GEP 2010 - Screening & Selection

[tweety17]

Hi Comfy,


have sent you a pm regarding the books. Hope to hear from you soon. Thks :lol:

[phankao]

AppleCrumble:

Allow me to share a bit about my kid who is in GEP. From as young as 2, my DD showed a keen love for puzzles and Lego. She would also choose books that have mazes, puzzles or mysteries that have clues to solve. DH would often bring DD to the library or bookshops and allowed her to have a free rein to choose whatever books that she would like to read or explore further. Very often than not, DD would be bringing back home books of the same nature. When she was older and started on computer and handheld games, she would again be choosing games of the same genre.:

LOL - my ds1 also loved such when he was 2yo. He loved building such complex lego structures, and sometimes in the opposite direction before he overturned it to complete - I failed to understand how a 2 to 3yo could have such imagination. And later he went into deconstructing toy cars. But then he didn't get into GEP. And unlike what some parents shared in the earlier threads, he didn't think anything further about it. He totally enjoyed his p4 year nevertheless bc he was in a combined class with gep. I still remember him happily running to me on the last day of school and saying \"mommy, i got in the best class!\" - gee, i didn't even know that was the best class. But we took him out of that programme in p5 bc we didn't think it was appropriate for him to continue with HCL.

So also having a problem-solving nature in their choice of games & books may not also result in them getting through the GEP screening. Maybe my son didn't get exposure to the GEP type questions, lah. haha! :lol: But I do know that he has no problem with abstract-type questions. So maybe it was language, which he is poor in.

[comfy]

AppleCrumble:

Hi, comfy.

Sorry that my 'a-go-go' chick is distracting you. But I find it rather cute and thus decide to use it as my avatar. The 'seeking' mode is also a reminder to me to be 'ever seeking and learning about life'.

Allow me to share a bit about my kid who is in GEP. From as young as 2, my DD showed a keen love for puzzles and Lego. She would also choose books that have mazes, puzzles or mysteries that have clues to solve. DH would often bring DD to the library or bookshops and allowed her to have a free rein to choose whatever books that she would like to read or explore further. Very often than not, DD would be bringing back home books of the same nature. When she was older and started on computer and handheld games, she would again be choosing games of the same genre.

As shown, the 'training' and 'exposure' came from DD herself. Think if a kid is interested in something, he/she will find a way to learn more about it. Guess some kids are just more into a subject than others.

It is ok, I think I am getting use to this hyper active 'ah-go-go' chick. Does your dd like to read? and read alot? Somehow I am curious that someone who likes to play computer and handheld games can have time for other things. I read or hear from someone that it is better not to expose to such things as an young age it would interfere with their learning or lost interest in other things. (get addicted to it)

[comfy]

phankao:

LOL - my ds1 also loved such when he was 2yo. He loved building such complex lego structures, and sometimes in the opposite direction before he overturned it to complete - I failed to understand how a 2 to 3yo could have such imagination. And later he went into deconstructing toy cars. But then he didn't get into GEP. And unlike what some parents shared in the earlier threads, he didn't think anything further about it. He totally enjoyed his p4 year nevertheless bc he was in a combined class with gep. I still remember him happily running to me on the last day of school and saying \"mommy, i got in the best class!\" - gee, i didn't even know that was the best class. But we took him out of that programme in p5 bc we didn't think it was appropriate for him to continue with HCL.

So also having a problem-solving nature in their choice of games & books may not also result in them getting through the GEP screening. Maybe my son didn't get exposure to the GEP type questions, lah. haha! :lol: But I do know that he has no problem with abstract-type questions. So maybe it was language, which he is poor in.

Sometimes I think there is a certain no. of boys and girls to be selected each yr for GEP but the GEP department say no. Imagine if there happen to have 90% selected are boys then who are going to fill up the places in RGPS. Hee..Hee... or vise versa no gep stds in CH and ACS. That will be disaster, right? So, your ds could have been selected if there are no such restriction. This is just a thought.

