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Chinese Compre Class: Strengthening Reading and Understanding Skills

Why So Many Students Struggle With Chinese Comprehension

If your child dreads Chinese exams — especially comprehension sections — they’re not alone.

Many primary school students struggle to understand what they read in written Chinese, and even more so, how to answer clearly under exam conditions.

This isn’t about laziness. It’s about the gaps in learning Chinese, compounded by pressure to memorise rather than understand.

At MandarinStars, we’ve worked with hundreds of students across different primary school years, and we’ve seen one clear truth:

“Comprehension is not just a test of vocabulary — it’s a combination of reading, thinking, and responding. It’s a skillset that can be taught.”

That’s exactly what a well-designed Chinese Compre Class should deliver — not worksheets, but comprehension skills.

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What Makes Chinese Comprehension So Challenging?

Unlike subjects like Math or Science where logic and formulas can lead to predictable answers, Chinese comprehension requires students to:

  • Your child’s Chinese language proficiency
  • Their ability to learn in a group setting
  • How they respond to different teaching methods

All while under timed exam conditions, based on the local school syllabus.

And yet, most enrichment classes and tuition programs don’t explicitly teach how to do these things. Instead, children are given past-year papers and told to “read more Chinese books” or “memorise phrases.”

Here’s the problem: that advice helps strong students improve.

But it doesn’t help struggling ones catch up.

What You Should Look for in a Chinese Compre Class:
5 Key Skills Every Class Should Build

While many standard Chinese classes focus on worksheets and drilling, the best programmes are designed to build specific comprehension skills, improve language proficiency, and prepare students for long-term success in Chinese exams

Reading for Purpose

Strong readers understand why they are reading — not just what. A structured class should teach students to:

  • Identify main ideas, themes, and tone
  • Recognise key characters and their intentions
  • Read with curiosity, not confusion

This skill enables students to move beyond surface reading and develop a deeper understanding of passages — a critical component of both written Chinese and oral discussion.

Identifying & Responding Question Types

There are only a few types of questions that show up again and again in MOE comprehension papers:

  • Factual: “What happened?”
  • Inferential: “Why did he do that?”
  • Opinion-based: “Do you agree?”

A great comprehension class will train students to quickly recognise the question types and apply the right answering technique.

This reduces exam anxiety and increases answer accuracy, especially under time pressure.

Expanding Vocabulary Through Context

A high-quality class will help students grow their vocabulary not through memorisation, but through context-based learning. Look for a curriculum that:

  • Groups vocabulary by theme (e.g., environment, emotions)
  • Teaches students to guess meaning using context clues
  • Incorporates new words directly into practice exercises

This builds a stronger, more natural relationship with the Chinese language — boosting both comprehension and listening comprehension abilities.

Structing Clear, Exam-Ready Answers

One of the most common reasons students lose marks? They understand the question, but don’t know how to answer.

The right Chinese Compre Class should include:

  • Answer templates and scaffolds
  • Sentence starters and linking phrases
  • Grammar support tailored to the student’s level

This skill helps children produce clear, complete, and grammatically sound responses — which is exactly what PSLE markers are looking for.

Memory Techniques and Visual Learning Tools

Struggling learners often benefit from visual aids and memory strategies. Effective classes use tools like:

  • Colour-coded passage breakdowns
  • Visual prompts for high-frequency characters
  • Mind maps and storyboards

These teaching methods keep students engaged, support different learning styles, and reinforce retention — especially for children with ADHD, dyslexia, or processing difficulties.

Wondering where to find the right class that includes all five of the above skills?
Check out MandarinStars Programmes and learn how we can be the right fit for your child’s journey!

How Our Chinese Compre Class Helps Your Child

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Boost Oral Confidence Through Practice

Children get to practice conversational Chinese in real-life situations, helping them speak more fluently and confidently in preparation for oral exams and daily communication.

Build a Stronger Foundation Without Rote Learning

Forget memorising word lists. We use games and hands-on activities to teach vocabulary and sentence structure in a way that actually sticks.

