2019 PSLE Discussions and Strategies (Children born in 2007)

[mylulaoshi]

Basic answering skills across the board:

1) Read passage, search for answer with a ruler starting from first word to the last.
2) MUST eliminate options for ALL MCQs. MCQ is must score.
3) MUST highlight key words and answers as supporting evidence.
4) Never skip. Don’t procrastinate. Must answer every question, just go head on. Circle those unsure, come back to contemplate when you’re done with full paper. Even if no time to check back, at least your tried for an answer instead of giving up.

[phtthp]

Ran1977:

Hi phtthp,
How many marks drop is considered \"normal\" for:
- English
- Maths
- Science

Just an average mean score

Hi Ran1977,

Sorry, Ran. I am not sure how to answer your question.

Different primary schools set the standard of their P5 Maths and Science SA1 questions, differently.

Some schools set very challenging questions as a wake-up call, to their students. Such schools tend to set too tough questions, or their standard set is higher than that of actual PSLE. So, students tend to do well, in PSLE.

On the other hand, other schools may be more lenient, set easier questions, and many students tend to do well during SA1, but poorer during actual PSLE. An important question to ask, therefore is, how close-enough do your son's primary school, set the cohort (P5 and P6) SA1 / SA2 questions, to the actual PSLE standard ?

As Parents-Tr conference (PTC) is coming up next week in most primary schools, perhaps you may consult your son's 4 subject Tr during PTC : find out what is your school's average mean score for each subject, and also ask Teachers for their precious advice, how to help him improve in those areas (components) he is weak in, or how to help him bounce back with resilence for P5 SA2 (October 2018)? If you're not free to meet Tr face to face, can ask Tr to return you a phone call, give u a progress update.

This June holiday :-
perhaps can get him to work on past year papers ( can download from internet), those concepts or areas he still not sure in. From his P5 CA1 / SA1 Maths papers, identify all mistakes made in (Fractions, Ratio, Area of Triangle, Whole Number, Decimals, etc. ), be it in model-diagram, or otherwise. One key question need to ask is, is his fundamentals (basics) in Maths Paper 1 strong ? If No, do work on his fundamentals first, must strengthen them, before moving onto Paper 2. Get him to revise all those theory he's weak in, from his school Maths textbook.

eg

If a child is weak in say, Open-ended Comprehension questions that pulled his P5 SA1 English / Mother-tongue all the way down, perhaps can consider attending June-holiday some intensive \"crash\" course, to work on these Open-ended Comprehension areas hardworkingly, help him to restore confidence.

Also, maybe get him to read in advance during June holiday, those new concepts that will be taught in coming Term (3 and 4).

eg

For P5 Maths -
new topics to be taught/ covered in Semester 2 (July to Oct 2018) include

Average, Rates, Percentage, Volume of Cuboid, Trapezium, Parallelogram, Angles, etc

For P5 Science Semester 2 -
some schools' new Science topics include

Unit of Cells, Electrical circuit, Blood flow Circulatory system, Air Respiratory system, Plants Transport system

while other primary schools' new Semester 2 Science Topics swop the other (opposite) way round, include

Water Cycle and the State of Water,
Reproduction of Plants,
Reproduction system of our Human body, Reproduction system of Animals, Heredity (genetics)

Then, there are also certain schools that prefer to pull down certain P6 Science topics like Energy & Forces to teach earlier at P5 level, because such Physics concepts are harder to grasp, so they prefer to teach these earlier, leaving the easier concepts (topics) to \"makan\" (swallow quickly) in P6.

As there is no fixed rule to teach Science topic, best to find out from your own school: what topics they going to teach, in Term 3 and 4 ?


If your child can read up in advance first by making use of coming June holiday, even before the Science Tr teach in Term (3 and 4): that will be good, because then it becomes a form of revision for him, in class. Familiarity with subject content breeds confidence. So, perhaps can set up a June holiday timetable for him, for multi-tasking and monitoring his progress, working towards his ultimate PSLE targeted goal and objective, per subject.

