Primary 1 English Tuition Singapore
Phonics, first reading books and the step up from K2, taught 1-to-1 at home or online
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No contract and no minimum number of lessons. The first lesson is a paid trial at the tutor's rate. Cancel or reschedule at least 24 hours ahead, or that lesson is charged.
- Typical rate
- S$25 to S$80/hr
- Your shortlist
- 2 to 4 tutors in 16h
- Wrong fit?
- Free re-match
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Primary 1 English Tuition rates in Singapore
Hourly rates by level. Each bar runs from a part-time tutor to an ex-MOE teacher.
Rates by type of tutor, as a table
| Level | Part-time / undergrad | Full-time | Ex-MOE or NIE-trained |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Primary (P1-P4) | S$25-35/hr | S$35-45/hr | S$50-70/hr |
| Upper Primary / PSLE (P5-P6) | S$30-40/hr | S$40-55/hr | S$60-80/hr |
The final rate is set when you choose a tutor. See all tuition rates for 2027.
Signs your P1 child needs help with English
Most P1 struggles in English are about turning letters into words and words into meaning. These are the signs parents usually spot at home in the first two terms.
Your child knows the letter names but cannot blend sounds, so c-a-t stays three separate sounds instead of the word cat.
Reading aloud is mostly guessing from the picture, and the guessing breaks down on a page with no picture.
Common words that cannot be sounded out, such as said, was and the, still need help every single time.
Writing a sentence stalls at the first word, or comes out with no capital letter, no full stop and no spaces.
1 more
In front of the class, such as at show and tell, your child answers in one word or not at all.
Each of these is normal for some children in P1. What matters is that each one gets steady, patient practice before the habits set.
The grade, explained
How PSLE Achievement Levels work
Each subject gets an AL from 1 (best) to 8. The four ALs add up to the PSLE score, from 4 to 32.
- AL190 and above
- AL285 to 89
- AL380 to 84
- AL475 to 79
- AL565 to 74
- AL645 to 64
- AL720 to 44
- AL8Below 20
Source: MOE PSLE scoring.
What a P1 English tutor works on
The MOE syllabus covers six areas: listening and viewing, reading and viewing, speaking and representing, writing and representing, grammar and vocabulary. In P1 a tutor weaves them into short, varied activities, with sounds and reading at the centre.
Sounds and word reading
Hearing the sounds in a word, matching them to letters, and blending them quickly enough to read.
Topics covered
- Single letter sounds, said cleanly
- Blending sounds into short words
- Breaking a spoken word into sounds to spell it
- Two letters making one sound, such as sh, ch and th
- Common sight words that do not follow the rules
- Rereading a page until it sounds smooth
Reading and talking about books
Short books read together, then talked about, so reading is always tied to meaning.
Topics covered
- Predicting from the cover and title
- Who, what and where questions after each page
- Retelling the story in your child's own words
- Using picture clues without relying on them
- Collecting new words from each book
Speaking and listening
Clear speech in full sentences, and listening long enough to follow a short story or set of instructions.
Topics covered
- Answering in a full sentence
- Describing a picture in three or four sentences
- Clear pronunciation of word endings
- Taking turns in a conversation
- Following spoken instructions with two or three steps
First writing
The syllabus starts P1 writing with writing readiness and print script, then simple sentences.
Topics covered
- Forming letters correctly in print script
- Capital letters, full stops and finger spaces
- Spelling common words for the year
- Writing two or three sentences about a picture
- Joining ideas with and, but and because
From K2 to P1: what changes in English
The move to Primary 1 changes how English is taught, how often your child reads alone, and how progress is reported. This is what each change means at home.
| What changes in P1 | What it means for your child | How a tutor helps |
|---|---|---|
| Phonics comes first | The MOE syllabus starts P1 with phonemic awareness, phonics and early literacy, so sounds matter more than letter names. | Checks every letter sound in the first lesson and teaches blending before longer books. |
| Reading alone, not only being read to | Lower Primary reading aims for accuracy and fluency through word recognition, so your child is expected to read short texts aloud. | Reads with your child every lesson and picks books at the right level, a little harder each month. |
| Writing in sentences | Writing starts with print script and spelling common words, then moves to a few sentences about a picture or an event. | Practises a short sentence or two every lesson, with capital letters, full stops and spaces checked together. |
| Progress in words, not marks | There are no weighted assessments or exams in P1, so feedback comes as comments from the teacher. | Sends you a plain monthly note on what your child now reads and writes without help. |
| Speaking up in class | Speaking in the syllabus covers clear pronunciation and recounting, entertaining and instructing others. | Gives your child time to talk in full sentences, which a busy class cannot always give. |
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MOE English Language Syllabus 2020 (Primary), on phonics at the start of P1 and the Lower Primary outcomes. MOE's own link has moved, so this is the archived copy. Open the syllabus PDF.
MOE on removing weighted assessments and exams in P1 and P2. Read the MOE release.
A P1 English plan for 2027, term by term
A sample plan for a child starting Primary 1 in January 2027, set against the 2027 school terms. The tutor follows your child's pace and your school's order, so treat the details as a guide.
