Secondary 2 Streaming

[MerlionInGermany]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2009115\" time=\"1608636583\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2009115 time=1608636583 user_id=53606]
Are they expected to write essay-type answers in Sec 1?[/quote]

Yes.

[sharonkhoo]

MerlionInGermany\" post_id=\"2009117\" time=\"1608636933\" user_id=\"2964:

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2009115\" time=\"1608636583\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2009115 time=1608636583 user_id=53606] Are they expected to write essay-type answers in Sec 1?

Yes.[/quote]

My kids weren't in Sec 1 in Singapore, and it would have been years ago anyway, but this is my guess.

There are essays and there are essays. In the US-style curriculum, kids start writing essays in grade 5. But those are basic 5-paragraph essays - intro, 3 main points (using something like PEEL, but I can't remember what acronym was used now), conclusion. Not long, not complex. This basic structure is used as they go up the grades, but will get more complex in terms of sentence structure, arguments, elaboration, etc. Also, the curriculum didn't divide English and Lit into 2 separate subjects - they combined them and called it Language Arts. Grammar and vocab was taught using parts of the reading texts as examples.

I presume that Pr schools that introduce Lit are following that style of teaching. In Sec 1, they will probably have to write something like a 5-para essay, not the long ones that students write in JC.

[sharonkhoo]

phtthp\" post_id=\"2009110\" time=\"1608635768\" user_id=\"35251:

Hi,
1) For IP4 students coming from (RGS / RI),
if pupils have gotten a ( C5 or C6 ) grade in their IP4 Pure Physics subject overall at the Promotional year-end IP4 assessment,
can students
still proceed to take H2 Physics in Year 5 (RI JC1),
or
only allowed to take H1 Physics ?

2) By the way,
Is there any bridging Bio course inside RI (Year 5),
for IP students who have never done (IP3 nor IP4) Bio before in RGS / RI, yet
contemplate to switch over to Bio, instead of continue with Physics ?

3) Do IP4 students from (RI and RGS),
take the same common, identical exam papers,
for IP4 year-end exam in these 5 subjects (English, Integrated Maths, Integrated Pure Physics, Pure Bio, Pure Chem),
so that
there is a common ground yardstick of measurement,
to allocate them into different, various IP5 or Year 5 subject combination, when they moved up to RI JC1, before the JAE students come on board to join them after release of their O-level results ?

My info is dated - you may want to post this on the RI/RGS threads if you want confirmation. And 1 & 2 didn't apply to my daughter, so I can't remember.
1) I believe there is a minimum grade to be allowed to take Physics at H2 level in JC.

2) As far as I know, there was no bridging course. I also can't remember if it was allowed to take Bio if the student hadn't taken it in Yr 3-4.

3) Y4 students in both schools took the same papers for some subjects. I believe they were Eng, Maths and Chem. Again, I can't remember for sure.

[sharonkhoo]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2009115\" time=\"1608636583\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2009115 time=1608636583 user_id=53606]
Does any of this help build a foundation for Sec 1 Literature? Are they expected to write essay-type answers in Sec 1? Can't remember from my own days cos the teacher's style turned me off from the subject.[/quote]

Forgot to address this question. Yes, it does help. I don't know when \"your days\" were (probably long after mine), but I know that in Pr school we only did \"reading\", which was more comprehension than anything else, and even in lower sec, we weren't taught anything very useful. Lit was more just remembering the story. We plunged into themes, characters etc. suddenly in Sec 3, and most people just memorised model answers and couldn't wait to drop Lit (I was in a Science class). In my day, my class had to do 2 arts subjects for O levels as there was no triple science and subject combinations were fixed for each class. So we all did Geog and Lit, which I greatly enjoyed, but I was in a small minority in my class.

[wishingstar0]

Hi, seeking some advice from the experienced parents/students here...

DS is progressing to Sec 2 when the new school year starts, and I have been looking through this thread to pick up some knowledge on subject combi selection when it’s time for him to do so. Was looking at his Sec 1 humanities subject results, will it be too early to conclude his strength on a particular subject based on this set of results or should we monitor through say the first half of Sec 2?
Unfortunately, DS is the type who is still rather blur on his interest and strengths, whenever I ask him it’s always “ok ok” or “anything” 😅
Any advice will help, thx! 🙏🏻

[MerlionInGermany]

wishingstar0\" post_id=\"2009729\" time=\"1608984913\" user_id=\"43589:

Was looking at his Sec 1 humanities subject results, will it be too early to conclude his strength on a particular subject based on this set of results or should we monitor through say the first half of Sec 2?

He doesnt need to choose, or rather, he doesnt get to choose, until the end of sec 2, by then you will have every set of results, to make whatever conclusions you wish to make.

[phtthp]

Next year (2021) ,

Ssc 2 streaming

After the mid-year exam is over in 2021 in the month of May,
tick your checklist -
every Sec 2 student, ought to know for themselves

amongst their 3 Humanities
subjects (History, Geography, Eng Literature)

Ask your son or daughter, for his opinion & learn to make self-responsibility decision, identify his or her own unique (strength & weaknesses)

1)

- identify which is their strongest, best Performance, highest scored Humanities subject &

- identity which is their weakest, lowest poorest scored Humanities subject, so far, out of these 3 ?

