All About Preparing For Secondary 1

[janet88]

new_to_sec1:

I am not sure if I am doing a bit too much. Or is it too little? My girl is my only child, so I don't have prior experience with regards to secondary curriculum. Would fellow parents like to share what they have done?

get her to read newspapers everyday.

[sharonkhoo]

new_to_sec1:

I heard that psle results will be released only around 21st - 24th November this year. But there is nothing much to do for now, and I am thinking of giving my daughter a headstart.


For English, I am planning on registering her with British Council for their November/December programme.

For Science, I have bought Science guidebooks from Smashing Exams, based on the positive feedback that I read from fellow parents. In fact, I have gone through chapters 1 and 2 with her.

For Maths, my hubby has started going through basic algebra concepts.

I am not sure if I am doing a bit too much. Or is it too little? My girl is my only child, so I don't have prior experience with regards to secondary curriculum. Would fellow parents like to share what they have done?

I don't teach ahead. During vacations, I only ask my kids to read, do their hobbies, and limit their screen time. For the long year-end vacations, I will ask them to do a little revision (not new work) a few days before term begins just to refresh their memories. They may glance at the beginnings of their new textbooks if they feel like it, but they usually don't and I don't make them. Time enough to do the work when school starts.

[new_to_sec1]

I am not sure if I am doing a bit too much. Or is it too little? My girl is my only child, so I don't have prior experience with regards to secondary curriculum. Would fellow parents like to share what they have done?

get her to read newspapers everyday.

Thank you, Janet_lee88. :rahrah:

I am not quite able to get her to read newspapers. She gets bored easily. Guess I will have to get her to get used to it.

[new_to_sec1]

I heard that psle results will be released only around 21st - 24th November this year. But there is nothing much to do for now, and I am thinking of giving my daughter a headstart.


For English, I am planning on registering her with British Council for their November/December programme.

For Science, I have bought Science guidebooks from Smashing Exams, based on the positive feedback that I read from fellow parents. In fact, I have gone through chapters 1 and 2 with her.

For Maths, my hubby has started going through basic algebra concepts.

I am not sure if I am doing a bit too much. Or is it too little? My girl is my only child, so I don't have prior experience with regards to secondary curriculum. Would fellow parents like to share what they have done?

I don't teach ahead. During vacations, I only ask my kids to read, do their hobbies, and limit their screen time. For the long year-end vacations, I will ask them to do a little revision (not new work) a few days before term begins just to refresh their memories. They may glance at the beginnings of their new textbooks if they feel like it, but they usually don't and I don't make them. Time enough to do the work when school starts.

Thank you for sharing your experience, simkhoo. Totally appreciate it

I guess I am more of the kiasu type. Hahaha. But I am just also worried that she cannot cope with the jump from P6 to Sec 1. If she is going from one level to another level in primary school, or in secondary school, I might be less anxious. :roll:

[new_to_sec1]

By the way, Mind Stretchers have been advertising on radio about getting kids ready for Secondary 1. Have any parents enrolled their child? Any feedback? Thank you.

[sharonkhoo]

new_to_sec1:

I guess I am more of the kiasu type. Hahaha. But I am just also worried that she cannot cope with the jump from P6 to Sec 1. If she is going from one level to another level in primary school, or in secondary school, I might be less anxious. :roll:

Unless your child is one of the less mature ones (I have one relatively immature, and one quite 'with it' for their respective ages), you can probably let her be. There will be a lot of others just like her, and the teachers will expect it. If your child is immature, there may be things you need to prepare her for, but it would be in the areas of independence, asking questions, time management, social skills etc, not so much in the academics. I believe in letting kids find out for themselves what they can handle academically, and then help them keep up if they struggle. Teaching ahead gives an illusory sense of confidence which could be bad in the long run (would you be prepared to teach ahead for A levels, or university?). The ideal is for a student to be able to learn mostly by themselves, and recognise their strengths and limitations and how to cope with them. Teaching them ahead masks the reality, but it will hit them sooner or later, and be harder to overcome.

Reading newspapers - most of the news is probably not within the scope of a P6 child, and with the thickness of the newspapers these days, it's daunting to most. You can select one or 2 short articles a day for her to read, but select those where the subject will be of interest to her. This is just to start her off. She may browse other pages as well while she is at it. And encourage her to read other things as well.

[zbear]

new_to_sec1:

I guess I am more of the kiasu type. Hahaha. But I am just also worried that she cannot cope with the jump from P6 to Sec 1. If she is going from one level to another level in primary school, or in secondary school, I might be less anxious. :roll:

Speaking from my experiences of 2 kids - one matured n the other still like a little boy, both survived in Secondary school n I didn't even prepare them for anything.

What your child needs is a 100% BREAK from studies now (post PSLE is the best time to take a complete rest from school), be fully recharged n then take on the challenge of Sec School next year.

Trust me, Sec 1 is like Pri 1 - playing time. Studies get more serious in Sec 2. But of course, your child must continue to stay on her toes in Sec 1 so as to keep abreast with the circulum (sorry, wrong sp).

[janet88]

From now till release of psle results, take a good break.

As for reading straits times, select some articles to read…like what slmkhoo mentioned, the entire ST is too much for a 12 year old. Politics and business will be boring. News like new Indonesian president, haze, food scandals (Taiwan tainted oil), Singapore jubilee will be useful to know…the relationship between Britain and s’pore (our president is in England).

[Gingerbread2]

Hi , Anyone has heard of The Physics café ?