Totally normal. I have a 9 yr old son who used to be like that when he entered P1. He does not even know how to read but with great guidance from both teacher and Parent Support Group (a fellow mummy who taught kids to read at KidsRead), he can read and speak fluently today. He was also really bad in Maths so he needed time to pick up. I made sure I am always there when he does his homework.
My advice - do not ever push your children. Let them learn on their own phase. It's ok to be slow. What matters is they learn by heart. The more you push them, the more they hate to learn and it'll only put up more stress on them. Btw, P1 does not learn multiplication.
My son is in P3 and has been in a good class and would move to a much better class next year where students are fast learners. I am forever thankful to his teachers for the patience and guidance.
Anonymous