[phankao]

comfy:

phankao:

LOL - my ds1 also loved such when he was 2yo. He loved building such complex lego structures, and sometimes in the opposite direction before he overturned it to complete - I failed to understand how a 2 to 3yo could have such imagination. And later he went into deconstructing toy cars. But then he didn't get into GEP. And unlike what some parents shared in the earlier threads, he didn't think anything further about it. He totally enjoyed his p4 year nevertheless bc he was in a combined class with gep. I still remember him happily running to me on the last day of school and saying \"mommy, i got in the best class!\" - gee, i didn't even know that was the best class. But we took him out of that programme in p5 bc we didn't think it was appropriate for him to continue with HCL.

So also having a problem-solving nature in their choice of games & books may not also result in them getting through the GEP screening. Maybe my son didn't get exposure to the GEP type questions, lah. haha! :lol: But I do know that he has no problem with abstract-type questions. So maybe it was language, which he is poor in.

Sometimes I think there is a certain no. of boys and girls to be selected each yr for GEP but the GEP department say no. Imagine if there happen to have 90% selected are boys then who are going to fill up the places in RGPS. Hee..Hee... or vise versa no gep stds in CH and ACS. That will be disaster, right? So, your ds could have been selected if there are no such restriction. This is just a thought.

Nevermind, he's enjoying himself in secondary school already.

[comfy]

phankao:

comfy:

[quote=\"phankao\"]
LOL - my ds1 also loved such when he was 2yo. He loved building such complex lego structures, and sometimes in the opposite direction before he overturned it to complete - I failed to understand how a 2 to 3yo could have such imagination. And later he went into deconstructing toy cars. But then he didn't get into GEP. And unlike what some parents shared in the earlier threads, he didn't think anything further about it. He totally enjoyed his p4 year nevertheless bc he was in a combined class with gep. I still remember him happily running to me on the last day of school and saying \"mommy, i got in the best class!\" - gee, i didn't even know that was the best class. But we took him out of that programme in p5 bc we didn't think it was appropriate for him to continue with HCL.

So also having a problem-solving nature in their choice of games & books may not also result in them getting through the GEP screening. Maybe my son didn't get exposure to the GEP type questions, lah. haha! :lol: But I do know that he has no problem with abstract-type questions. So maybe it was language, which he is poor in.

Sometimes I think there is a certain no. of boys and girls to be selected each yr for GEP but the GEP department say no. Imagine if there happen to have 90% selected are boys then who are going to fill up the places in RGPS. Hee..Hee... or vise versa no gep stds in CH and ACS. That will be disaster, right? So, your ds could have been selected if there are no such restriction. This is just a thought.

Nevermind, he's enjoying himself in secondary school already.[/quote]happy to hear that.

[vlim]

comfy:

phankao:

LOL - my ds1 also loved such when he was 2yo. He loved building such complex lego structures, and sometimes in the opposite direction before he overturned it to complete - I failed to understand how a 2 to 3yo could have such imagination. And later he went into deconstructing toy cars. But then he didn't get into GEP. And unlike what some parents shared in the earlier threads, he didn't think anything further about it. He totally enjoyed his p4 year nevertheless bc he was in a combined class with gep. I still remember him happily running to me on the last day of school and saying \"mommy, i got in the best class!\" - gee, i didn't even know that was the best class. But we took him out of that programme in p5 bc we didn't think it was appropriate for him to continue with HCL.

So also having a problem-solving nature in their choice of games & books may not also result in them getting through the GEP screening. Maybe my
son didn't get exposure to the GEP type questions, lah. haha! :lol: But I do know that he has no problem with abstract-type questions. So maybe it was language, which he is poor in.

Sometimes I think there is a certain no. of boys and girls to be selected each yr for GEP but the GEP department say no. Imagine if there happen to have 90% selected are boys then who are going to fill up the places in
RGPS. Hee..Hee... or vise versa no gep stds in CH and ACS. That will be disaster, right? So, your ds could have been selected if there are no such restriction. This is just a thought.

no la .. It is very unlikely to be in this case. First of all the purpose of the gep screening is to screen out the brightest and gifted children. And to limit the no of boys and girls serve no meaning at all lo ...