Learn Through Play in a Full Mandarin Environment

From themed games to interactive storytelling, every part of the day is conducted in Mandarin — helping your child get immersed in the language naturally.

Discover That Chinese Can Be Fun and Relatable

We use real-life topics and creative tasks to show kids how Chinese is relevant to their world — shifting their mindset from “I hate Chinese” to “Hey, this is actually fun!”

Return to School With a Head Start

Our campers go back to class better prepared, more confident, and ahead in vocabulary, speaking, and comprehension — without ever feeling like they were studying.

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Real Stories from Real Parents

Still Not Convinced? Look at Our Results Straight From The Source

Irvin: K2 in 2024, preparing for Primary 1 in 2025

Initial Challenges:

  • Could not speak, understand, read, or write Chinese
  • Displayed task avoidant behaviours during class (e.g., walking around, lying on the floor)
  • Could not follow simple instructions in Chinese
  • Rejected by other enrichment centres due to lack of Chinese foundation

MandarinStars Approach:

  • Placed in one-on-one Mandarin lessons to build foundational learning and classroom behaviour
  • Focused on gradually preparing him for group class participation
  • Lessons incorporated multi-sensory techniques to support his learning needs

Results After 5 Months:

  • Understood teacher’s instructions without English translation
  • Could read and recognise basic Chinese characters
  • Displayed calm and focused behaviour during lessons
  • Scored 8/15 on Term 4 MandarinStars mock test—up from zero comprehension. This improvement in just 5 months is a testament to our belief that the right curriculum is essential to supporting each student’s unique learning needs and unlocking their full potential.

Primary 1 Achievements (2025):

  • Scored 10/15 on Term 1 MandarinStars mock test
  • Achieved full marks in his school’s 听写 (Chinese spelling test)
  • No longer displayed avoidant or disruptive behaviour in class
  • More importantly, the student developed a more confident and positive mindset toward learning, which has since transferred to other subjects in school and at home.

Zhiwen: Primary 3 (2024) with dyslexia

Initial Challenges:

  • Intermediate level in spoken Mandarin, but severe difficulties in:
  • Recognising Chinese characters
  • Reading school textbooks
  • Completing school worksheets independently
  • Required help understanding new vocabulary from the P3 curriculum
  • Could not read many words from Primary 1 and 2 textbooks which affected performance in Primary 3

MandarinStars Strategy:

  • Enrolled in Primary 3 physical classes and Primary 2 online reading classes simultaneously
  • Goal: Strengthen recognition of high-frequency characters from lower primary levels
  • Emphasis on filling gaps in Primary 1–3 Chinese literacy to support long-term academic success

Learning Breakthroughs:

  • Rapid improvement in character recognition using MandarinStars’ unique word recognition methods
  • Able to apply memory techniques independently—even outside of class
  • Reading skills strengthened significantly; writing skills showed steady progress

7 Months after MandarinStars Lessons:

  • Passed his Primary 3 year-end exam in 2024, a major milestone for a student with dyslexia
  • In Primary 4, scored 24 out of 35 on his school’s Weighted Assessment

✅ An especially notable result given the increasing exam complexity at higher grades!

Justin: Primary 4 student (2023) with mild autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia & language processing disorder

Initial Challenges:

  • Very weak foundation in reading and writing Chinese (2-year Chinese literacy gap)
  • Could not read basic characters from lower primary syllabus
  • Required intensive support and was not able to express himself in Chinese

MandarinStars Intervention:

  • Started with online reading classes focusing on textbook vocabulary (P2–P5)
  • Later joined weekly Comprehensive Primary 4 physical classes
  • Parents intentionally chose Standard Chinese lessons at MandarinStars to build resilience and long-term skills
  • Attended both online and in-person lessons weekly

Progress in 2023:

  • Scored 3/15 (Paper 1) and 14/45 (Paper 2) in P4 end-of-year exam

Progress in 2024:

  • Scored 10/15 in P5 Weighted Assessment 2 (first time passing Chinese test in school)
  • Developed visual memory techniques for character recognition
  • Began reading and completing Chinese exercises independently

