How to get shy kid ready for IS interview

[wegetable]

I think part of the reason my son didn't do well in any of the international school interview we went to was because of his shy personality. He is extremely shy and very stubborn, either he wants to talk or he doesn't. The last interview he attended, he told me what the teacher asked him, he knew all the answers but he said he talked very little because he didn't want to stay there too long. Now I have to think about putting P2 application in the few next months for 2012/2013, we will be in the same predicament again if he doesn't talk. Is there anything you all do to help your kids to prepare them for school interviews?

 

[Viv2011]

Hi Wegetable. Glad you have opened a topic on this. I also want to prepare my boy for the interview - we have one coming up in April, and we have to fly all the way there, so would like to make sure he is well prepared. What kind of questions were you little boy asked at the interviews he attended?
Viv

 

[wegetable]

It depends on the school really. The hard core interview we went to, it was math (count the number by 3), reading readiness, phonics, building things with blocks (not that simple, I suspect they were questions too while the kids building the blocks to test them on numerous topics), and how they play with other kids. That was just P1 intervew though, I was told from P2 on, there would be written test as well. The 2nd tier school we went to was easier, just shapes, phonics, alphbets.. but the kid still has to talk. My kid knows all the above but unless he is in a good mood, he is not going to say much. I found my son did better during group intervew than one on one, he came out telling me he made few friends and how fun it was building things. My son's teacher suggested mock interview but it has to be done by different people rather than just one person whom he is familiar to.

 

[Viv2011]

Thanks wegetable. That's really good to know. Is your boy in a school already but looking to move to another school? We are moving in June, and really hope we can secure something for August start.