2023 PSLE Discussions and Strategies (Children born in 2011)

[MrsKiasu]

Recently while searching for tuitions I came to know some can be quite dependent on tutors. This morning I asked dds coz I know some have many tuitions…upon confirming I then say poor daughter no wonder so behind. Then the poor daughter says no leh…some have no tuition and get A1s. So I guess depend on child too.

[manorway]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2108909\" time=\"1684378357\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2108909 time=1684378357 user_id=53606]
From Prelim:
English AL4
Science AL5
Math AL5
Chinese AL5
Total AL19

To PSLE:
English AL2
Science AL4
Math AL5
Chinese AL5
Total AL16

Not to say that we didn’t try hard to improve for all subjects (we did). But only saw improvement for Science and English. For Science, I think it was the 2 crash courses that helped (on top of the regular weekly Science tuition). For English (no tuition), I think it was our strategizing on the Compo section. All along school teachers never gave him high marks for Compo, but I taught him to memorize a few versatile compos that he could tweak to fit any topic. It worked out in the end.

Of course watch to see the child’s stress level. They must be willing to attend any crash course otherwise the money is wasted before even step into lesson. Parent needs to have a heart to heart talk about why aiming for a certain goal. If child is not keen on final sprint now, then no point to force.[/quote]

Thanks Zac's mum. I also recommend heart to heart talk with kid. Even if kid is willing to attend crash course, I don't think crash courses benefit every student.

[manorway]

sembgal\" post_id=\"2108973\" time=\"1684452356\" user_id=\"5559:

I agree with you that not all PSLE kids are suitable for IP even if they are the top 10% performers in the current primary schools.

If the child is self-directed and very self-disciplined, this type is suitable for IP. If the child is not, then consider the O level programme is a better option.

It is also true that too much tuition can be harmful.

By going to IP school is not a walk in the park. If your child can score single digit PSLE score without tuition or parents’ help, this child is most suitable to go IP. If not, reconsider as parents cannot handhold so much in Sec or JC.

IP is most suitable for those who can make it without tuition, already self-motivated and independent learner.
But I think scoring single digit with some help in Pri sch is still OK and does not straightaway rule out the child's suitability for IP. If kids need tuition for most subjects just to get to IP, and continue to need tuition in IP, then tuition may have become a crutch.

While IP is not a walk in the park, it can still be manageable once kids learn the skills needed. I believe in growth-mindset and giving kids the room to learn, fail, pick self up, try again etc in the IP years.

To us, going IP or not is not important. It is all about picking the path that suits my kids most, so I can be hands off as soon as possible. The most important is my kids tried their best and we, as parents have tried out best too when they were little.

[Imp75]

I think students who don’t 读死书 might actually like IP due to the projects involved esp in lower sec (upper sec unfortunately these are scaled down to catch up on syllabus).

Projects I remembered:
Projects lasting few months involving community service and conceptualising products/presenting ideas to panel judges on improvements to the community they work with
Geog investigation: something about analysing the sand and producing empirical evidence to prove some hypothesis
Historical/humanities investigation: I recall my gal going around spore interviewing tea shops to sample their tea and asking about origins/culture or smthg
Boarding Sch experience about communal living
“Industrial attachment” ie work in retail or participate in Maths/Science projects with organisation and come up with some reports etc
Would I put my gals in IP again? Definitely.

[zac's mum]

manorway\" post_id=\"2108997\" time=\"1684471736\" user_id=\"9303:

Thanks Zac's mum. I also recommend heart to heart talk with kid. Even if kid is willing to attend crash course, I don't think crash courses benefit every student.

Correct that crash courses won’t benefit everyone across the board. It is not a miracle cure either. For my son’s case, one of the crash courses was by a centre that had a track record 50% of their past year students scored AL1-2. That meant nothing to me cos he didn’t get the distinction like the rest. There was no miracle leap in grades either. Just a one AL improvement. And I did not sign up crash course for Math or Chinese because I knew it would be too high-level for him & unfruitful.

