Preparing kids for P5 in 2011

[janet88]

Jojothehusky:

My P5 results were TERRIBLE!!! But my P6 and PSLE results are much better. The first few months of P6 are already no joke. And it does not mean that in P5 there is still a yr till PSLE and don't have to work hard just yet. Time files vry quick and before you know there is so little time left for revision. Revision should be constant and what livewith_vanilla said was all correct. Jiayou P5s!!!!!

Thank you for your precious advice Jojothehusky.
P5 is like the real thing, except that P6 is the REAL thing...no more horsing around at all.

[janet88]

I was at Popular City Sq just now.

Saw 'Advance Vocabulary' there...meant for students who are very keen and have a good grasp of Vocab. Written by same author of Creative Vocabulary.

At a loss whether to send my P5 son for this 'Creative Writing' class at RC. Don't know if he will have time this year, but next year will be too late. When teachers go full swing from 2moro, on top of compulsory supplementary lessons twice a week, will he have time ?

[Jojothehusky]

janet_lee88:

I was at Popular City Sq just now.

Saw 'Advance Vocabulary' there...meant for students who are very keen and have a good grasp of Vocab. Written by same author of Creative Vocabulary.

At a loss whether to send my P5 son for this 'Creative Writing' class at RC. Don't know if he will have time this year, but next year will be too late. When teachers go full swing from 2moro, on top of compulsory supplementary lessons twice a week, will he have time ?

Does he have other tuitions or CCAs? The more stress you give him, the worst he might perform. I received no stress from my parents. And during P5 I only had tuition once a week while during P6 I had tuition twice a week on top of supplementary lessons twice a week. There was no CCA for P6s in my school. Anyway you can monitor him for a few weeks first and if he manages his time well then the class at RC would be quite ok. But if he is already struggling at the firstfew weeks of school there is no point of giving him extra class as he might do worst. You can just buy him books with descriptive compo phrases and let him do self revision. I used to go for creative writing lessons when I was in lower primary. After that the workload got more and I found than there was not a need to go for all these lessons anymore. For P5 and P6 the compo writing teqniues are most likely the same so you an actually buy him creative writing books for P6 level.

Cheers

[janet88]

Hi Jojothehusky,

Son has CL tuition (morn) and Eng enrichment (evening) every Sat…in between, he has lunch and nap. CCA is not compulsory in his school, so he doesn’t take any.

I buy him books on creative phrases as well as those with model compos every year (based on diff level). However, I wonder if creative writing classes at RC will help him score better marks rather than just referring to the books.

[Jojothehusky]

janet_lee88:

Hi Jojothehusky,

Son has CL tuition (morn) and Eng enrichment (evening) every Sat...in between, he has lunch and nap. CCA is not compulsory in his school, so he doesn't take any.

I buy him books on creative phrases as well as those with model compos every year (based on diff level). However, I wonder if creative writing classes at RC will help him score better marks rather than just referring to the books.

I remember than the workload from P4 to P5 was very different. I saw hills during P5 and mountains during P6. As in it would him or not, I am not sure as I have never tried creative writing classes a RC before. If you think he needs the classes than you should send him. But you would have to make sure he manages his time well and is able to finish his homework. As you can see teachers would give more homework on friday as he can complete them on the weekends. But his Saturday is quite packed and if the class is on Sunday then he might have lesser time to finish his homework. And with the mentality that he has to finish is homework before Monday then he might rush them through, not doing them properly.( This has happened to me in P5 when for a few weeks I had to go back to school on weekends for CCA as it was near competition time).

[janet88]

HI Jojothehusky,

Thank you for giving me advice from your point as a student.
His English enrichment class at Jan & Elly includes Grammar/Vocab/Editing/Synthesis and compo...a comprehensive program leading to PSLE.

His teachers gave lots of hw last year every Fri...forgot that
Maybe it will be the case again.

Thanks Jojothehusky.

[Jojothehusky]

janet_lee88:

HI Jojothehusky,

Thank you for giving me advice from your point as a student.
His English enrichment class at Jan & Elly includes Grammar/Vocab/Editing/Synthesis and compo...a comprehensive program leading to PSLE.

His teachers gave lots of hw last year every Fri...forgot that
Maybe it will be the case again.

Thanks Jojothehusky.

Don't mention it. Good luck to you and your son! :celebrate:

[phankao]

janet_lee88:

HI Jojothehusky,

Thank you for giving me advice from your point as a student.
His English enrichment class at Jan & Elly includes Grammar/Vocab/Editing/Synthesis and compo...a comprehensive program leading to PSLE.

His teachers gave lots of hw last year every Fri...forgot that
Maybe it will be the case again.

Thanks Jojothehusky.

Your son won't complain? It sounds like a rather intensely academic schedule even for p5.

[Jojothehusky]

Hi janet_lee88,


You have a P1 child too right? Well, I think you should focus on your son more as P5 is very crucial. My sister is P1 too this year my school do not have exams for P1 this year :rahrah: :rahrah: :rahrah: :boogie: :boogie: :boogie: if not very busy liao.

[janet88]

phankao:

janet_lee88:

HI Jojothehusky,

Thank you for giving me advice from your point as a student.
His English enrichment class at Jan & Elly includes Grammar/Vocab/Editing/Synthesis and compo...a comprehensive program leading to PSLE.

His teachers gave lots of hw last year every Fri...forgot that
Maybe it will be the case again.

Thanks Jojothehusky.

Your son won't complain? It sounds like a rather intensely academic schedule even for p5.

I think his present CL tuition and EL enrichment is sufficient. Don't want to stretch him too much since his Jan & Elly class covers situational/continuous writing.

My daughter is in P1...she doesn't have CA/SA for P1/2 but formative assessments...otherwise I will go nuts for sure. Has its pros and cons not having CA/SA.
The pro is the mummy won't be stressed if there is an older child. The con is introducing CA/SA after 2 years of no exams will be rather stressful at P3, not to mention there will be Science as well. No matter what, exams are here to stay. So why wait till P3 to introduce SA ?