2019 PSLE Discussions and Strategies (Children born in 2007)

[GTGT]

chenlaoshi:

GTGT:

Chen Laoshi


Which HCL assessment books will you recommend to practise the full paper (1st 2 sections + comprehensions)?

Thank you.

Hi GTGT,

For full paper practice, the ones available in the market are mainly topical ones. You can consider these
https://i.postimg.cc/DzkWgpqX/hcl.jpg\">https://i.postimg.cc/qq5qC1Jg/hcl2.jpg\">

Besides these, 2017 and 2018 school exam papers (P5, P6) are useful practices esp. for the new compre questions format.

Thank you very much, Chen Laoshi.

[chenlaoshi]

ammonite:

chenlaoshi:

[quote=\"love1001\"]I am wondering in P6, should we still buy assessment books or just do top school papers? I realise most of the time, the assessment books are left untouched.

Some resources parents might want to consider (this is not a sponsored post :P) -->

Thank you, laoshi!
Would you have any recommendations for oral?[/quote]Hi ammonite,
The ones by 大拇指 and MC (‎Marshall Cavendish Education) are pretty good.
https://i.postimg.cc/D08Y7Px7/oral.jpg\">https://i.postimg.cc/j2m32n1P/oral2.jpg\">
https://i.postimg.cc/xd3Z5CkV/mc.jpg\">
For the 2 published by 大拇指, they were previously available for sale at the Zao Bao Online Shop:
https://zaobao-shop.myshopify.com/products/product-36?variant=36205332625

However, they seem to be out of stock. That said, I've seen some people selling in on Carousell.

[chenlaoshi]

deardear07:

just thinking out loud... at p5-6 level, still use flashcards to learn?

phtthp:

Yes, also had the same thought as you, deardear07.

Thought using flash cards for Chinese vocabulary or idioms (cheng yu), is for kindergarten K2 or primary 1 kiddo, not at Upper primary (P5 / P6)

Why would P5 students need flash cards for ?

deardear07:

haha, i think it's just another way of learning... portability.. but im not sure how mine will use it.. will probably start drilling in the car on the way to anywhere... not sure if he will dread it instead.

I included them in the recommendations since there are students of varying competency in the command/learning of CL. Based on my experience, they are especially useful for the \"mid-tier\" students (scoring mid Grade B and below for CL).

Due to the flexibility and functionalities of flash cards, they won't be 'outdated' or too \"simple\"/\"childish\". Personally, I guide the kids in making them or make them myself by printing the texts on sticker papers + getting small card-size papers from Daiso to paste on.

- For a start, the child can create his/her own flashcard during the learning process. While writing the Chinese characters on one side and HYPP & English definition on the other, there's both learning output (during the writing and reading) and input (when he/she sees the written characters and hear the pronunciation). This aids in the internalization process of learning. Besides, there's a stronger sense of ownership since the child put in effort in making these cards (it's like getting the child to buy what they want with their own savings) - their motivation and willingness to revise and maximize the use of these cards will naturally increase.

- Different types of 'fishing games' can be played, such as (a) facilitator says English definition and child picks out the relevant card and read out the phrase on it; (b) facilitator picks out a card and child read the phrase on it and says the English definition, (c) card is picked out and child is challenged to form a sentence using the phrase or to state relevant 词语搭配 combination(s) - e.g. the next time they see 遵照 and 遵守 as options in the same question, they'll recall this learning process and be able to distinguish their respective uses; 遵照(指示) and 遵守(规则).

- On average, there are 20+ phrases per chapter. Learning (simply word recognition, not writing) can be easily split by chapter or even by day (e.g. 3 cards each day). The latter is unlikely to take more than 15 mins per day. Child will find such form of accumulative learning manageable, and a healthy routine is formed.

