Logo
    • Education
      • Pre-School
      • Primary Schools Directory
      • Primary Schools Articles
      • P1 Registration
      • DSA
      • PSLE
      • Secondary
      • Tertiary
      • Special Needs
    • Lifestyle
      • Well-being
    • Activities
      • Events
    • Enrichment & Services
      • Find A Service Provider
      • Enrichment Articles
      • Enrichment Services
      • Tuition Centre/Private Tutor
      • Infant Care/ Childcare / Student Care Centre
      • Kindergarten/Preschool
      • Private Institutions and International Schools
      • Special Needs
      • Indoor & Outdoor Playgrounds
      • Paediatrics
      • Neonatal Care
    • Forum
    • ASKQ
    • Register
    • Login

    No More Rote Memorization

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Brain Training & Thinking Skills
    25 Posts 16 Posters 11.9k Views 1 Watching
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • A Offline
      andee
      last edited by

      I think the biggest problem that our education system has is that rote memorization has become the main focus in the classroom. Yes, memorization is important, especially in the basics like multiplication, scientific method, etc. but I think using it in more complicated topics won’t help students gain full understanding of the subject. Teachers just keep on dumping piles of worksheets whose answers students had just discussed in school.


      Having said this, I think our education system needs an ‘upgrade’. It doesn’t need to be done in a haste. It’s best if the system plans this out until it arrives at a concrete solution. Just my opinion.

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • M Offline
        mummyxoxo
        last edited by

        Just an inquiry, does copying notes constitute rote learning? Dd1 likes to copy notes for a few times prior to exam as she claims that this helps her to retain information better. She told me even though she understands the concepts when her teacher/lecturer taught, copying helps to retain them in her brain better.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • sharonkhooS Offline
          sharonkhoo
          last edited by

          mummyxoxo:
          Just an inquiry, does copying notes constitute rote learning? Dd1 likes to copy notes for a few times prior to exam as she claims that this helps her to retain information better. She told me even though she understands the concepts when her teacher/lecturer taught, copying helps to retain them in her brain better.

          Not unless she intends to use the notes word for word in the exam, and she doesn't have much of an understanding of what she is copying. Some people remember better through writing, others through reading, etc.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • N Offline
            nelli
            last edited by

            JS rolling:
            Hello, everyone!


            Looking at how the exams are structured where questions are creative and cannot just rely on rote memorization, it is sad to see my DD struggling. I have gone through with methods like unit transfer method but those methods without good thinking skills are just useless.

            Moreover, I believe that such rote memorization is going to harm my DD in the long run if she doesn’t start to learn the proper ways to use her brain.

            Thus, I am asking for help from anyone who can recommend me a good education program that is real education instead of rote memorization.

            :thankyou:
            I feel you, JS rolling. My P4 daughter had the same problem last year. Math was kind of traumatizing for her. She somehow had the idea that if you’re smart, you can do math and, if you’re not smart, you cannot. Her confidence was greatly affected as she was getting failing marks on exams. Tuition really helps as long as you choose the best one.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • T Offline
              tali
              last edited by

              Hi nelli! I hope you don’t mind me asking which center you sent your daughter to. I’ve visited some centers in Hougang but still have yet to find one that I think would be great for my son. I’m getting worried because he’ll be P6 next year and PSLE is just around the corner.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • M Offline
                mindbogglers27
                last edited by

                I believe that Math or Science content is not the problem nor is it the students, but rather the way it is commonly taught. Unfortunately, teaching critical thinking is not part of the current school curriculum. Students commonly succeed in calculation, but fail to reason mathematically. And they find it difficult to apply the scientific method to their analysis of scientific studies.

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • N Offline
                  nelli
                  last edited by

                  tali:
                  Hi nelli! I hope you don’t mind me asking which center you sent your daughter to. I’ve visited some centers in Hougang but still have yet to find one that I think would be great for my son. I’m getting worried because he’ll be P6 next year and PSLE is just around the corner.

                  Hi Tali! Sorry for the delayed response. Anyway, my daughter is currently enrolled at CCE Education. They have a branch in Hougang that’s just 5 minutes from the MRT station (#03-214 S530810). I do recommend it but of course, it’s still up to you. It doesn’t mean though, that since it worked for my daughter, it’ll work for your son the same way. I guess it depends on your son’s needs and whether CCE can provide for it or not, the last decision is yours. Good luck!

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • realtalkR Offline
                    realtalk
                    last edited by

                    The criticism is that students end up memorizing facts but they don’t have the skills to meaningfully interpret these facts or to apply them to other contexts. Aside from changes in the curriculum, I think teachers should be more student-centered in their teaching approach.

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • T Offline
                      teenmom
                      last edited by

                      Monotonous repetition of school lessons made my daughter lose focus in school. Her repeating topics and lessons verbally or by hand over and over again led to boredom and disengagement from school. I think rote learning is applicable only to alphabets, numbers and other topics that need memorization, but beyond that, I believe it is not advisable.

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • S Offline
                        Supermomcarrie
                        last edited by

                        teenmom:
                        Monotonous repetition of school lessons made my daughter lose focus in school. Her repeating topics and lessons verbally or by hand over and over again led to boredom and disengagement from school. I think rote learning is applicable only to alphabets, numbers and other topics that need memorization, but beyond that, I believe it is not advisable.

                        I totally agree! Learning should be fun, interactive for lasting memory

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0

                        Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.

                        Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.

                        With your input, this post could be even better 💗

                        Register Login
                        • 1
                        • 2
                        • 3
                        • 1 / 3
                        • First post
                          Last post



                        Online Users
                        neilbN
                        neilb

                        Statistics

                        5

                        Online

                        210.9k

                        Users

                        34.3k

                        Topics

                        1.8m

                        Posts
                        Popular Topics
                        New to the KiasuParents forum? Tips and Tricks!
                        Choosing and Evaluating Primary Schools
                        DSA 2026
                        PSLE Discussions and Strategies
                        How much do you spend on the kids' tuition/enrichments?
                        SkillsFuture + anything related to upskilling/learning something new!

                          About Us Contact Us forum Terms of Service Privacy Policy