2014 P1 Registration Exercise for 2015 In-Take

[sembgal]

GLORYmum:

12mum:

But not all schools have exams in p1 & 2.

Yeah I have heard instead of exams, the students are given bite size assessments in p1. Pls verify.

Yes, bite sized tests. For SA1, my girl has to take 3 Math tests papers to get 100% overall score for Math.

[Pen88n]

lovinglife:

sembgal:

Hehe. I didn't choose within 1 km. I chose one that is very far away. But will put my child on waiting list at those popular good schools within 1km with her P1 results. This is 1 strategy to consider, provided that the child can study and score type. But my child doesn't want to change school. Wait and see approach first.

Does P1 results really help in increasing chances? P1 is not that tough to score over 90% in average. Most have no problem scoring full marks in certain subjects.

From my experience, no. Most of the popular schools already have long waitlist after the registration exercise and there are parents on waitlis hoping to get some rare vacancies when others move house or migrate.

The time when I do see more vacancies from popular schools is at end P3, when there is a group of students exiting to join the GEP programme. This is the time the school have more vacancies. However, most schools pick and choose \"talents\" by this time and the vacancies are also single digit or at most a little >10 (except for 1-2 exception).

[12mum]

GLORYmum:

12mum:

But not all schools have exams in p1 & 2.

Yeah I have heard instead of exams, the students are given bite size assessments in p1. Pls verify.

Looking at my ds' s report book, only have a pupil progress report for p1 cos no exam so no marks. p2 only a yr end test with marks.

[phtthp]

GLORYmum:

12mum:

But not all schools have exams in p1 & 2.

Yeah I have heard instead of exams, the students are given bite size assessments in p1. Pls verify.

Most primary schools -
P1 Term 1 : no weightage for all 3 subjects (English, Maths, mother tongue : Chinese / Malay / Tamil / Hindi)
No weightage in Term 1, because K2 kids just out of kindergarten / childcare centres.
Need to give them some time to adjust to, get used to Primary 1 school life socially, emotionally, academically.

P1 Term 2 :-
Weightage start, from Term 2, onwards.

From Byte size assessment for 3 subjects, weightage now assigned.
In small proportion : some byte size tasks are 10 marks, some 20 marks, some 30 marks.

For Each subject (English, Maths, mother tongue) -
weightage is then assigned for Term 2 activities, eg :-

- show & tell activities in English / Mother tongue,

- spelling / tingxie,

- Oral / reading aloud activities to test out reading proficiency of the P1 pupil,

- byte sized Review assessment hand-written Test papers,
(Include Both MCQ + Open ended qns)

- byte sized practical \"hands on\" work called Performance Tasks.
Exampe : use Lego cubes hands on, to measure the length of an object, for Maths topic \"length\", to indicate the length of an object : is how many units long ?

So, school don't call them exam anymore.
There is no exam for P1, nor P2.
School changed the naming terminology to regular Term \"Review Assessment\" papers (RA), plus Performance Tasks (PT)

Come to End of Term 2 (towards end of May) :-
School then Total up all above mentioned P1 Term 2 activities, convert everything to upon 100 marks now. So, per subject is upon 100 marks.

Inside your child's Mid year Report card (given by Form Tr), it record -
- per subject : how many Total marks achieved, and the banding right beside it (is it band 1, 2 or 3 or fail ?)

- holistic development of your child's character, behavior in class, behavior in school, socially, in front of authority like Tr and fellow peer classmates, in detail.

So, report card inside do not show results only.
But also behavior of your child, in primary school.

Now, depending on how the byte sized assessment papers had been set in your child's P1, the standard varies.

If the subject byte sized regular assessment paper had been set easy -
Many students will find it easy, to score full marks.
ESP. For subjects like Maths and sometimes, English.

But If that subject byte sized regular assessment paper is somewhat difficult -
Some students may obtain full marks.
So, it all depend on individual school's standard set, for byte size set assessments.

Now, waiting list for some super popular schools, can remain long.
Sometimes in P1 Term 1 or 2, some students from these popular schools had transferred out into other schools that are affliated to Secondary, thus creating one or two vacancies, in some P1 classes.
Because some parents worry about Psle; they prefer their child to go to affliated primary schools.

This, however, doesn't mean that the vacancies, will automatically be filled up, immediately, by some child on the waiting list.
Perhaps some schools, may do so.

But other schools may prefer to let the vacancies remain open, inside that P1 class. School not going to fill up these vacancies, immediately.
They adopt a \"wait and see\" approach.

The school may prefer to accumulate these vacancies one by one, until towards end of P3,
Where after 2 round of GEP tests in August, then school start to offer to students, on waiting list.
By then, at end of P3, school can \"pick and choose\" their preferred candidates, for Transfer.