[00skyblue00]

Imp75\" post_id=\"2109002\" time=\"1684474915\" user_id=\"2358:

I think students who don’t 读死书 might actually like IP due to the projects involved esp in lower sec (upper sec unfortunately these are scaled down to catch up on syllabus).
Projects I remembered:
Projects lasting few months involving community service and conceptualising products/presenting ideas to panel judges on improvements to the community they work with
Geog investigation: something about analysing the sand and producing empirical evidence to prove some hypothesis
Historical/humanities investigation: I recall my gal going around spore interviewing tea shops to sample their tea and asking about origins/culture or smthg
Boarding Sch experience about communal living
“Industrial attachment” ie work in retail or participate in Maths/Science projects with organisation and come up with some reports etc
Would I put my gals in IP again? Definitely.

O level program now has all these, group work, investigation and even theatre work, not rote learning at all. Plenty of presentations too. Don't know the details so cannot say for sure the same, but not our past experience in sch that's for sure.

In case new parents have no clue, better ask the sch of interest, and find out more in website.

[MissPPP]

I really agree with the part about kids who can get single AL digit with no/minimal tuition should be able to survive well in IP stream. These are usually the kids that pick up concepts fast, are self motivated and disciplined to listen in class and revise for exams. These kids may even do better than kids who have been spoonfed with all subjects tuitions since young and entered with a better AL. We need to remember pri sch is only 4 subjects but sec is a wider range and more in-depth subjects. Natural intelligence plus good attitude will be very important. If you throw in sports, the kid will have even lesser time for tuitions. That’s why I really don’t understand why parents are trying to DSA kids with weak results (even after all subjects tuitions) into top schools.

[00skyblue00]

Another attribute to tell them apart. Hunger, hunger to learn and hunger for knowledge. Given a topic, what is the degree of drive to learn. Out of necessity or curiousity or self development. Comes with maturity also. So all these attributes could be still developing or already developed.


For children, we must remember that, nothing is absolute at this point, as they are all still growing and developing. So eventually at JC or tertiary, many converge.
Hence, i believe many paths leads to Rome. But some may not wish to go Rome too. Is ok too.

[lee_yl]

This IP vs no IP question pops out every year.


I do not agree that those P6 kids with tuition cannot do well in IP. Unlike 20-30 years ago, majority of the students today receive at least 1 tuition. Recently I passed by TLL, to my surprise, I saw so many PRCs and South Asian kids rushed out of the centre after lessons. Likely these are the ones going to IPJCs. Those who claim not to need tuition, are you sure their parents aren’t coaching them at home?!

I agree that one needs to be independent and has the self-discipline in order to do well in IP as the pace in IP is quite fast. However if one cannot catch up, students can seek help from teachers after school (or worst case, attend tuition). I do not think my 2 girls are those independent learners or strong self-discipline type but both still survive IP (ok, with tuition thrown in). Kids will learn along the way how to survive. This is resiliency.

If a 16yo does not have the self-discipline, independence and willingness to put in lots of hardwork, what do you think that student’s O level results will be like? O levels students don’t need to work hard? All also work like mad. Note that COPs for top JCs as well as popular Poly courses are in the low single digit.

Take the recent Project Work (PW) grading for example. For my DD1’s project group, the whole team got A. Yes, I am happy for her. Then I was shocked to learn from Reddit that in some other JCs, only one student in the whole JC got A. I do not believe the students there aren’t as hardworking. Though I cannot pinpoint exactly why it is like that but I believe my DD1’s 6yrs in SCGS IP has trained her to speak, write and present well.

[bbbay]

I've compiled a list of historical cut off points for all secondary schools:

https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/sg.parent/viz/SingaporeSecondarySchoolHistoricalCutOffPoint/Search

Other related workbooks can be found here:
https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/sg.parent


pls view all workbooks using computer. they will not display correctly when viewed from mobile device.