- Term 1: 4 Jan to 12 Mar 2027Sounds and settling inEvery letter sound checked, blending short words, and a short book read aloud at each lesson.
- Term 2: 22 Mar to 28 May 2027Letter pairs and sight wordsSounds such as sh, ch and th, plus the common words that cannot be sounded out, used in real sentences.
- June holidays: 29 May to 27 Jun 2027A daily reading habitTen minutes of reading aloud at home each day, with the tutor choosing books and checking progress.
- Term 3: 28 Jun to 3 Sep 2027Reading for meaningRetelling stories, answering why questions, and writing two or three sentences about each book.
- Term 4: 13 Sep to 19 Nov 2027Short pieces of writingA few linked sentences about a weekend or a picture, with spelling and punctuation checked together.
- 20 Nov to 31 Dec 2027Ready for P2Longer books over the holidays, so reading stays fluent before the P2 year begins.
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MOE school terms and holidays for 2027. See the 2027 calendar.
The year after is set out on our Primary 2 English tuition page.
Before you book a P1 English tutor
What P1 parents usually ask before the first lesson.
| Question | For Primary 1 |
|---|---|
| Which tutor suits P1? | A patient tutor who has taught phonics and early reading to young children, and who keeps lessons short and varied. An undergraduate tutor with lower primary experience often suits P1 well. The profile tells you whether the tutor has taught phonics before. |
| What does it cost? | P1 English is in the Lower Primary band: S$25 to S$35 an hour with an undergraduate tutor, S$35 to S$45 with a full-time tutor and S$50 to S$70 with an ex-MOE teacher. Four 1-hour English lessons with an undergraduate tutor come to S$100 to S$140. |
| How does it start? | Tell us your child's school, the home language and what worries you most, such as reading or writing. We send 2 to 4 tutor profiles within 16 hours. The first lesson is a paid trial at the tutor's hourly rate. |
| What are the terms? | No contract and no minimum, so you can try a term and decide. Cancel or move a lesson at least 24 hours ahead, or it is charged. If the fit is wrong, we re-match you free. |
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Primary 1 English Tuition: a guide for parents
Primary 1 is where English stops being songs and stories read to your child and becomes something your child does alone. The MOE English Language Syllabus 2020 asks schools to give attention to phonemic awareness, phonics and early literacy at the start of P1, because reading fluency in every later year rests on it. In practice that means hearing the separate sounds in a word, matching each sound to letters, and blending them back into a word fast enough that the meaning is not lost.
Read the full guide
Some children arrive from K2 already reading short books. Others know their letters by name but not by sound. A P1 English tutor finds out which, in the first lesson, and starts there rather than at page one of a workbook.
Our P1 English tutors teach 1-to-1, at home or online. A typical hour moves between three things: sounds and word reading, a short book read together and talked about, and a few sentences written by your child. Since 2019, P1 and P2 pupils in MOE schools have no weighted assessments or exams, so school feedback comes in words rather than marks. That is good for a six year old, but it means a gap in reading can go unseen until P3.
The tutor tells you plainly what your child can read and write alone each month. Tell us what worries you, and we send 2 to 4 tutor profiles on WhatsApp within 16 hours, each with qualifications, experience and the hourly rate.
Here is how a tutor teaches a P1 child to read the word ship. First the tutor says it slowly and asks how many sounds your child hears. The answer is three, sh, i and p, even though there are four letters. The tutor draws three dots under the word and your child touches each dot while saying the sound, then sweeps a finger under the whole word to blend it. Next come chip and shop, so your child sees that sh and ch each make one sound.
Then the words go into a sentence: The ship is on the sea. The word the cannot be sounded out, so it is practised as a sight word. Reading a full sentence at the end keeps the lesson about meaning, not only sounds.
Official syllabus: MOE Singapore · SEAB Singapore
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Primary 1 English Tuition: frequently asked questions
Should my child start English tuition before P1?
Not always. If your child enjoys books, knows most letter sounds and can say a few sentences about a picture, school will build from there. Tuition before or early in P1 helps most when letter sounds are shaky, when English is not the main home language, or when your child is anxious about reading. A tutor can check in one lesson and tell you honestly.
Are there English exams in Primary 1?
No. Since 2019, P1 and P2 pupils in MOE primary schools have no weighted assessments or examinations, and schools report learning with descriptions rather than marks. Teachers still check reading, spelling and writing in class. A P1 tutor gives you a clear monthly picture of what your child reads and writes alone, which helps when the school report is in words only.
Our family speaks another language at home. Will P1 English be hard?
It can feel fast in the first term, mainly in speaking and in understanding stories read aloud. The answer is more English talk and more books, not more worksheets. A tutor gives your child time to speak in full sentences, hears every word read aloud, and corrects pronunciation gently. Most children settle quickly with steady practice.
How much does Primary 1 English tuition cost?
P1 is in our Lower Primary band. Hourly rates are S$25 to S$35 with an undergraduate tutor, S$35 to S$45 with a full-time tutor and S$50 to S$70 with an ex-MOE teacher. Most P1 families book one lesson a week of about an hour, because a six year old learns more from short, regular sessions than from long ones.
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