[sembgal]

phtthp:

GLORYmum:

[quote=\"12mum\"]
But not all schools have exams in p1 & 2.

Yeah I have heard instead of exams, the students are given bite size assessments in p1. Pls verify.

Most primary schools -
P1 Term 1 : no weightage for all 3 subjects (English, Maths, mother tongue : Chinese / Malay / Tamil / Hindi)
No weightage in Term 1, because K2 kids just out of kindergarten / childcare centres.
Need to give them some time to adjust to, get used to Primary 1 school life socially, emotionally, academically.

P1 Term 2 :-
Weightage start, from Term 2, onwards.

From Byte size assessment for 3 subjects, weightage now assigned.
In small proportion : some byte size tasks are 10 marks, some 20 marks, some 30 marks.

For Each subject (English, Maths, mother tongue) -
weightage is then assigned for Term 2 activities, eg :-

- show & tell activities in English / Mother tongue,

- spelling / tingxie,

- Oral / reading aloud activities to test out reading proficiency of the P1 pupil,

- byte sized Review assessment hand-written Test papers,
(Include Both MCQ + Open ended qns)

- byte sized practical \"hands on\" work called Performance Tasks.
Exampe : use Lego cubes hands on, to measure the length of an object, for Maths topic \"length\", to indicate the length : is how many units long ?

So, school don't call them exam anymore.
There is no exam for P1, nor P2.
School changed the naming terminology to regular Term \"Review Assessment\" papers (RA), plus Performance Tasks (PT)

Come to End of Term 2 (towards end of May) :-
School then Total up all above mentioned P1 Term 2 activities, convert everything to upon 100 marks now. So, per subject is upon 100 marks.

Inside your child's Mid year Report card (given by Form Tr), it record -
- per subject : how many Total marks achieved, and the banding right beside it (is it band 1, 2 or 3 or fail ?)

- holistic development of your child's character, behavior in class, behavior in school, socially, in front of authority like Tr and fellow classmates, in detail.

So, report card does not show results only.
But also behavior of your child, in primary school.

Now, depending on how the byte sized assessment papers had been set in your child's P1, the standard varies.

If the subject byte sized regular assessment paper had been set easy -
Many students will find it easy, to score full marks.
ESP. For subjects like Maths and sometimes, English.

But If that subject byte sized regular assessment paper is somewhat difficult -
Some students may obtain full marks.
So, it all depend on individual school's standard set for byte size set assessments.

Now, waiting list for some super popular schools, can remain long.
Sometimes in P1 Term 1 or 2, some students from these popular schools had transferred out into other schools that are affliated to Secondary, thus creating one or two vacancies, in some P1 classes.
Because some parents worry about Psle; they prefer affliated primary schools.

This, however, doesn't mean that the vacancies, will automatically be filled up, immediately, by some child on the waiting list.
Perhaps some schools, may do so.

But other schools may prefer to let the vacancies remain open, inside that P1 class. School not going to fill up these vacancies, immediately.
They adopt a \"wait and see\" approach.

The school may prefer to accumulate these vacancies one by one, until towards end of P3,
Where after 2 round of GEP tests in August, then school start to offer to students, on waiting list.
By then, at end of P3, school can \"pick and choose\" their candidates, for Transfer.[/quote]Very well-said. I agree. So parents of K2 children must start preparing your children for P1 in terms of high frequency words recognition, reading, independence skills, organizational skill, numeracy skill and homework routine.

As for P1 Term 2 bite-sized assessment tests, every week at least 2 different subjects assessment spaced out from Wk 4 to WK 8. It was tough coping with the schedule on what to learn initially. My friends said P1 no exam. Yes, but the bite-sized assessments are also tests!!!! Change the vocabulary only. Like you know nowadays, preschools are not encouraged to give worksheets to children to do right? So what is the new term for worksheet? It is called recording sheets. :evil:

P1 Term 1 is really honeymoon stage. The pace picked up in P1 Term 2. Some schools will teach children on model drawing in Term 3/4. So you see parents, how can you not prepare your children for Pri 1 if you expect your children to do well?

[GLORYmum]

Wow thanks phtthp for the comprehensive write up.

[phtthp]

Don’t mention, Glorymum.


Just want to mention that besides classroom, school hall, cca activities -
The behavior of a child in school, is constantly being observed, by people around them.

Eg :
Even inside canteen or inside school bus (outside classroom situation) -
If a child misbehave or bully other kids or "pinch" / steal food from fellow classmates’ packed lunch boxes brought to school from home, without asking for permission to eat their schoolmate food, the prefects on duty inside the canteen will "catch" these bullies, and report to the bully’s class Form tr.