- Progress in learning is visible. During revision time, child is tested on pronunciation and meaning of phrases using the cards. Those he/she comprehends are placed in one stack and those he/she doesn't are placed in another.
Through this method, we will be able to sieve out the phrases which child is unsure of and/or need more revision. (This is pretty applicable days before the exam since we'll be able to spend the limited time left on these priorities.) With repeated practices over days/weeks, surely the stack of cards he/she 'knows' will be thicker than the one of which he/she doesn't? Of course, the ultimate aim is to have only one stack eventually. The confidence boost which the child get as he/she sees the stack of 'known' cards grow thicker can be much more effective than other form of verbal encouragement others can give them.

[chenlaoshi]

chenlaoshi:

chenlaoshi:

Thanks to the many parents for the private messages and inquiries regarding the holiday class mentioned in the above post.

I have started a thread here for easier communication: https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=85&t=92344&p=1879968#p1879968
Please feel free to drop by and raise and suggestions/questions.

https://i.postimg.cc/bYHynbBd/pg1.jpg\">

【PSLE 小六会考 华文加油站】(Nov 2018) - 3 days free workshop
Fee: FREE. However, a donation of at least $30 needs to be made to Singapore Children’s Society (https://www.childrensociety.org.sg/donation) to secure and confirm your child/ward's seat. Besides giving to a good cause with the festive period fast approaching, this is to deter cases of 'seat-hogging' & 'no-show'.

Venue: 266 Serangoon North Singapore 550266

Dates: Tue 20 Nov 2018, Wed 21 Nov 2018 and Thur 22 Nov 2018

Timeslots: 11:30am to 1:00pm or 2:00pm to 3:30pm

Target Group: Primary 6 students in 2019 (i.e. 2018's Pri 5 students)

Max. capacity per class: 8 pax
* More classes/time slots may be opened during the year end school holiday based on demand.

Techniques & tips on how to tackle the different sections/components and types of questions will be shared while handouts will be provided too. Participants will be given priority in terms of registering for Chen Lao Shi's 2019 weekly PSLE Chinese Preparation Group Class.

Reservation Status:
11:30am to 1:00pm - 5 slots reserved, 3 slots remaining
https://i.postimg.cc/pdz6LMgr/am.jpg\">

2:00pm to 3:30pm - 3 slots reserved, 5 slots remaining
https://i.postimg.cc/JzBTpW7x/pm.jpg\">

*Received queries regarding 2019 Pri 5 students attending this workshop - Yes, they are welcomed too.

A couple of parents enquired about Dec session so I've added an option to in the Google Form. The dates will be Tue 11 Dec 2018, Wed 12 Dec 2018 and Thur 13 Dec 2018. Please tick the checkbox in \"Joining December's Session Instead\" if you are registering for the Dec session.

For more info on the workshop: https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=85&t=92344&p=1879670#p1879968
To access Google Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1zPDZrQ2-HdCaVp2H0_JM9AOXXukbiGHReU7hP1JO1L0/

[ammonite]

Chen laoshi,

Thank you very much for your recommendations!
It is very generous of you, :thankyou:

[deardear07]

is it ok if we buy current year chinese books for revision? does the syllabus change alot from year to year?


the words to be learnt every year should not vary too much right?

[chenlaoshi]

GTGT:

Thank you very much, Chen Laoshi.

ammonite:

Chen laoshi,
Thank you very much for your recommendations!
It is very generous of you, :thankyou:

Don't mention it.

deardear07:

another question for chinese... will it help if a child learning normal MT wants to upgrade or improve MT use HMT books instead? is it alot of difference or just more writing aspects?

i know every sch has their own HMT criteria but do all HMT students have to have band 1 MT to get it or is borderline band 2-1 MT possible?

Using HMT books instead as in text book or assessment book? If it's the latter, than it's actually a different kettle of fish. The components that are tested are largely different as are the types of questions asked in comprehension sections.

Rather than purely based on individuals' grades achieved, the offering of HMT slots would be based on top \"x\" percentile (\"x\" depending on the number of HMT classes the school has).

deardear07:

is it ok if we buy current year chinese books for revision? does the syllabus change alot from year to year?

the words to be learnt every year should not vary too much right?

This year's P5 batch is the last batch of students using the current Pri 5 and 6 CL textbooks.

