2019 PSLE Discussions and Strategies (Children born in 2007)

[GreenBird]

well, hopefully what u said, come true


as you know, P3 onwards : classes in schools are divided into two separate category.
The children at end of P2, are streamed according to their subject mastery competency level.
(based on Total of 3 aggregate subjects : @end of P2, for (Maths, English, Chinese)

Yes, schools start to categorise P3 students into 2 category, Mainstream :
some schools’ HA comprise only 1 Top class, the rest are MA
while other schools’ HA comprise 2 Top classes, the rest are MA
rarely, there are also some schools’ HA comprise 3 Top classes, the rest are MA.

HA (High ability)
MA (Mixed ability)


Well, different type of class : receive different kind of "treatment"

students assigned to Top classes, tend to -
- receive more attention by getting either a subject HOD, or getting a Senior subject Teacher to teach them,

- have better resources allocated for them,

- have more / heavier homework assigned to them (tougher hw), to stretch them further

- they learn at a faster, pace.

hopefully, what u said -
apply to ALL classes, regardless of whether MA or HA.
Not just to HA classes only (biased)

[sembgal]

I usually try not to interfere with my child’s answers for her Science Workbook. However, after a few attempts from her trying to present her answers to her teacher, I noticed that her Science teacher do not think from her perspective. I had to step in before it is too late. I introduced all the Science MCQ answering techniques, structured question or shorter questions and get her to link her answer to the specific Science terms as what a Science teacher would expect. I realised that the duration for Science periods are only 4 lessons (2Hour to be precise) and no answering techniques are taught at all. Teacher only introduce Science concepts. I’m writing this to share that perhaps it is time you open your child’s workbook and go through the child’s answers and you will be amazed at what you see and what you hear when you try to get your child to explain from her perspective.


Science is a very interesting subject but the only way to gain mastery in it is to know how to answer exam questions and apply your knowledge of science concepts at the related questions.

[sembgal]

Take a look at this video on YouTube:


http://youtu.be/7VpEO6No4lQ

The above video is an example (I'm just quoting my own example of the e-resource that I'm using) of the new format for 2017 PSLE Chinese Oral exam format that will prove to be more challenging and requires the excellent memory of your child to recall the video watched earlier and communicate with examiner. This is the new change to “video” Chinese oral. 2017 Oral+Listening Compre is 35% of whole PSLE !

So do you think is it important to speak Mandarin to your child now?

For my DD's primary school, she will only be tested on the new Chinese oral format (based on 2017 new Chinese Oral format) for P4. Currently for P3, her school is still using the old format of Chinese oral. Do we wait? No. We should encourage our children to watch the videos and ask them to comment in Chinese and we converse in Mandarin to them. 加油！

[Blue Pearl]

sembgal:

I usually try not to interfere with my child's answers for her Science Workbook. However, after a few attempts from her trying to present her answers to her teacher, I noticed that her Science teacher do not think from her perspective. I had to step in before it is too late. I introduced all the Science MCQ answering techniques, structured question or shorter questions and get her to link her answer to the specific Science terms as what a Science teacher would expect. I realised that the duration for Science periods are only 4 lessons (2Hour to be precise) and no answering techniques are taught at all. Teacher only introduce Science concepts. I'm writing this to share that perhaps it is time you open your child's workbook and go through the child's answers and you will be amazed at what you see and what you hear when you try to get your child to explain from her perspective.


Science is a very interesting subject but the only way to gain mastery in it is to know how to answer exam questions and apply your knowledge of science concepts at the related questions.

You are right Sembgal. My gal also has the same problem and I also bought books on science but still clueless on how to coach her. \"Science MCQ answering techniques, structured question or shorter questions and get her to link her answer to the specific Science terms as what a Science teacher would expect. \" Are you able to share these techniques with me. Thank you.

[sembgal]

Blue Pearl:

sembgal:

I usually try not to interfere with my child's answers for her Science Workbook. However, after a few attempts from her trying to present her answers to her teacher, I noticed that her Science teacher do not think from her perspective. I had to step in before it is too late. I introduced all the Science MCQ answering techniques, structured question or shorter questions and get her to link her answer to the specific Science terms as what a Science teacher would expect. I realised that the duration for Science periods are only 4 lessons (2Hour to be precise) and no answering techniques are taught at all. Teacher only introduce Science concepts. I'm writing this to share that perhaps it is time you open your child's workbook and go through the child's answers and you will be amazed at what you see and what you hear when you try to get your child to explain from her perspective.


Science is a very interesting subject but the only way to gain mastery in it is to know how to answer exam questions and apply your knowledge of science concepts at the related questions.

You are right Sembgal. My gal also has the same problem and I also bought books on science but still clueless on how to coach her. \"Science MCQ answering techniques, structured question or shorter questions and get her to link her answer to the specific Science terms as what a Science teacher would expect. \" Are you able to share these techniques with me. Thank you.

Hi, I'm still learning together with my dd for Science as hers is the new Science syllabus which is very different from last time when I recalled I was in primary school learning Science. Personally, I feel that the Science textbook is insufficient in content and we need to look up Science reference books like the orange cover PSLE Science guide book, Ultimate Science Guide book. There is also a Parent's Guide for Primary 3 and 4 iScience(based on old syllabus).

