Entrance to ASD
We are American Citizens who have just moved here from a remote town in Hungary. We have a son who is 6 yrs old and should be in the first grade. We tried to get him enrolled in ASD but he did not pass the entrance exam.
They said his reading and writing skills were below level and that we should work on those areas and try testing again at the end of January.
The school in which he came from was not very good. In a years time a very large group of international expats moved in and the school / area was not equipped to handle the international students. They had no international schools and so my son was put on the European education system (no kindergarten - school starts at first grade). The teachers had very poor English skills and where unable to control the classroom. This in turn delayed my son.
ASD said we should get him into a structured program which concentrates on the core skills. Once he has been in this program for at least 2 months, retest at ASD. If he can show considerable improvement, he will be accepted.
Who offers these kinds of services in Doha? I saw Sylvan Learning had something like they recommended, but I am not sure if its all core subjects at once or if it is one subject at a time. Has anyone else run into similar problem..... ie trying catch up the children’s education?
Cedars Tutoring Center offers this service. Also, you might want to think about placing your son down a grade. Several friends have done that with their young children. It's better than having the child struggle and struggle the rest of the year.
ASD is not the only school available in Doha, you can try exploring your options. You may check online directories and see a lot of listing under schools. All the best!