SMO Junior
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Hi phankao,
No criteria …but if your boy is getting Band 1/80+ for school maths, they will encourage u to join the competition maths.
Travelling to Maths Hub may be quite a distance for u …u may choose to carry on w/ Maths Oasis. Actually the founder of Maths Hub, used to a trainer at Maths Oasis until he started Maths Hub a few years ago. Donno whether he still trains kids at Maths Oasis.
Your boy mayl find it difficult at first … cause its more challenging than school maths. Give him sometime …and if he is doing well in school maths … he’ll the get the hang of the competition type qns. Furthermore, as he goes on …he’ll find school maths a breeze. Doing competitive maths helps in PSLE …every year there will be 1 or 2 qns on non-routine problems…usually kids exposed to competition maths will face no problems handling these type of qns.
When my older daughter sat for PSLE 2 years ago, she underwent SMOPS training. She spent the least amt of time on maths for her PSLE revision…and therefore she was able to free up more time for Science (heavy content) and her languages. Without the training she had gone thru for SMOPS, I don’t think it would have been possible.
As for my younger daughter, she was struggling w/ school maths in P5…so decided to give SMOPS a miss and focus on school syllabus.
How the trainer brings out the love for maths in the kids is important…I guess -
ApronMama:
It is good to join early ...P3/P4. Training mainly conducted for SMOPS, SMO Junior and SMO Senior.....though u can register to sit for Gauss, Australian Maths Trust Competition, AMC 8 thru them.Dharma:
[... the GEP ones are already quite good before they come to him. Quite a number of them had succeeded in SMOPS ...winning medals(Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze)....some even got high placings in SMOPS. However, they are only able to provide the necessay knowledge and skills ...it is finally up to the child's ability, enthusiasm and dedication... to achieve success. It is the same case even in top schools.
Hi, wonder when would it be neccessary to join the training? Is the same training preparing for all kinds of Maths Olympiad hosted by different schools? -
Dharma:
Yeah, i was thinking abt that as per yr elder girl's experience...not just the math olympiad itself. My boy'd in p4 and math & chinese are his strongest subjects in high 80s to 90s.Hi phankao,
No criteria ....but if your boy is getting Band 1/80+ for school maths, they will encourage u to join the competition maths.
Travelling to Maths Hub may be quite a distance for u ....u may choose to carry on w/ Maths Oasis. Actually the founder of Maths Hub, used to a trainer at Maths Oasis until he started Maths Hub a few years ago. Donno whether he still trains kids at Maths Oasis.
Your boy mayl find it difficult at first ... cause its more challenging than school maths. Give him sometime ...and if he is doing well in school maths ... he'll the get the hang of the competition type qns. Furthermore, as he goes on ...he'll find school maths a breeze. Doing competitive maths helps in PSLE ....every year there will be 1 or 2 qns on non-routine problems.....usually kids exposed to competition maths will face no problems handling these type of qns.
When my older daughter sat for PSLE 2 years ago, she underwent SMOPS training. She spent the least amt of time on maths for her PSLE revision....and therefore she was able to free up more time for Science (heavy content) and her languages. Without the training she had gone thru for SMOPS, I don't think it would have been possible.
As for my younger daughter, she was struggling w/ school maths in P5....so decided to give SMOPS a miss and focus on school syllabus.
How the trainer brings out the love for maths in the kids is important...I guess
So the math trainer in maths hub is able to get the children enjoy & love math? -
Sorry phankao,…not too sure abt anything in bishan/thomson area…your boy’s faring well in maths …u may wish to stretch him a little bit further …suggest u talk to his school maths teacher…quite a few schools get external trainers to prepare selected kids for maths competitions…usually either in P5/P6.
As far as Maths Hub is concerned …Michael Lim is quite good. Like I said before many kids from neighbourhood schools managed to win medals under his guidance and they have gone to good IP schools (RI, RGS, HCI,NUS High etc.) -
Dharma:
Mr Michael Lim, the main trainer from Maths Hub once told me that it gives him pleasure to prepare kids , especially those from neighbourhood and non-GEP schools and see them do well in competitions....