[comfy]

vlim:

comfy:

[quote=\"phankao\"]
LOL - my ds1 also loved such when he was 2yo. He loved building such complex lego structures, and sometimes in the opposite direction before he overturned it to complete - I failed to understand how a 2 to 3yo could have such imagination. And later he went into deconstructing toy cars. But then he didn't get into GEP. And unlike what some parents shared in the earlier threads, he didn't think anything further about it. He totally enjoyed his p4 year nevertheless bc he was in a combined class with gep. I still remember him happily running to me on the last day of school and saying \"mommy, i got in the best class!\" - gee, i didn't even know that was the best class. But we took him out of that programme in p5 bc we didn't think it was appropriate for him to continue with HCL.

So also having a problem-solving nature in their choice of games & books may not also result in them getting through the GEP screening. Maybe my
son didn't get exposure to the GEP type questions, lah. haha! :lol: But I do know that he has no problem with abstract-type questions. So maybe it was language, which he is poor in.

Sometimes I think there is a certain no. of boys and girls to be selected each yr for GEP but the GEP department say no. Imagine if there happen to have 90% selected are boys then who are going to fill up the places in
RGPS. Hee..Hee... or vise versa no gep stds in CH and ACS. That will be disaster, right? So, your ds could have been selected if there are no such restriction. This is just a thought.

no la .. It is very unlikely to be in this case. First of all the purpose of the gep screening is to screen out the brightest and gifted children. And to limit the no of boys and girls serve no meaning at all lo ... [/quote]Because the system is not 100% transparent, so we will never know, lah.

[AppleCrumble]

comfy:

It is ok, I think I am getting use to this hyper active 'ah-go-go' chick. Does your dd like to read? and read alot? Somehow I am curious that someone who likes to play computer and handheld games can have time for other things. I read or hear from someone that it is better not to expose to such things as an young age it would interfere with their learning or lost interest in other things. (get addicted to it)

Thanks to DH, my dd has a great love for books. She can 'devour' a book of about 3 cm in 2 weeks if she is interested in that book, even when school workload is heavy. Her taste has become more varied due to peer influence and GEP Reading Lists, comprising of more fictional books which we feel it's good for her. More balance and exposure to different genres. She also started reading the Straits Times when she entered P4.

While I was still pregnant with DD, DH and I attended a parenting seminar by the late Dr Anthony Yeo (a renowned local family counsellor) and he encouraged parents to cultivate a love for reading in their young children. He commented that once the love for books is instilled in a child, the child will become a lifelong learner. He also commented that computer skills can always be picked up in schools. He recommended that some control should be exercised by parents over handheld and electronic games. He provided 'live' examples on the adverse effect that computer and electronic games addiction can cause.

DH and I felt that Dr Yeo's advice was sound and good. That's why we made it a point to encourage reading from young with our 2 kids. Selected computer games are limited only to 1 - 2 hours during weekends and they will 'see' their handheld games only after the exams and for a specific period of time during the school holidays. During school term, only reading and board games are allowed with our 2 kids.

Of course, we face constant battles with our kids for more computer time.

[AppleCrumble]

comfy:

Sometimes I think there is a certain no. of boys and girls to be selected each yr for GEP but the GEP department say no. Imagine if there happen to have 90% selected are boys then who are going to fill up the places in RGPS. Hee..Hee... or vise versa no gep stds in CH and ACS. That will be disaster, right? So, your ds could have been selected if there are no such restriction. This is just a thought.

I am also wondering about the GEP boys to girls ratio myself.

You see, during the GEP Parents Briefing which I attended, the Head of MOE GEP Branch announced that the ratio of the gender for the selected batch of GEP students was 1 girl to 1.9 boys.

I have spoken to several friends who have children selected for GEP in different years before my dd and the ratio is coincidently 1 girl to 2 boys.

Do you suppose that there is some kind of trend here? :?