tutorial Center or YTC is a 3-in-1education center which offers Tutorial, Review and Language programs. YTC primarily provides ACADEMIC TUTORIAL programs from preschool to college all throughout the year.

Last March 21, YTC invited me and other mom bloggers for a gathering at Conti’s in Greenbelt in order to explain to us what the K-12 curriculum is really all about and how we can help our kids cope with the changes that it brings.

You might ask “Why is there a need to implement the K-12 curriculum anyway?”. There is a need to do so because our present curriculum is not enough to produce graduates who are fit to compete globally. This is because the Philippines is the last country in Asia and one of the only three (3) countries in the world with a 10-year pre-university program, whereas the rest of the world already follows a 12-year curriculum.

Basically, the K-12 curriculum aims to produce Filipino graduates who are holistically-developed with 21st century skills through its program and services geared to prepare kids and teens for higher education, middle-level skills development and entrepreneurship.

The key features of the K-12 curriculum are as follows:

• Decongested – topics discussed were lessened to focus on the “essentials” and the “must teach” allows mastery of competencies
• Seamless – vertical (smooth transition between grade levels) and horizontal (smooth transition between quarters) articulation
• Enriched – integration of and interconnection between and among subject areas
• Developmentally- or age-appropriate – sensitive to age level of the students’ different levels of complexity

The major changes we an expect include the following:

• The education program includes mandatory preschool education for five-year old children before entering the 6-year elementary school as well as going through additional 2 years in the high school or secondary education.
• Aside from this new structure, the medium of instruction from kindergarten to Grade 3 will now be mother tongue-based. This means that the K to 12 student will be taught the core learning areas using his first language.
• The National Achievement Test (popularly known as NAT) will still be administered as an end-of-grade 6 assessment but this time will serve both as an exit examination from elementary and entrance examination for Grade 7.
• Grade 10 students will also go through an assessment to qualify for senior high school and their chosen track.
• The end of Grade 12 examination will not only be the end of K to 12 exam but also serve as entrance exam for university.

With all these changes happening,  it can be quite difficult for our kids to adjust, which means we have to do what we can to make the transition as smooth as possible. Parents like us need to help our kids to mentally and emotionally process these changes so as to eliminate fears and cope with “anticipatory change jitters”. Aside from these, there are also private educational sectors, such as YTC, who can also help you and your kids adapt to the new K-12 curriculum.

This summer, YTC will be offering Summer K-12 Bridging Programs that will focus on developing and strengthening the coping skills of kindergarten until grade 10 students – in order to smoothly transition from the old to the new curriculum.

Basic Reading and Math Programs will be offered to Kinder and Grade 1. Aside from Reading and Math, bridging programs for Science and Grammar with Sentence Construction will be offered to students from Grade 4 to Grade 6. For Grades 7 to 10, Basic Algebra, Advanced Algebra, Chemistry and Physics will be available.

I think these programs will really be helpful to all our kids. So, if you feel that your own kids can also benefit from these Summer K-12 Bridging programs, do check out the YTC website at www.yourtutorialcenter.com or call (02)4108-456 or (0932)8555-982 for more information.

But I have good news for you guys!!!

Through this blog, YTC Your Tutorial Center is giving away a Summer Enrichment Program gift certificate to one (1) lucky winner!!!

Check out the details below.

Prize:

Summer Enrichment Program (12 hours, subject of your choice)

Eligibility:

Child must be incoming kinder student up to high school student

Giveaway Duration: 2 weeks (March 29, 2015 – April 12, 2015)

Redemption:

Winner can claim and use the GC in the following branches: Quezon City, Alabang, Las Pinas, Caloocan

Mechanics:

To join, simply follow the Rafflecopter instructions below.

Good luck guys!!!