2017 PSLE Discussions and Strategies

[afterCbeforeE]

Signing in... my DS2 will be taking PSLE in 2017.


Just finished with DS1 PSLE this year. :boogie:

Need to work hard some more for the next 3 years though :imconstipated:

[janet88]

i have a problem with mandarin too. before, I could still converse a little…but after daughter’s exemption, I can only manage 3/4+++ English and wee little in mandarin.

[alng]

I know it is easier said than done. But if the parents have given up on Chinese, what kind of message are we sending to our kids? Our actions will only tell our kids that they could give up on Chinese too.


On the other hand, if we attempt to learn Chinese together with our kids, show our kids how to persevere, our kids will be more motivated to learn Chinese. The same applies to other subjects too.

Please don’t flame me as I have said this is easier said than done. As parents, if we do not want our kids to give up so easily, then we should not give up first.

[FootprintLeaver]

Hi all,


reporting in.

DD just finished her psle this year and now I have to start worrying about DS.

Thanks in advance for starting the thread and let’s support one another along the way.

[wanderlust-alm]

Hi all,


Signing in too as DS1 taking PSLE in 2017. DS1 SA2 compo got a D … Faint… Couldn’t complete writing the 4 pictures. Only did 2.5-3 pictures. A big gap to work on for the next 3 years

[janet88]

alng:

On the other hand, if we attempt to learn Chinese together with our kids, show our kids how to persevere, our kids will be more motivated to learn Chinese. The same applies to other subjects too.


Please don't flame me as I have said this is easier said than done. As parents, if we do not want our kids to give up so easily, then we should not give up first.

i understand your concern. though my Chinese now is really 半桶水, i want to let my daughter know i am still trying even though it is terrible.

[jenao]

Signing in too. After this, another 2 more PSLE to go!

[jenao]

mummyscopio:

Since we are on the topic of languages.... i wished to share my story...


and he got 15/20....
i thought the marking was too leniant... but the teachers told me that spelling and grammatical errors are considered minor errors.. they do not penalize much.... provided that wrongly spelt words do not \"form a new word\".....

I think 15/20 is a very good score and agree with the teachers do not need to worry much about spelling. My ds is also like that, more like he could not be bothered to spell correctly. Usually when I ask him to spell, he is able to spell the words but somehow, when he is doing compo or compre or close,he just gets them wrong.

I just hope and pray that by the time they are in upper primary, they are able to spell more diligently and not make so many mistakes. Dh thinks its just maturity level kinda of thing.

CHinese also the same, lots of words written wrongly, the kind that extra dot, or stroke or something. Like yours, my ds also has lots of careless mistakes in his Maths and English papers. Fortunately, for Sci, they mark based on concepts hence not penalised on spelling etc.

[phtthp]

berrypunch:

Mummy of 3,

Sorry to hear abt your girl's disappointing results. I can imagine your fear and anxiety.

Maybe i could offer a few suggestions based on my own experience:

- go thru every subject's SA2 papers thoroughly to identify all the problem areas in which she struggled or showed weak understanding.

- be as specific and detailed as possible, eg if it's a maths problem sum: what topic was it? Did she apply the right strategy? Did she make mistakes in her calculation, and if so, what sort of mistakes: +-÷ x? Did she run out of time? Did she interpret the question correctly? etc. By going into specific details, you can then identify all the individual problem areas and target them one by one. It's a tedious and painstaking process but it will enable you to understand your girl's weaknesses and address them before it's too late.

- use the year end holidays to drill her and reinforce whatever fundamental skills she is lacking, which you can identify by studying her SA2 papers. Daily practice may be a drag but dont underestimate a child's ability to learn, with appropriate praise and encouragement from the parent. When she feels herself improving, the confidence she gains will spur her on to work even harder.

- use top schools' exam papers as practice papers n guide her thru the difficult questions, while praising her if she can correctly solve the easier ones. Dont get angry or impatient if she cannot solve any of the questions- just explain the questions to her and show her how to solve them. There are many similar or even identical questions that appear in these exam papers, esp in Maths n Science. After she has gone thru enough of them, she will realise that exam questions tend to be quite similar and with abundant practice, she will be able to tackle them without too much difficulty.

- dont be afraid to go down to P2 or even P1 level work if necessary. It is impossible to build a skyscraper unless the foundations are rock solid. If you take shortcuts and try to rush, the entire building will eventually collapse. Make sure all her P1 n P2 work is soundly mastered before attempting to improve P3 work. This is especially critical in Maths as each level builds on the skills learnt in the previous level.

- most importantly, dont give up on the child! No child wishes to fail. Dont be afraid to praise and encourage her if you see that she is trying hard. Praise the effort, not the result. If she knows her efforts are being recognised and acknowledged, she will be motivated to work even harder.

My child is in P3 this year as well. Though she has been performing well these 3 years, there is no guarantee that she will continue to do well, unless parent and child work together to make sure that each step of her learning journey is steady and smooth. Though it is a tiring and often draining task guiding a child through her primary school education, the bond that we have established over the years is a reward in itself. Most of all, nothing beats seeing the joy of accomplishment in your child's eyes when she has done well, with your help. So hang in there, and all the best!

:thankyou: very much, for kind advice

much appreciated

[phtthp]

janet88:

if 2017 parents are already worried about PSLE, then 2015 parents will be super stressed.

2015 Psle parents are the pioneering batch, to test out the new English Psle format, followed by 2016 (2nd batch), 2017 (3rd batch)