Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary

[Trapwithin]

Mrsbongz:

Hmm, I wonder what's the percentage of GEP students in the top 10 ranking of schools each year..


I was telling DH abt GEP students leaving PH each year, and he remarked 'if all the top students leave PH bcos of GEP, and PH is still among top 10 each PSLE, then PH must be doing v well' of cos he is an ex-sch boy also lah.. a bit bias.. but still food for thought lah..

Based on KSP ranking, PHPPS is the top non-GEP school in Singapore

[verykiasu2010]

janet_lee88:

Most of the kids leave PH for Nanyang GEP. Maybe some of the girls will head for RGPS.


The present Science textbook 'My Pals' is simply hopeless...no way can a student pass if he/she depends on it. Don't tell me this is the 'teach less know more' approach...hope they can switch to a text with more info bcos not every child or parent will know how to source for reference books.

think so

[verykiasu2010]

php:

janet_lee88:

Hi php,

Kids at P3 or P4 won't know how to get more info unlike P6 maybe.
There are 5 chapters to handle and it's very time-consuming to run around for info. Science paper is set so tough...really pity the kids.

kids have to start somewhere. when my dd was in kindy, they had a programme called Junior Scientist. the kids had to use computer to search for information and then presented them....dd was an expert in google search, yahoo search, etc ....but this must be done with adult presence. This is the direction where schools are moving to....in this internet world....Definitely P3 and P4 kids are more than capable in doing that but it is the parents that are worried and don't allow the kids to expose excessively to the wired world.....

janet & php

you may want to take a look at the complete series of i-science

[verykiasu2010]

Jennifer:

verykiasu2010:

[quote=\"php\"]
Jennifer, i heard from my friend and this happened in other schools too. If you are going to depend on the textbook to do well, then you can simply forget about it.... there are too little information in there....what you can find in the textbook is just the basic concept and keywords that you need to know...the rest will be up to the kids to explore and research and apply correctly during the exam....so it is very different from the ways we learnt Science last time.....dd has another one more year to go, so i don't really bother to find out more about primary science. we wou ld know where there will be any changes coming up...

just my personal experience : i-science is better than my pals are here for the science subject - content wise

My elder boy was the last batch in PH to use i-Science. According to the HOD, this textbook is watered down. Maybe that's the reason why now P3 used Perfect Match.

No doubt the pupils should not depend on these textbooks, I believe teachers shld play a part in bringing out the interest in the pupils. If you present it as a boring facts loaded subject, how to expect the children to love it? My children are fortunate as I am able to teach them the subject.[/quote]thought the parents say they are using \"my pals\" ?

perhaps you can enlighten the parents here the diff between (1) my pals (2) i-science and (3) perfect match ?

[markfch]

Trapwithin:

Based on KSP ranking, PHPPS is the top non-GEP school in Singapore

Of all the popular schs, PH & RGS used to be the easiest to get in. Just shift within 1 klick can liao. Except from this yr onwards

Now difficult for niece to get into PH next yr.

[php]

verykiasu2010:

php:

[quote=\"janet_lee88\"]Hi php,

Kids at P3 or P4 won't know how to get more info unlike P6 maybe.
There are 5 chapters to handle and it's very time-consuming to run around for info. Science paper is set so tough...really pity the kids.

kids have to start somewhere. when my dd was in kindy, they had a programme called Junior Scientist. the kids had to use computer to search for information and then presented them....dd was an expert in google search, yahoo search, etc ....but this must be done with adult presence. This is the direction where schools are moving to....in this internet world....Definitely P3 and P4 kids are more than capable in doing that but it is the parents that are worried and don't allow the kids to expose excessively to the wired world.....

janet & php

you may want to take a look at the complete series of i-science[/quote]verykiasu2010, thanks... i will but i will do that next year around this time....haha......probably janet can take a look at them b4 her kid goes to P5 next year.....

[verykiasu2010]

php:

verykiasu2010, thanks... i will but i will do that next year around this time....haha......probably janet can take a look at them b4 her kid goes to P5 next year.....

my DD used \"my pals\" ....and 3 years later the school changed to \"i-science\" - so much more content to suit the new syllabus / new style of exam questions.....and we need not buy any supplemental materials for the PSLE preparation. The teachers must teach well, the kid has to be receptive and hard working ...... noted that some parents mentioned about the 'perfect match' (i have not seen it yet)

[Jennifer]

verykiasu2010:

thought the parents say they are using \"my pals\" ?


perhaps you can enlighten the parents here the diff between (1) my pals (2) i-science and (3) perfect match ?

I only know last year P6 used the old i-Science and this year P3 uses Perfect Match. When my elder boy was P3 with BPPS, the P3 used My Pals.

I like the present Perfect Match (P3), more suggested activities and web searches for the child to be actively involved in understanding.

Cant comment on the present My Pals or i-Science since I hv not read them.

[kohhweelin.010441gmail.010441com]

Jennifer:

No doubt the pupils should not depend on these textbooks, I believe teachers shld play a part in bringing out the interest in the pupils. If you present it as a boring facts loaded subject, how to expect the children to love it? My children are fortunate as I am able to teach them the subject.

All along until now, there are several issues, frustrations that hinder teachers in making Sci more interesting:

1. Not enough time to prepare materials for conducting experiments.
2. Poor time management in lab to conduct experiments to completion, thus eating into other subject's time.
3. Not enough materials for conducting experiments, cos not replenished.
4. Did not have effective class management skills to control kids in lab.
5. Fear of unsuccessful experiments thus cannot explain to kids why.
6. Felt that time is better spent in conducting theory than practical.
7. Not enough knowledge or expertise in subject area.

These are real concerns and that's why many teachers refuse to teach Science. In my former school, my P made a few teachers 'Sci coaches' to help/mentor these teachers and vet science papers. It did help to take away some fears in these teachers and alleviate their concerns.

Every school will probably face similar issues with teaching Science but how each school tackles these issues depends on the HOD. I guess we have to have greater faith in ours and hope that more desirable progress will be made.

Meanwhile, as parents, we continue to uphold our kids and one another in this subject. My dd reads the Young Scientist magazines (old issues from her cousin and some we bought from Popular), Encyclopedias or borrowed Sci books. All these help to keep her interest alive in Science for the time being. She conducts her own experiments at times though I felt she messed up the kitchen quite a bit but I will still let her have her closure to her learning.

[janet88]

Sorry, I meant to say 'Perfect Match' for Science.

Have given up on the school text since last year...it's so 'diluted'. :?:
Found Science Partner informative and also other guides by Renee Chong and Fairfield Publisher as reference. My son has a keen interest in Science.