Just examine their Sec 2 (May mid-year & October year-exam) Report card content + this current year (2020) End-of-year Sec 1 Assessment Report card, will do


And



2)

be honest about it, ask themselves which is the Humanities subject that they are interested in to pursue & continue further into Sec (3 & 4).

E.g.

Do you prefer to do
(single or double, because feel safer) Sec 3 Humanities subjects ?


And


3)

which is the least dis-interested Humanities subject, that is, you just can’t wait to drop and have nothing more to do with it any more ! Phew ! heave a sigh of relief, you know, that kind of feeling inside !


Example

Some students can’t stand doing English Literature, they can’t wait to drop Lit !


4)

start thinking what JC1 subject combination you intend to do, in mind

======================


Anyway,
along the way,
there will be a few check-point junction,


because

Humanities class Teachers in your school will start talking to each of the students inside their class, if they need guidance or feedback from the Humanities Teachers, so, there will be constant consultation provided along the way, from Term 1 all the way up to EYA

And

the actual, final submission of your Sec 3 subject combination choices,

will only be done

after the Sec 2 final Year end October exam is over,
although every now & then,
the Teachers do guide & provide feedback to all Sec 2 pupils


EYA :

End-of-year Assessment

[phtthp]

wishingstar0\" post_id=\"2009729\" time=\"1608984913\" user_id=\"43589:

Hi, seeking some advice from the experienced parents/students here...
DS is progressing to Sec 2 when the new school year starts, and I have been looking through this thread to pick up some knowledge on subject combi selection when it’s time for him to do so. Was looking at his Sec 1 humanities subject results, will it be too early to conclude his strength on a particular subject based on this set of results or should we monitor through say the first half of Sec 2?
Unfortunately, DS is the type who is still rather blur on his interest and strengths, whenever I ask him it’s always “ok ok” or “anything” 😅
Any advice will help, thx! 🙏🏻

If not sure what to do, ask your son to walk into Popular branch bookstore

1) flip through Sec 3 (Geography and History guide books, textbooks), then answer the question : if given the choice, does he prefer to choose Sec 3 (History or Geog) ?

Note down the answer


2) look at his Secondary school's Sec 3 booklist. Find out title of the o-level Literature text used, in his school . Then do the same thing. Walk into Popular Book store, flip through the Literature text, used in his school.

Then ask your son the same question.

If given a choice -
will he still prefer to take the subject from answer (1) above, or prefer to do this Literature text, used in his school?

3) then ask him, he prefer to do (single or double Humanities, because feel safer ) ?


4) go,
find out from your son's school -


To do Core or Full Humanities, need how much minimum, at end of Sec 2 exam ?

Is it minimum
60 % (B4) or

65 % (B3) or

70 % (A2) overall,
at year end exam,
for each of the 3 Humanities ?


5) ask your son to ask his seniors around in his school, maybe can ask his Cca classmates :-

Based on the most recent past 3 years O level or IP (if is IP school), roughly what's the distinction rate like, for those Humanities he has narrowed down to ?

Example

This school, Paya Lebar Methodist Girls Secondary, inside, they have very good Teachers for subject English Literature. Thus, at O level, the PLMGS girls often excelled in English Literature.



Likewise,
your son's school will also have strong Teachers in certain Humanities.

Go, check it out,
get him to ask around, what are the Tr strong in teaching, specifically in his school , which Humanities subject ?

================

Also, find out,
in case your son's school behaved similar.

In some CO-ed Secondary schools where is boys domineering type, example,

(70 % boys, 30% girls) school ratio, sometimes, the schools do not offer any English Literature, because boys tend to avoid Literature. In such schools, their Sec 3 subject combination is often limited to (History or Geography), but no Lit

[floppy]

MerlionInGermany\" post_id=\"2009736\" time=\"1608988935\" user_id=\"2964:

wishingstar0\" post_id=\"2009729\" time=\"1608984913\" user_id=\"43589:

Was looking at his Sec 1 humanities subject results, will it be too early to conclude his strength on a particular subject based on this set of results or should we monitor through say the first half of Sec 2?

He doesnt need to choose, or rather, he doesnt get to choose, until the end of sec 2, by then you will have every set of results, to make whatever conclusions you wish to make.

Precise and concise.

[sharonkhoo]

wishingstar0\" post_id=\"2009729\" time=\"1608984913\" user_id=\"43589:

Hi, seeking some advice from the experienced parents/students here...
DS is progressing to Sec 2 when the new school year starts, and I have been looking through this thread to pick up some knowledge on subject combi selection when it’s time for him to do so. Was looking at his Sec 1 humanities subject results, will it be too early to conclude his strength on a particular subject based on this set of results or should we monitor through say the first half of Sec 2?
Unfortunately, DS is the type who is still rather blur on his interest and strengths, whenever I ask him it’s always “ok ok” or “anything” 😅
Any advice will help, thx! 🙏🏻

The choice is still a year away, but it's good to start thinking. If your son is not sure about his strengths and interests, it could mean that he is an all-rounder, or that he is just immature and unsure. As a parent, use this year to observe what he is interested in, and what his strengths are. Don't just look at schoolwork, but overall. I wasn't \"good\" at history in lower sec, but that was because I didn't like the teacher, and she didn't like the way I answered the questions! I actually do enjoy reading and learning about history. In any case, Sec 3 subjects still require a wide spread of sciences and humanities, so it's possible to select a \"cover most bases\" combination if he and you still are unsure at that stage.