Any tips to improve Mathematics?

[James Ang]

I am glad that your son can make good use of the resource. We must have faith in the children's ability to stand on their own, do their best, and I am sure their efforts will be rewarded.

octopusmum:

Hi James

thks for the reply and advice!

i started on the A* booklets over the wkends. what i did was to ask DS to arrange them in order of the areas which he is not confident in cause i am not sure if he has time to do all...
we started on the booklets on Rates/speed and Geometry. I got him to go thru the examples first before attempting the questions. I timed him for each question he tried. i am quite happy he was able to solve most of them within the time given (ranging from 3 to 5 mins). There were a few which were quite confusing, even after referring to the solutions, will be getting him to ask his teacher...
hopefully, he will be able to tackle most of the difficult PSLE questions by adopting the above approach....
gosh, thk god i am not the one sitting for the exams cause some of them r really tough!

[Cheerfuldad]

James Ang:

Cheerfuldad:

Hi James,


Any good assessment books to recommend for P5?

Cheers!

I recommend FAN Maths series of books and Casco titles for Science.

Hi James,

Thank you for your help!

regards

[Leanne]

thanks James.


Are these series of science book that u quoted better than past year school exam papers?thank you.

Leanne

James Ang:

I find the Oxford Primary Essentials series of Science books rather good for students' revision practice.

1) Science PSLE Preparation 2nd Edition - Koh Siew Luan
2) Science Test Paper P5&P6 Book A and B - Teo-Gwan Wai Lan
3) My Pals are here PSLE Revision and Exam Papers - Teo-Gwan Wai Lan

Leanne:

Hi James,

Well said.There are numerous ways in solving the same math questions.The child that is able to apply and use the correct processing skills for the question will be able to find math a breeze.

Just to side track.Do u have any good sets of science like such that u recommended for math as in this set of A star books?

Many thanks.

Leanne
[quote=\"James Ang\"]There are many ways to solve Maths problems, as long as the method is correct and the answer is correct, there is no one fixed way to do the sums. Suppose the same types of question as Ammiel Wan or Astar Maths or FAN Maths books come out in the exams, point is whether the student can do the questions right.

By avoiding to try out seemingly difficult sums now, during the \"peace\" time of 1.5 month left to the actual PSLE is like giving up early on solving \"difficult questions\". Being confused now doesn't mean it is worse than being confused later on in the actual exams or is it simply a case of wishing the problems away? I will still suggest to try good books to become better prepared for the exams. Don't worry the solution is provided for the Astar books, so no harm trying. If the student is well prepared, the Astar books are not that difficult really. Have faith in the student's ability to do their work especially when they do their best, the rest will be fine.

:?[/quote]

[Leanne]

Hi James,


Should Pri 5 students be working on this A star booklets to prepare coming sa2 or past years school exam papers is adequate?

Will working through these booklets demoralise a child if it proved to be tough?


Leanne

James Ang:

MMM:

Besides practise, I think it also help to expose the child to different questions and particularly those \"tricky\" ones. There are certain methods of looking at those. Once the child is familiar with the \"trick\", they are able to solve it with confidence.

Practise on the Astar booklets by Learning Interactive, a series of 7 topical booklets. A number of top primary schools are using them as supplements for non routine sums. Only available at the shop at Bras Basah Complex, $21 per set including solutions. All our students are using them for prelims and PSLE preparation for non routine sums especially for those in paper 2 from question 12 to 18, easily over 30 marks of the entire Maths paper.

[James Ang]

My P5 students are using Astar Maths booklets, just remember to skip these 3 P6 topics; Algebra, Speed and Circles, the rest of topics they have learnt in P5.


Anyway my P6 students told me their P6 prelims had a strange \"hamster question\" then I straightaway know it is the fibonacci sequence. This is a Maths olympiad style question, need to get the Maths olympiad books too. The sum is something like that;

A pair of hamsters can give birth to a pair of baby hamsters every month. The pair of baby hamsters needs 1 month to mature and then this new pair of hamsters will in turn give birth to a pair of baby hamsters every month. How many pairs of hamsters are there after 6 months? (4 marks)

1,2,3, 5, 8, 13, 21

the answer is 21 pairs of hamsters

Leanne:

Hi James,

Should Pri 5 students be working on this A star booklets to prepare coming sa2 or past years school exam papers is adequate?

Will working through these booklets demoralise a child if it proved to be tough?


Leanne

James Ang:

[quote=\"MMM\"]Besides practise, I think it also help to expose the child to different questions and particularly those \"tricky\" ones. There are certain methods of looking at those. Once the child is familiar with the \"trick\", they are able to solve it with confidence.

Practise on the Astar booklets by Learning Interactive, a series of 7 topical booklets. A number of top primary schools are using them as supplements for non routine sums. Only available at the shop at Bras Basah Complex, $21 per set including solutions. All our students are using them for prelims and PSLE preparation for non routine sums especially for those in paper 2 from question 12 to 18, easily over 30 marks of the entire Maths paper.

[/quote]

[Leanne]

Hi James,


Thanks.Have your P5 students completed all the topics from the A star booklets?Is it very much tougher than the normal sa2 p5 math paper or at par?

May I know which school came out the hamster question?do u think psle is geared to olympaid question?thanks.

Have a good day.