From June holiday start onwards, we (piggies born) should start preparing for 2019 PSLE.

eg

For languages, during June holiday, we can all start practising past 3 years of actual PSLE papers (2017, 2016, 2015), both English and Mother-tongue booklets (A and B).

What (where) are his areas of weakness ? Identify them, work on them. Focus on the effort put in. Peservere on, jia you!

[Giggler1]

Hi dylanmummy2003,


My son’s Maths suffered drastic drop too. From A all the way to C. But he is cool about it as teacher has been telling them since day 1 of P5 that their grades will have big drop! So in a way, teacher has prepped them well.

[dylanmummy2003]

Giggler1:

Hi dylanmummy2003,


My son's Maths suffered drastic drop too. From A all the way to C. But he is cool about it as teacher has been telling them since day 1 of P5 that their grades will have big drop! So in a way, teacher has prepped them well.

hi Giggler1,
yes, DD's teacher did warned them about the 30~40 marks drop for SA1. but really caught me by surprised cos she been coping with the CA1 and class practice papers quite well. she mentioned, so far she only found out that out of 36 classmates, only 2 passed the SA1 Maths paper. i am not able to clarify with the teacher for the upcoming PTM as she is not selected to go for the session. the teacher only selected few of her classmates.

[jedamum]

Dylanmummy,

Email the teacher to clarify if you are not attending the session.

[dylanmummy2003]

is it normal that Eng and MT compo are not given back to student? my DD have been trying to ask her MT teacher about her compo marks, but the teacher says cannot say and cannot give back paper. like that, how do we know how the child fare wor.

:scratchhead: :scratchhead:

[Zappy]

dylanmummy2003:

is it normal that Eng and MT compo are not given back to student? my DD have been trying to ask her MT teacher about her compo marks, but the teacher says cannot say and cannot give back paper. like that, how do we know how the child fare wor.

:scratchhead: :scratchhead:

Marks are given back ... usually written on the cover page of Paper 2.
But it's quite common for schools to not give back the essays, etc.

[jedamum]

dylanmummy2003:

is it normal that Eng and MT compo are not given back to student? my DD have been trying to ask her MT teacher about her compo marks, but the teacher says cannot say and cannot give back paper. like that, how do we know how the child fare wor.

:scratchhead: :scratchhead:

Some schools do not return the papers back.
What we did was email the teacher that we would like to discuss the written compo paper during ptm and requested that she bring the paper along to discuss the areas of improvement needed.

[dylanmummy2003]

Zappy:

dylanmummy2003:

is it normal that Eng and MT compo are not given back to student? my DD have been trying to ask her MT teacher about her compo marks, but the teacher says cannot say and cannot give back paper. like that, how do we know how the child fare wor.

:scratchhead: :scratchhead:

Marks are given back ... usually written on the cover page of Paper 2.
But it's quite common for schools to not give back the essays, etc.

gosh... i need to email the school liao. this teacher never write on the Paper 2, and when my DD ask her about the marks, she refuse to say. even for Oral, she also refuse to say the marks. :frustrated: :frustrated:

[Zappy]

dylanmummy2003:

Zappy:

[quote=\"dylanmummy2003\"]is it normal that Eng and MT compo are not given back to student? my DD have been trying to ask her MT teacher about her compo marks, but the teacher says cannot say and cannot give back paper. like that, how do we know how the child fare wor.

:scratchhead: :scratchhead:

Marks are given back ... usually written on the cover page of Paper 2.
But it's quite common for schools to not give back the essays, etc.

gosh... i need to email the school liao. this teacher never write on the Paper 2, and when my DD ask her about the marks, she refuse to say. even for Oral, she also refuse to say the marks. :frustrated: :frustrated:[/quote]No worries la. Maybe still compiling since it's not end of term.
Before term 2 ends, sure have to reveal all the marks, right?
But yes, I believe even for schools that do not return the essays, you can always ask the teacher to discuss the essay for areas of improvement.