Learning Mandarin @ Bao Bei
Ever heard of Bao Bei Reading Wonderland? Well if you have not, you might wanna know that this is one of the Mandarin enrichment centers which is blooming out there.
Years back, I have friends praising about Bao Bei but I was hesitate to send QQ there. Firstly, it was damn super pricey, and I thought I would be able to teach her myself with some common books that comes with Han Yu Pin Yin (since I can roughly guess what the words mean).
Unfortunately not easy as I thought 
Boys’ @ Set B cards
When QQ started Standard 1, even though homework is extremely minimal, I became desperate because I could not guide her at all since everything is in Chinese. Can’t even harap the father, because by the time he showered and had dinner, he would just hit the couch and dozed off…
Initially I thought sending her to a tuition center for homework guiding would solve all my problem, but after thinking twice, macam very kesian la..already so long hours in school, tuition will surely bore her to death!
So this is when Bao Bei came into my mind. I put her with her brothers into for one-week trial, and BINGO, they all love it! Unlike a sit down class, it is all about fun learning where they sing, jump, run in class.
QQ’s Progress at Bao Bei after 4 months…
Inside Bao Bei, kids learn flash cards and progress in levels.
In just 4 months leaning at Bao Bei, my poor little QQ could already reach E level where she could recognise about 400 -500words (about equivalent to her standard 1 school standard)!
I am so glad she can read and do most of her Chinese homework. At least even if she could not, I can still get her to read the instructions for me, *phiew*
Boys’ Progress at Bao Bei after 4 months…
As for the boys, they are now in Set B (can recognise up to about 100 Chinese words) Anyway recognition of words is not very critical for them as they are only THREE. Not only they could recognize the words, they recite the classical poems extremely well and as smooth as the barcode scanner!
HEY, kids at only AGE THREE recites Classical Chinese Poems wor! Can you imagine proud and fascinated this ba-na-na mum is when my two Double Swirl-Head twin boys can sing out poems in the exact tune like an old Chinese scholar?
So, to continue or not next year?
Going to Bao Bei is definitely fantastic provided we can afford it. In case you want to know, monthly fee is Rm410 per kid and class is only 1.5hour per day.
With 3 of them attending at the moment, it already cost us more than Rm1k each month. And if the boys go to preschool next year, their monthly education expenses fee would easily exceed RM2 k each month.
A bit heavy for us since hubby is the only main bread winner at the moment. Therefore, we could only afford to put the boys at one place while QQ urgently need to continue going to Bao Bei.
What is the boys just attend Bao Bei and not preschool?
I would say attending Bao Bei alone is quite sufficient for the boys since they are only FOUR next year. But I was actually so looking forward to have some “freedom” and we might plan to send Kakak back permanently for good next year.
Hence putting them into school would be a better choice for me since school hours are longer.
However hubby and I feel a bit wasted since the boys are progressing so well over there. Sigh…I don’t know, we shall see how it goes then….
Hi, Chinnee,
Just to share with you. My boy went to Bao Bei for a year when he was 5. He picked up new words very fast as they use flashcard methodology. He loved it as it involved lots of playing and singing. Before leaving Bao Bei, the teacher gave me boxes of flashcards for me to flash to him at home. I was busy with my fulltime job then and did not have the time to flash those cards to him as frequent as I wanted to. To make things worse, he went to an English medium kindy. I noticed that the knowledge he acquired from Bao Bei went downhill soon after quitting Bao Bei as we don’t speak Mandarin at home.
I soon realise that the effective way to learn Chinese characters is not only recognizing those characters but also being able to write them to reinforce the knowledge attained which Bao Bei is lacking. This skill is very much needed when they reach std 3 where they have to start writing essay.
Just my two cents.
Bao Bei is really very famous nowadays… So many ppl sending kids there……
Maybe you can send them twice a week instead of 5 days. Cheaper this way.
Ethan is in his 3rd week and already that banana boy is speaking Mandarin! Impressive isn’t it? We havent even utilise the entire RM410 and already seeing tremendous results! I might not even send him to Kindy next year eventhough he will be FIVE! one year in kindy is enuf as i m home-schooling him. I personally think that personalized lessons like Bao Bei is way much better than Kindy
waahh..sounds good eh? Too bad Bao Bei is so expensive
I did consider Bao Bei many, many years back when I was living in PJ. But the price was too high for my liking. I still haven’t done anything to get my children learning mandarin yet. Sigh! I really must do something about it.
Oh, I don’t know Bao Bei teaches kids recite poem as well.
Does Bao Bei teach the meaning of the words as well?
Glad to know that Qiqi is progressing well there.
I send my boy to “Teacher Yap Reading Centre”. Beside learn to recognize Mandarin words, they teach Malay too, with the meaning, “susun perkataan” and “isi tempat kosong” (for Malay only).
Like you, I am hesitate to terminate him as I know I might not be able to force him to read at home and he never learns from his teacher at school, too inattentive.
I think I’ve to consider sending XY to a Chn enrichment class as I doubt her once a wk Chn class in sch is enuf. Bao Bei sounds quite effective. Amazing that in a short 4 mths, the boys can recite Classical poems, with correct pronunctiation samo.
Have heard about this and from the progress of QQ and your boys, looks like it’s a really great program. But being a FTWM, I really don’t think I can rush home and send YY to class everyday
Happy to know that the kids are progressing so well at bao bei
However, do consider thoroughly whether to let the boys solely continue at bao bei or attend pre school next yr.
the monthly fee you talk about is 5 times a week 1.5hrs?
I always hear about this and tempted to send Zara.. but my area no centre. Tak pe lar..
I think your boys next year can go just baobei.. but then if they are going to Chinese school kindergarten is also good to send them to a English medium kindy to give them strong foundation for English.
Sigh.. difficult huh being parent?
Somebody’skid’s learning too… Merryn,I think. To master a language, must use often…practice or else ican never be fluent - like the students learning English. All half past six…
Any reviews on Smart Mandarin Kids in Damansara Heights? Please share….
Thanks :))
My kids have been at Smart Mandarin Kids in Damansara Heights past 4 years and they really love it there esp when you prepare them for classes at smart Mandarin Kids.
They are very different from Bao Bei as their concentration is on the child’s speaking rather than reading or writing. Only when my child was comfortable speaking Mandarin, they began introducing reading then writing. This is good if like my child only interested in a second language rather than the 1st.
Bao Bei is a good school to prepare child for chinese stream education.
Smart Mandarin Kids also teaches alot through fun and play. Lovely and cosy enviroment. Now my 3 kids attends classes at Smart Mandarin Kids with discount for 2nd and 3rd child. Great help!