Progress in 2025:

  • Scored 13/15 in P6 Weighted Assessment 1
  • Gained fluency and confidence in speaking Chinese
  • Improved reading and oral skills
  • Demonstrated confidence and interest in Chinese language learning

Faith: Primary 3 student with dyslexia and high intellectual ability

Initial Challenges:

  • Struggled to remember Chinese words and had difficulty reading many high-frequency Chinese words
  • Failing Chinese tests, especially reading and comprehension
  • Low confidence due to ongoing struggles

MandarinStars Intervention:

  • Focused on building a strong reading and spelling foundation
  • Applied unique methods tailored to her learning needs
  • Close parental support and strong personal motivation from Faith

Results by End of Primary 4:

Passed her end-of-year Chinese exams with results:

  • Paper 2: 34.5/45
  • Listening Comprehension: 6/10
  • Composition: 6/15

Awarded Edusave Merit Award for being in the top 25% of her school level

Ongoing Progress in
Primary 5:

  • Continued improvement in reading, writing, and language skills
  • MandarinStars program helped bridge learning gaps to meet higher academic demands

Jaden: Primary 4 student who attended multiple private tuition centres and home tutoring sessions without improvement

Initial Challenges:

  • Could not read many words at Primary 3 level
  • Significant foundational gaps in reading and spelling
  • Scored less than 10 marks (AL8) in Chinese prior to joining MandarinStars

MandarinStars Intervention:

  • Focused on rebuilding foundational reading and spelling skills
  • Used MandarinStars’ unique teaching methods to help him “learn how to learn”
  • Emphasised long-term literacy and comprehension strategies over rote memorisation

Results in Primary 5:

  • Improved to 28 marks (AL7) in Chinese within 8 months
  • Progressed one Achievement Level band, a significant milestone at upper primary level
  • Demonstrated commitment and effort as demands of curriculum increased

Erica: Primary 2 student (Term 3, 2024) with dyslexia

Initial Challenges:

  • Strong spoken Mandarin, but severe difficulty in reading and character recognition
  • Scored 16/40 (40%) in school Chinese test before joining

Literacy challenges caused low confidence and performance in written Chinese

MandarinStars Intervention:

  • Enrolled in MandarinStars’ dyslexia-friendly programme
  • Used specialised character encoding techniques for memory retention
  • Created a fun, encouraging learning environment to boost confidence

Progress in Two Terms:

Passed her end-of-year Chinese exams with results:

  • Gained reading fluency and comprehension
  • Started enjoying Chinese lessons and looked forward to class

Results in Primary 3:

  • Consistently scores full marks in school Chinese spelling tests
  • Achieved 29/30 (96%) in Weighted Assessment 2
  • Shows increased confidence, motivation, and learning enjoyment

With the right curriculum, support, and encouragement, any child can thrive.

Your child could be next — WHATSAPP US NOW

Looking to join for our regular programmes?

Book for Our Trial Class Today

Every new student at MandarinStars starts with a trial lesson — and for good reason.

This isn’t just a class. It’s a chance for us to understand your child’s level in reading, writing, and learning pace — so we can place them in the right class for their needs.

During the trial, our teachers will observe:

  • Your child’s Chinese language proficiency
  • Their ability to learn in a group setting
  • How they respond to different teaching methods

After the class, we’ll speak with you directly to share our assessment, explain how our programmes work, and let you know if your child can continue in the same time slot.

This way, every student — no matter how weak or strong — gets to learn in a class where they feel encouraged, supported, and empowered to improve.

Book Your Trial Class Today and Let Us Match Your Child to the Perfect Learning Group.

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Here’s what your child will gain:

✅ Oral practice to strengthen communication

✅ Vocabulary-building games, songs, and storytelling

✅ Full Mandarin immersion with zero pressure

✅ A strong foundation that aligns with the school syllabus

✅ Small group size for personal attention and engagement

✅ A fun, confidence-building environment that keeps kids coming back

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