Leanne

James Ang:

My P5 students are using Astar Maths booklets, just remember to skip these 3 P6 topics; Algebra, Speed and Circles, the rest of topics they have learnt in P5.

Anyway my P6 students told me their P6 prelims had a strange \"hamster question\" then I straightaway know it is the fibonacci sequence. This is a Maths olympiad style question, need to get the Maths olympiad books too. The sum is something like that;

A pair of hamsters can give birth to a pair of baby hamsters every month. The pair of baby hamsters needs 1 month to mature and then this new pair of hamsters will in turn give birth to a pair of baby hamsters every month. How many pairs of hamsters are there after 6 months? (4 marks)

1,2,3, 5, 8, 13, 21

the answer is 21 pairs of hamsters

Leanne:

Hi James,

Should Pri 5 students be working on this A star booklets to prepare coming sa2 or past years school exam papers is adequate?

Will working through these booklets demoralise a child if it proved to be tough?


Leanne

[quote=\"James Ang\"]Practise on the Astar booklets by Learning Interactive, a series of 7 topical booklets. A number of top primary schools are using them as supplements for non routine sums. Only available at the shop at Bras Basah Complex, $21 per set including solutions. All our students are using them for prelims and PSLE preparation for non routine sums especially for those in paper 2 from question 12 to 18, easily over 30 marks of the entire Maths paper.

[/quote]

[peterch]

James Ang:

My P5 students are using Astar Maths booklets, just remember to skip these 3 P6 topics; Algebra, Speed and Circles, the rest of topics they have learnt in P5.


Anyway my P6 students told me their P6 prelims had a strange \"hamster question\" then I straightaway know it is the fibonacci sequence. This is a Maths olympiad style question, need to get the Maths olympiad books too. The sum is something like that;

A pair of hamsters can give birth to a pair of baby hamsters every month. The pair of baby hamsters needs 1 month to mature and then this new pair of hamsters will in turn give birth to a pair of baby hamsters every month. How many pairs of hamsters are there after 6 months? (4 marks)

1,2,3, 5, 8, 13, 21

the answer is 21 pairs of hamsters

At first I got 21 pairs, but I re-read I got this. Please adv

After 6 months,
1st pair = 7 pairs
1st born pair (will start have baby on the 3rd month) = 4 pairs
2nd born pair (will start have baby on the 4th month) = 3 pairs
3rd born pair (will start have baby on the 5th month) = 2 pairs
4th born pair (will start have baby on the 6th month) = 1 pair

Total after 6 month (not the 6th month) = 17 pairs

My understanding is the 1st born pair have to mature it self for a month then give birth at the following month

[Brenda10]

Hi Leanne


I think is good to start the A*Booklet earlier. My nephew school had bought this set and he until now still hasn’t started may be due to same time school also given plenty of revision papers for practicing. He also could not finish the last few questions in his preml exam yesterday. I don’t know how busy will be next year for DD and will she has enough time to do. Therefore we may slowly start doing it now if the time is permitted and try to finish those that she can handle by end of this year.

Just my 2 cents thought.

[James Ang]

The answer is 21. You missed out the hamsters produced by the babies of the first born pair and second born pair and so on.

peterch:

James Ang:

My P5 students are using Astar Maths booklets, just remember to skip these 3 P6 topics; Algebra, Speed and Circles, the rest of topics they have learnt in P5.

Anyway my P6 students told me their P6 prelims had a strange \"hamster question\" then I straightaway know it is the fibonacci sequence. This is a Maths olympiad style question, need to get the Maths olympiad books too. The sum is something like that;

A pair of hamsters can give birth to a pair of baby hamsters every month. The pair of baby hamsters needs 1 month to mature and then this new pair of hamsters will in turn give birth to a pair of baby hamsters every month. How many pairs of hamsters are there after 6 months? (4 marks)

1,2,3, 5, 8, 13, 21

the answer is 21 pairs of hamsters

At first I got 21 pairs, but I re-read I got this. Please adv

After 6 months,
1st pair = 7 pairs
1st born pair (will start have baby on the 3rd month) = 4 pairs
2nd born pair (will start have baby on the 4th month) = 3 pairs
3rd born pair (will start have baby on the 5th month) = 2 pairs
4th born pair (will start have baby on the 6th month) = 1 pair

Total after 6 month (not the 6th month) = 17 pairs

My understanding is the 1st born pair have to mature it self for a month then give birth at the following month

[James Ang]

Past year school exam papers are popular with parents because they are useful resources for students to do revision and practice to test themselves out. Even now some schools are exchanging papers, to do their own and other schools' past year exam papers and use for their students to practice.

Leanne:

thanks James.

Are these series of science book that u quoted better than past year school exam papers?thank you.

Leanne

James Ang:

I find the Oxford Primary Essentials series of Science books rather good for students' revision practice.

1) Science PSLE Preparation 2nd Edition - Koh Siew Luan
2) Science Test Paper P5&P6 Book A and B - Teo-Gwan Wai Lan
3) My Pals are here PSLE Revision and Exam Papers - Teo-Gwan Wai Lan


[quote=\"Leanne\"]Hi James,

Well said.There are numerous ways in solving the same math questions.The child that is able to apply and use the correct processing skills for the question will be able to find math a breeze.

Just to side track.Do u have any good sets of science like such that u recommended for math as in this set of A star books?

Many thanks.

Leanne

:?

[/quote]