2014 PSLE Discussions and Strategy
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janet_lee88:
I think this shows that models are not taught properly in Pr school. Models foreshadow algebra for younger kids who are not yet ready for the abstraction of algebra. It should be an 'aha' moment for kids to see algebra used to solve problems as they should be able to recognise how the models they learned earlier are simply algebra in pictorial form. If they don't experience the 'aha' moment, they were probably taught to memorise the model methods rather than really understand them.
TOTALLY AGREE!!!zbear:
My kids say Sec School Maths is so much easier than PSLE.
They think its really stupid to force Primary School kids to use Models n then switch to Algebra in Sec School to solve problems becos Algebra is much easier to understand n use.
So when you go to Sec School, pls give back all your Models to your Pri School as you no longer need to use them. U have to unlearn what you learn for Maths.
some damage done to the kids about pushing them to learn MODELS...UNLEARN models when they graduate from primary school.
spend the dec holidays building foundation for sec 1 math. -
My dd still using guess and check in prelim. Managed to solve though.
I think there are alternative methods to the same question -
Isn't the units and parts in model almost equivalent to the x and y in algebra?
My Dd is better at units than modelling.
:offtopic:
Anyone knows when the booklet for choosing secondary school for 2015 would be given out to the current P6s?
TIA. -
BlueBells:
It is! It's basically two unknowns, two equations...Isn't the units and parts in model almost equivalent to the x and y in algebra?
My Dd is better at units than modelling.
:offtopic:
Anyone knows when the booklet for choosing secondary school for 2015 would be given out to the current P6s?
TIA. -
Nebbermind:
Ya lor...just disguise algebra with many fancy names and then draw \"blood sweat\" money out of parents.
It is! It's basically two unknowns, two equations...BlueBells:
Isn't the units and parts in model almost equivalent to the x and y in algebra?
My Dd is better at units than modelling.
:offtopic:
Anyone knows when the booklet for choosing secondary school for 2015 would be given out to the current P6s?
TIA.
But having said this, perhaps there are some kids who really cannot handshake with Mr x and Mr y until secondary level....somehow the connection is missing until the time is right. So for this type, bo pian must use other terminology first. -
slmkhoo:
I think this shows that models are not taught properly in Pr school. Models foreshadow algebra for younger kids who are not yet ready for the abstraction of algebra. It should be an 'aha' moment for kids to see algebra used to solve problems as they should be able to recognise how the models they learned earlier are simply algebra in pictorial form. If they don't experience the 'aha' moment, they were probably taught to memorise the model methods rather than really understand them.
Drawing models in lower pri is straight forward. As they go higher, they need to deploy more brainwork...no longer substituting numbers into the blocks and Viola! ...answer!! Knowing what value to go into which block is an art...the 'cher can only teach that much. The rest is up to each kid how much their can exercise their brain...or thru some kind of rote learning where they practise and practise tonnes of assessment papers and they accumulate this huge database of questions in their brain where they can call up anytime. But that is also limited to how much memory space the kid has...
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Nebbermind:
...or thru some kind of rote learning where they practise and practise tonnes of assessment papers and they accumulate this huge database of questions in their brain where they can call up anytime.
That's not really learning and understanding Maths, though. It's just learning how to do Maths questions, which is not the same thing. I know some kids just don't get it in Maths, and I have one of those so I know how frustrating it can be to teach such kids. I just think the flak that modelling in Pr school gets is not very fair - it's a fact of life that some kids just don't get it at P6, and it's not entirely because of the methods! -
sushi88:
Ya lor...just disguise algebra with many fancy names and then draw \"blood sweat\" money out of parents.
It is! It's basically two unknowns, two equations...Nebbermind:
[quote=\"BlueBells\"]Isn't the units and parts in model almost equivalent to the x and y in algebra?
My Dd is better at units than modelling.
:offtopic:
Anyone knows when the booklet for choosing secondary school for 2015 would be given out to the current P6s?
TIA.
But having said this, perhaps there are some kids who really cannot handshake with Mr x and Mr y until secondary level....somehow the connection is missing until the time is right. So for this type, bo pian must use other terminology first.[/quote]thought there're some similarities btw models and algebra too, but as we go higher level, like nbm said, it no longer is that straight fwd esp wrt fractions/percentages...need to employ some other strategies where nec.
this model drawing thingy came abt in the 90s right? I rem hving to learn it in order to teach my students (when I was a PT Math tutor. :yikes:) at that time, I thought it was so much easier than algebra, but looks to me it's getting more n more complicated these days.
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slmkhoo:
It's a fact that they donch really learn much in pri school. Just look at the textbook they have....and also, they can break this 1% group from the regular curriculum where they'll spend two+ year focusing mostly write-ups, case studies etc....and then back to earth 6 mths prior to PSLE and most can still do more than OK...Nebbermind:
...or thru some kind of rote learning where they practise and practise tonnes of assessment papers and they accumulate this huge database of questions in their brain where they can call up anytime.
That's not really learning and understanding Maths, though. It's just learning how to do Maths questions, which is not the same thing. I know some kids just don't get it in Maths, and I have one of those so I know how frustrating it can be to teach such kids. I just think the flak that modelling in Pr school gets is not very fair - it's a fact of life that some kids just don't get it at P6, and it's not entirely because of the methods!
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Nebbermind:
It's a fact that they donch really learn much in pri school. Just look at the textbook they have....and also, they can break this 1% group from the regular curriculum where they'll spend two+ year focusing mostly write-ups, case studies etc....and then back to earth 6 mths prior to PSLE and most can still do more than OK...
The 1% is the top 1%? I can believe that they don't need much time to prepare for PSLE. I have one daughter who is strong in Maths, and she didn't have any trouble with PSLE Maths even though she was studying it mostly on her own with a little help from my husband. She only joined Singapore school 3 mths before the exams. From what I see in my daughters who are at the opposite ends of the Maths spectrum, if the student understands the Maths, it's all easy; if the student doesn't/can't understand, it's blood-sweat-toil-tears and hair-tearing! It's not that they don't learn much in Pr school, I believe, but some kids get it faster and others need the full 6 yrs (and probably more). At higher levels, it's the same - one girl copes fine with A Maths, while the other one struggled so hard to even pass E Maths (we never even considered asking her to try A Maths).
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