"Pinching" food is a bad habit.
If not corrected in a child from young, from pinch food can become pinch something else next time when they grow up, go to shopping centre.
(Shop lifting)

form tr will listen to both sides’ story, including witnesses who stepped forward, to give an account of what happen that day, inside canteen.

If there are other eye witnesses around that prove a child’s misbehavior at canteen, parents will be informed by form tr, or receive email.
If the child’s behavior is corrected, don’t repeat bully action in school anymore, then matter will be laid to rest.
But if child persist in bullying & unruly behavior in school, school will issue stern warning(s).

Persistent uncouth, unruly behavior, can be recorded inside a child’s report card - under behavior.

Primary schools now trying their best to develop a child, holistically.
Not only focus in academic matter.

[CheLee]

phtthp , thanks for the detail! Is this based on your understanding of how RGPS operates? or this is applied to all schools?


Thanks!!

[phtthp]

apply to most primary schools.


MOE had given direction to schools -
to focus on an overall, Holistic development of the child,
ie. develop all aspects of the child -
emotionally, socially, academically, physically (through revised PE exercises, done in school).

in mission schools - add in the spiritually aspect, too.

Mini, byte sized (both hand-written + hands on) assessments -
apply to all schools.
no exam in P1.
Each mini, byte sized assessment gets weighted, during P1 (Term 2 to Term 4) : can be 10, 20 or 30 marks.

at end of each Term (2 to 4) -
school Total up, from all the activities per subject, make it upon 100.

direction given from the top, by MOE -
on Holistic assessment of child development.
is up to individual school under leadership of the Principal, how Principal want to implement it, in his / her respective school.
eg:
like how much weightage to proportion to, per activity, per subject, or
how to vary the standard of the byte sized assessment set, or

under behavorial assessment of child -
school to decide what kind of group activities to conduct, such that can mix the various, different type of personality of kids inside a few small groups, to let them interact, socially ?
can be perhaps, Tr tell them a story first (Tr use Stellar Big books storybooks to tell story in class first), then later break out the whole class to form small groups, to discuss the theme of storybook, or what lessons can be learnt, or act out certain parts via drama, etc ?
Then ask them to come out stand in front of whole class, present their part or portion, one by one.
As each child stand before the class to present their part, Tr assess child on whatever rubric(s) the school had initially planned and based upon.
Sometimes, instead of verbal communication & facial expression, they can also be hand written. Each child write their own part first, then combine together, as a piece of group work done.
To assess if your child is able to write, besides able to speak, to talk and to express verbally.
From here, Tr can see which child in class is confident in expressing, or which child tend to be shy / introverted.
Need more encouragement and praises, to open up this child.
Tr assess behavior of child, through all these activities lined up.
Then, during PMT (Parents Meet Tr), feedback to parents -
whether the child is confident, or lack confidence, etc ?
if lack confidence, Tr may propose some method / solution to parents, etc.

during PMT, Tr will also feedback on your child's learning attitude.

[phtthp]

lovinglife:

Does P1 results really help in increasing chances?

P1 is not that tough to score over 90% in average.
Most have no problem scoring full marks in certain subjects.

P1 Mini byte sized Term Tests cannot be set difficult.
Because they just fresh out of kindergarten.

Schools want to make sure that our kids enjoy going to schools.
that the kids look forward to schools everyday, to learn new things, to adopt a positive attitude towards learning.

Schools want kids, to be confident.
Schools want kids, to look forward to go to school, everyday.
They just start out their journey in primary schools, only in P1.
Long way to go.
So, the P1 Tests cannot be set, difficult.
If difficult, it will put them off.
Then pupils say they don't want to go to school tomorrow, because they find this subject or that subject, difficult.
Thus, Tests are normally set in such a way where majority of students should be able to answer.
Perhaps occassionally, may throw in one or two slightly \"thinking\" questions, for Maths.

For P1 English -
Just ensure that the child had learnt the grammar rules (present tense, past tense, etc), singular, plural, sounds of animals, movement of animals, different occupations, etc.

For P1 Chinese -
Standard varies, between SAP schools vs. non SAP schools.
May take a look at a sample Test paper between these two, can tell the difference.

For P1 Maths -
If child is not careless type, normally can score full marks.
But Sometimes child don't get perfect score, because lost a lot of marks through silly, careless mistakes.
Is not that they don't know how to do.
Or sometimes, child never bother to read the question carefully word by word, or a bit lazy to read.
Just quickly do it, get it done, did not bother to check the work, again.
Carelessness, \"laziness\", are often silent killers, for Maths.

Overall, P1 is an enjoyable learning stage, for kids.
Many of them are carefree, innocent, chirpy, happy, in P1.