[deardear07]

chenlaoshi:

deardear07:

another question for chinese... will it help if a child learning normal MT wants to upgrade or improve MT use HMT books instead? is it alot of difference or just more writing aspects?

i know every sch has their own HMT criteria but do all HMT students have to have band 1 MT to get it or is borderline band 2-1 MT possible?

Using HMT books instead as in text book or assessment book? If it's the latter, than it's actually a different kettle of fish. The components that are tested are largely different as are the types of questions asked in comprehension sections.

Rather than purely based on individuals' grades achieved, the offering of HMT slots would be based on top \"x\" percentile (\"x\" depending on the number of HMT classes the school has).

deardear07:

is it ok if we buy current year chinese books for revision? does the syllabus change alot from year to year?

the words to be learnt every year should not vary too much right?

This year's P5 batch is the last batch of students using the current Pri 5 and 6 CL textbooks.

i mean for a MT to try HMT assessment books at home, to just practice writing since focus is more on that aspect?

so if this year's p5 batch is the last batch, the books won't be of any use to future cohort?

what i'm trying to ask is - language is fluid.. if its for exposure then should b ok to interchange and use any books within the level right? unless ur saying that it might confuse the child on content exposure to read or do more MT work.

[chenlaoshi]

deardear07:

i mean for a MT to try HMT assessment books at home, to just practice writing since focus is more on that aspect?


what i'm trying to ask is - language is fluid.. if its for exposure then should b ok to interchange and use any books within the level right? unless ur saying that it might confuse the child on content exposure to read or do more MT work.

Yes, there's certainly no harm in trying more practices or to get exposure to more comprehension passages. Which is why for Pri 4 students who are offered the chance to take HCL in Pri 5, I would encourage them to give it a shot

For a child who's not taking HCL though:
- First 2 sections on cloze passage and editing wouldn't be that much of an issue for those with fairly good foundation and can be seen as a way to challenge the child beyond his/her comfort zone (of CL Paper 2's 语文应用 & 短文填空 section)

- However, for the 2 comprehension passages, the child would have to be taught how to tackle the different types of questions asked (as opposed to CL Paper 2's 阅读理解二 （B 组）) - such as the one asking student to choose the relevant title and back up your claim (question 16) and the summarization of specified paragraphs in 15 words (question 21).

so if this year's p5 batch is the last batch, the books won't be of any use to future cohort?

As in cannot pass down to younger siblings/relatives for school use, yes.

[mylulaoshi]

deardear07:

chenlaoshi:

[quote=\"deardear07\"]another question for chinese... will it help if a child learning normal MT wants to upgrade or improve MT use HMT books instead? is it alot of difference or just more writing aspects?

i know every sch has their own HMT criteria but do all HMT students have to have band 1 MT to get it or is borderline band 2-1 MT possible?

Using HMT books instead as in text book or assessment book? If it's the latter, than it's actually a different kettle of fish. The components that are tested are largely different as are the types of questions asked in comprehension sections.

Rather than purely based on individuals' grades achieved, the offering of HMT slots would be based on top \"x\" percentile (\"x\" depending on the number of HMT classes the school has).

deardear07:

is it ok if we buy current year chinese books for revision? does the syllabus change alot from year to year?

the words to be learnt every year should not vary too much right?

This year's P5 batch is the last batch of students using the current Pri 5 and 6 CL textbooks.

i mean for a MT to try HMT assessment books at home, to just practice writing since focus is more on that aspect?

so if this year's p5 batch is the last batch, the books won't be of any use to future cohort?

what i'm trying to ask is - language is fluid.. if its for exposure then should b ok to interchange and use any books within the level right? unless ur saying that it might confuse the child on content exposure to read or do more MT work.[/quote]Depends on your priorities. If you're exam orientated, a CL pupil doing HCL practices will confuse expectations of answers. I.E: 80% of CL is extracted from passage, but HCL has 30-40% of inferred answers. I only challenge my high ability CL pupils with HCL practices to stretch thinking skills. This is only done when she attains Astar for normal chinese, has strong normal chinese foundation.