Hmm...Mr Michael Lim, being the main trainer and founder? of Maths Hub, suggest that we check his credentials first before committing ourselves... -
sunflower:
If he manages to train up students who can do well, that's his credentialas already, aren't they?Dharma:
Mr Michael Lim, the main trainer from Maths Hub once told me that it gives him pleasure to prepare kids , especially those from neighbourhood and non-GEP schools and see them do well in competitions....
Hmm...Mr Michael Lim, being the main trainer and founder? of Maths Hub, suggest that we check his credentials first before committing ourselves... -
phankao:
Actually, even if his credentials are non-existent, I'm sure the results of his training are? If he manages to train up students who can do well, that's his credentialas already, aren't they?
Hmm…not too sure about that. Would we allow someone who has only “O” levels to teach advance Maths? (Just giving an example only, yet to find out his credentials myself). I’m just being cautious as the website didn’t state his credentials, whereas most other websites do, especially of the main trainer or founder (unless founder not doing any training).
I think most enrichment centres have students who perform well in competitions (whether they “boast” about it is another matter). So to me, having a few students who did well in competitions is no big deal. There are many other factors involved as well. If I'm not wrong, RGPS does engage external trainers (not Maths Hub) to prepare their students for Maths competitions as well. I’m always sceptical about listing students who get awards, just like Mindchamps or Adam Khoo (having testimonies etc, etc...), am still not too convinced. Just my personal opinion.
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sunflower:
It depends on the students right ? They also said that. My child went to Maths Hub for Maths Olympiad training, but there was never any solution given for the paper he praticed each time, so there was no way we could learn and tried and coach him at home since soluntions are not available. Don't know if it is worth continuing.trainer or founder (unless founder not doing any training).
I think most enrichment centres have students who perform well in competitions (whether they “boast” about it is another matter). So to me, having a few students who did well in competitions is no big deal. There are many other factors involved as well. If I'm not wrong, RGPS does engage external trainers (not Maths Hub) to prepare their students for Maths competitions as well. I’m always sceptical about listing students who get awards, just like Mindchamps or Adam Khoo (having testimonies etc, etc...), am still not too convinced. Just my personal opinion. -
How about just buy the Maths Olympiad books(SAP publishier) from Popular bookshop and practics at home?
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sunflower:
Hi sunflower,phankao:
Actually, even if his credentials are non-existent, I'm sure the results of his training are? If he manages to train up students who can do well, that's his credentialas already, aren't they?
Hmm…not too sure about that. Would we allow someone who has only “O” levels to teach advance Maths? (Just giving an example only, yet to find out his credentials myself). I’m just being cautious as the website didn’t state his credentials, whereas most other websites do, especially of the main trainer or founder (unless founder not doing any training).
I think most enrichment centres have students who perform well in competitions (whether they “boast” about it is another matter). So to me, having a few students who did well in competitions is no big deal. There are many other factors involved as well. If I'm not wrong, RGPS does engage external trainers (not Maths Hub) to prepare their students for Maths competitions as well. I’m always sceptical about listing students who get awards, just like Mindchamps or Adam Khoo (having testimonies etc, etc...), am still not too convinced. Just my personal opinion.
Although Michael is not a degree holder .... to be fair to the man ... he has exceptional talent in competition maths and I agree with phankao that the fact many kids trained by him go on to do well in SMOPS is already a credential itself.
My older child was selected by RGPS for maths olympiad training in 2007 under Dr Spario Soon (10 lessons - from Jan to Apr) but she continued w/ Maths Hub. The fact that RGPS does not engage Maths Hub for Maths Olympiad training doesn't mean anything. This year,2 RGPS girls who won platinum had gone to Maths Hub, one of them was placed 6th and 10th at SMOPS and APMOPS respectively.
I am not here to promote Maths Hub ...my child doesn't go there for Maths Olympiad anymore due to her tight schedule. As a parent, I am just sharing ....
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