Mindstretcher - Discussion

[double ens]

hmm. the staff did not asked much. But when my dd was there, the teacher looked very surprised… so i think she was not informed on my boy make up class.


I am still monitoring closely on my DD progress. My DD was asked to copy the composition from the worksheet to an A4 paper for the past 2 weeks, which the teacher has walked through with them… She said practise make the kids to remember…

[Starling]

Hi

I also notice the trend of copying composition for the past weeks, but am still monitoring the progress to see whether there is any improvement. Does copying really help? I have to be objective although am not an expert in English. At the end if the day, I wish to see improvement for the time spent on attending course after school.

Will have to spend time going through his weak areas
Time is not enough.
:scared:

[Lalamum]

Any opinions/feedback about the Writer’s Tool Box in Mindstretcher? Is it good? Any feeback, please.

[sunshine79]

Any K2 child attend mindstretch at Clementi Mall for the P1 preparatory class? Care to share your views.

Understand now they only have the Sun class there is no sat class. I am in the west area hence looking around for a good English n math enrichment.

[double ens]

Frankly I don’t like the " copying" concept.

And after 3 weeks of the lesson, can see my kid start to feel bored over the copying work. I try to explain to make it more " interesting" like suggest him to change the sentence which apply to him.

Besides what he needs to know as per moe requirement, I hope his learming journey is full of fun and not we pay $ and let the tutor to kill off his interest.

I don’t know how the writer tool box way of teaching, also copying ???

[HAPPYH]

double ens:

Frankly I don't like the \" copying\" concept.

And after 3 weeks of the lesson, can see my kid start to feel bored over the copying work. I try to explain to make it more \" interesting\" like suggest him to change the sentence which apply to him.

Besides what he needs to know as per moe requirement, I hope his learming journey is full of fun and not we pay $ and let the tutor to kill off his interest.

I don't know how the writer tool box way of teaching, also copying ???

yes.

[double ens]

HAPPYH:

double ens:

Frankly I don't like the \" copying\" concept.

And after 3 weeks of the lesson, can see my kid start to feel bored over the copying work. I try to explain to make it more \" interesting\" like suggest him to change the sentence which apply to him.

Besides what he needs to know as per moe requirement, I hope his learming journey is full of fun and not we pay $ and let the tutor to kill off his interest.

I don't know how the writer tool box way of teaching, also copying ???

yes.

Then this is bad.. now think should I switch to other center...

[phtthp]

Starling:

Hi

I also notice the trend of copying composition for the past weeks, but am still monitoring the progress to see whether there is any improvement. Does copying really help?

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum ... 94&t=18458

[zeemimi]

Copying does have its uses. It reinforces some of the vocab and writing styles learned.


No one method employed by a tuition agency suits every child.

I like the progress my elder one made at MS writer’s toolbox. His writing skills was very much polished after 1 year with them and was moved up to the HA class. He didn’t complain about the copying. Probably because he’s older and can write fast.
But my younger one is complaining about copying because it is tedious. One thing is she is younger, at lower pri, but she has learned quite a fair bit of vocab there.

[jetsetter]

I guess it depends on your child's learning style and only you'll know how best to optimise his learning. If time is of the essence (which is usually the case when parents entrust their kids to centres to seek a quick n dirty fix to tackle the upcoming CA/SA), then I must say WRITING it down does help some pp remember creative phrases/vocab better.


Some individuals simply can't recall nor apply stuffs they gleaned from dozens of books they read. Interesting words/expressions just don't get lodged to their brains for some reason.

Some studies hv shown that writing (be it note-taking or copying) helps one remember better. The copying process is a complex one which involves: looking at the draft (scan/'xerox'), mapping it to a part of your brain (encode), deciphering it (decode), writing it down on paper (replicate) and simultaneously looking at the replica you've just produced (reinforce)...

Hving said that, I don't think it's the right way for the centre to get students to copy the model compo wholesale a few times, without explaining to them how to employ the right essay techniques (or have they?!). It's laborious, rigid and leaves the little one little room for creativity/clouds imagination.

Anyway, I suspect it might work for non-native spkrs of Eng or those hard-pressed for time to turnaround something decent... These are the one who probably hadn't had the opp to read widely when they were little/they'd zero interest in reading/they'd no ready access to good reads/they are logical thinkers who prefer to be succinct/they've been skimming their novels for years and parents didn't realise that, etc.

If you hv the capability and bandwidth to curate readers and coach your dc, and your dc happen to also love reading AND hv a flair for writing, you will think the copy method is flawed.

I know of another centre that also gets students to WRITE out vocab, their synonyms and meanings, idioms as homework so that they can remember better. But applying them appropriately and weaving them into a coherent and compelling narrative require another set of skills.