As for answering Science question, my dd presented her answer in English way. In Science, we say Man is classified as mammal. Man refers to women as well as children. My dd insisted that we have to write it as Human beings are mammals. I'm not sure if that is acceptable.
When she was asked to classify texture of smooth vs rough, she wrote down Boys are rough, teacher's skin is rough :rotflmao: I had to explain that rough means eg: a brick is rough, sandpaper is rough, not the other meaning of rough as in English term.

Personally I really like the Booster Science Guide as the book provide links to go to website for more exploration and reading. Science is really interesting and to sustain the interest in the child is more important than the grades.

Take your child to the library to borrow non-fiction books related to the topics of the Science theme that they are learning in school. Place the Science reference books visible to where your child can see them in the house. Pick up the book and read and if your child sees you reading the science books, they will take a keen interest in Science too. Encourage your child to ask questions and as parents, we can show a genuine interest in Science and how things work in the natural surroundings. Our children's attitudes towards Science will definitely be very positive.

[Blue Pearl]

Tks so much sembgal

[sembgal]

Chinese Oral is around the corner. Here's some links for parents to guide children who are still taking Chinese Oral exam based on the old format. This is also suitable for students taking PSLE Chinese in 2016. My dd in P3 is still using the old format style for Chinese Oral for this year.


购物中心
http://youtu.be/1StMyE0ctX4


巴士站
http://youtu.be/7J0Ie11FUZU

篮球场
http://youtu.be/ou3MuqWjDhw

海边
http://youtu.be/xXy8L-irmRk

http://youtu.be/WY54zWdIbas

http://youtu.be/H-GZm2SR-b0

http://youtu.be/RYNS6EajKQA

[sembgal]

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/e ... e-in-store


On one popular education forum, parents even discuss starting PSLE \"training\" for children from as early as Primary 3. :rotflmao:

Sounds familiar huh?!

I have noticed a big jump from P2 academic work to P3 academic work. Most parents and students only wake up after Term 1 when their children are in P5. I have asked around from students to parents and even teachers that the academic work from P4 to P5 is a super big jump. Without building the foundation well, the structure starts to shake at P5. With so much changes to the new PSLE English syllabus 2015, new PSLE Science syllabus 2017, new PSLE Chinese syllabus 2017 and new Math PSLE syllabus 2018, tell me, aren't you all aware of the new changes to the exam format? Take Science for example, there will be 28 MCQ questions instead of 30 MCQ questions. More structured questions in Booklet B Science. For Chinese, the students are tested on at least 2 MCQ questions on the Chinese meaning of the vocabulary phase and this is a new component. Our children now need to know the full Chinese meaning of the phrase or words and not only just understand the English meanings of the Chinese words and that's it. There is a section of 4 marks awarded to writing a note in Chinese. Not to mention, the new oral Chinese component where the child has to watch a video and comment on it.

With so much changes, will you wait till your children are in P5 to start worrying? Many parents I know lamented how could their children marks drop so much in P5 as compared to P4. Well, the foundation is not there. Children not reading enough English books or Chinese books, magazines or newspaper.

[FantasyLandDreams]

Hi sembgal

Thanks for sharing the above. Can I check with you, for maths syllabus 2018, what are the changes? I have not heard anything on Maths yet. Thanks.

[sembgal]

FantasyLandDreams:

Hi sembgal

Thanks for sharing the above. Can I check with you, for maths syllabus 2018, what are the changes? I have not heard anything on Maths yet. Thanks.

Hi, just to clarify on the Revised Examination Format (PSLE Science) affecting children born 2005 and children born after 2005. Children born in 2005 will be the first batch of students to take the new revised Science exam.

The revised exam format in Science Booklet A (MCQ), there will only be 28 MCQ questions instead of 30 MCQ questions. Each question is 2 marks. Total marks: 56 or 56%

The revised exam format in Science Booklet B (Open-Ended) questions, there will be 12 to 13 questions. Each question will be awarded 2 to 5 marks. Total marks: 44 or 44%

If you compare the revised exam format with the existing format, you see that more marks are awarded to Booklet B now.

What is existing Science format?
Booklet A - 30 MCQ questions, each question is 2 marks. Total is 60 marks / 60%
Booklet B - 14 Open-ended questions, each question is awarded 2 to 4 marks. Total is 40 marks / 40%

I'm sharing based on the Standard Science exam format. Foundation Science is another format which I will not be discussing here.


As for Maths, I do not have the details yet.

For 2017 PSLE format for MTL (Standard Mother Tongue), here is the breakdown.
Paper 1 - Composition (40 marks) / Weighting (20%)
Paper 2 - Language Use & Comprehension (90 marks) / Weighting (45%)
Paper 3 - Oral (50 marks) / Weighting (25%)
Paper 3 - Listening Comprehension (20 marks) / Weighting (10%)
Total: 200 marks / Weighting (100%)


2017 PSLE Format for MTL (Higher Mother Tongue)
Paper 1 - Composition (40 marks) / Weighting (40%)
Paper 2 - Language Use & Comprehension (60 marks) / Weighting (60%)
Total: 100 marks / Weighting (100%)

Something to take note is for Oral - Standard Mother Tongue, reading is 20 marks and NEW (Video Conversation) is 30 marks.