Will My Child Finish Their Work on Time in Primary 1?

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Will My Child Finish Their Work on Time in Primary 1?

In the recent poll conducted in the 2026 P1 Study group, the results clearly showed that most parents' biggest fear is

"My child is very slow... will they finish their classroom work on time?"

"They take so long to write... can they cope?"

"What if they can't follow the teacher's pace?"

This concern is very common and very real. The transition from K2 to P1 introduces new demands that many children are not prepared for yet.

1. Why K2 Students Struggle to Finish Work on Time in P1

1. Kindergarten pace vs Primary 1 pace

In K2:

• ·       Worksheets are few
• ·       No strict timing
• ·       Teachers guide closely
• ·       Activities are short, playful, and hands-on
  

In P1:

• ·       Tasks are longer
• ·       There is a schedule to follow
• ·       Students must complete work independently
• ·       Teachers cannot wait for every child
  

This sudden jump in workspeed expectation is the biggestshock.

2. Writing in Primary 1 is much heavier

A typical P1 child may need to:

• ·       Copy long sentences
• ·       Write numbers clearly in boxes
• ·       Do spelling
• ·       Fill in worksheets
• ·       Complete 2–3 pages of classwork
  

K2 writing is mostly:

• ·       Short words
• ·       Simple strokes
• ·       Tracing
• ·       Big letters
  

The difference in writing stamina is huge.

3. Finemotor skills are still developing

Many K2 children:

• ·       Hold the pencil too tightly/too loosely
• ·       Press too hard on paper
• ·       Write slowly to maintain neatness
• ·       Get tired after a few lines
  

If their hand muscles are weak, speed becomes a challenge.

4️. Lackof time awareness

Young children don’t understand:

·       What “10 minutes left” feels like

·       Why they must finish now

·       How to pace themselves

Most K2 children complete tasks based on interest,not timing.

2. What Happens If This Issue Is Not Fixed Early

1️. Child becomes stressed in school

When a child repeatedly cannot finish:

·       Teacher comments worry them

·       They feel slow compared to others

·       Confidence drops

·       They start to dislike school

The child begins to think:

“I cannot do it.”

2️. Homework piles up

If they don’t finish in school → they bring it home.
Parents get frustrated → Child becomes more stressed → Cycle repeats.

3️. Teacher may perceive the child as disengaged

Even if the child is smart, slow writing gives theimpression:

·       Not paying attention

·       Not listening

·       Not trying

This affects class participation and group activities.

4️. They fall behind academically

If the child is always catching up during class, they:

·       Miss important explanations

·       Forget instructions

·       Rush through work and make mistakes

·       Lose interest in learning

5️. Long-term impact on confidence

If the child constantly feels:

“I’m slower than others”

“I always cannot finish”

They may become:

• ·       Afraid of challenges
• ·       Dependent on parents
• ·       Unwilling to try new tasks
• 
  
  

This affects P2–P3 performance too.

3. How Parents Can Help Improve This within 4–6 Weeks

1. Train Pencil Control

• ·       Peg board activities
• ·       Lego building
• ·       Playdough shaping
• ·       Lacing cards
• ·       Scissor cutting
• ·       Bead threading
• ·       Tweezers to pick items
  

These improve:

·       Grip

·       Hand strength

·       Smooth writing

·       Speed

2. Build Writing Stamina

Daily 5-Minute Writing

Ask your child to write:

·       Numbers 1–20

·       Simple short words

·       Short sentences

Do it 5 minutes a day, not 30 minutes.

Small, consistent practice builds speed naturally.

3. Time Awareness Training

Teach your child what 1 minute feels like.

Example game:

·       Set timer for 1 minute

·       Ask child to write numbers as far as they can

·       Stop at 1 minute

·       Show progress

·       Celebrate improvement

This builds:

• Pace
• Awareness
• Motivation     to beat their score
  

4. Reduce Perfection Syndrome

Many kids write slowly because they want their strokes tobe perfect.

Tell them:
Neat is good. But first focus on finishing, then decorating

Speed is also important.

Show examples of “acceptable neatness”.

5. Celebrate Every Improvement

Motivate them:

·       Stickers

·       1- minute achievements

·       “You wrote 3 more numbers than yesterday!”

·       “You finished one page faster!”

Kids improve fast when the progress is visible.

Finishing Work on Time is a Skill, Not aTalent

And skills take time to develop, also, they are young