Q&A - P2 English

[optimistforum]

janet_lee88:

Hi optimistforum,

I prefer Challenging English 4-in-1. It's good practice. For Josephine Yeo's Complete Practice Book, the space is a little small for comprehension. Usually buy separate assessment books for synthesis, grammar, vocab etc.

Hi Janet

Sorry to keep hassling you but I have a question about the EPH P2 Com plete Practice in English and P2 Challenging 4 in 1 English. I am enquiring about my DS1 (a rising 8, will be 8 in July).

DS1 is a P2 student, however, he started the P3 Complete Practice and Challenging English 4-in-1 last month. He is struggling with the o/e comprehension and the vocab when I do not allow him to use the electronic dictionary (I gave him the hardback dictionary to use, which he hates).

Should I move him back to P2 Challenging 4-in-English. Is it common for Singaporeans P2's to start the P3 books. FYI, DS1 will finish his present school year in mid-July.

Is it a retrograde step to push him back to the P2 book?

[janet88]

optimistforum:

janet_lee88:

Hi optimistforum,

I prefer Challenging English 4-in-1. It's good practice. For Josephine Yeo's Complete Practice Book, the space is a little small for comprehension. Usually buy separate assessment books for synthesis, grammar, vocab etc.

DS1 is a P2 student, however, he started the P3 Complete Practice and Challenging English 4-in-1 last month. He is struggling with the o/e comprehension and the vocab when I do not allow him to use the electronic dictionary (I gave him the hardback dictionary to use, which he hates).

Should I move him back to P2 Challenging 4-in-English. Is it common for Singaporeans P2's to start the P3 books. FYI, DS1 will finish his present school year in mid-July.

Is it a retrograde step to push him back to the P2 book?

Hi optimistforum,
If your son is in P2, I would advise sticking to P2 syllabus and build up foundation than move on to P3. There is a jump from P2 to P3. Strengthen the foundation first. As for vocab, I get my boy to check up the meanings and write them down not just for that particular exercise but to know what those options in MCQ means. Electronic dictionary is faster and he enjoys using it...if method is efficient and effective, I let him use.
OE comprehension gets more difficult from P3 and P5 onwards.
No worries, we are all here to learn and I'm still doing that.

[optimistforum]

Hi Janet


Can I please clarify the age for P2. Is it age 7-8. DS1 is a rising 8; meaning his cohort is full of DC who are 7 or 8, and that they will be 8 by 31 Aug 2011.

PS, shall I use both P2 Complete Practice and P2 Challeng 4in1 English, or just the P2 Complete Practice?

Many thanks.

[laughingcat]

Hello optimistforum,


hehehehe.....keep seeing you having problem with the age of the child w.r.t schooling and so hopefully I can help you. :love:

Primary 1 - kids at 7yrs old in that year
Primary 2 - 8yrs old
Primary 3 - 9 yrs old
Primary 4 - 10 yrs old
Primary 5 - 11 yrs old
Primary 6 - 12 yrs old

SGP school years starts from Jan to Dec. Unlike in UK which starts in Jun/Jul of every year (unless I am wrong.....hahaha can't remember already since I used to study in UK for my uni). :lol:

[janet88]

optimistforum:

Hi Janet


Can I please clarify the age for P2. Is it age 7-8. DS1 is a rising 8; meaning his cohort is full of DC who are 7 or 8, and that they will be 8 by 31 Aug 2011.

PS, shall I use both P2 Complete Practice and P2 Challeng 4in1 English, or just the P2 Complete Practice?

Many thanks.

SG schools start in Jan...so kids born in Jan 2 will be in P1. Children born on 1/1 will have to join the earlier cohort though.
Both the English assessment books are not bad...but Josephine Yeo's Complete Practice book is thicker. So if there is no time, this one should be sufficient.

[optimistforum]

laughingcat:

Hello optimistforum,


hehehehe.....keep seeing you having problem with the age of the child w.r.t schooling and so hopefully I can help you. :love:

Primary 1 - kids at 7yrs old in that year
Primary 2 - 8yrs old
Primary 3 - 9 yrs old
Primary 4 - 10 yrs old
Primary 5 - 11 yrs old
Primary 6 - 12 yrs old

SGP school years starts from Jan to Dec. Unlike in UK which starts in Jun/Jul of every year (unless I am wrong.....hahaha can't remember already since I used to study in UK for my uni). :lol:

Hi laughingcat

Thanks for this.

England School year starts Sep to July. Next week we break up for Easter, and summer term begins in May and end in July, along with school year.

I will map UK school years to Singapore school years:

Primary 1 - 6-7 yrs old, UK Year 2
Primary 2 - 7-8 yrs old, UK Year 3
Primary 3 - 8-9 yrs old, , UK Year 4
Primary 4 - 9-10 yrs old, UK Year 5
Primary 5 - 10-11 yrs old, , UK Year 6 (Primary school ends at end of Y6)
Primary 6 - 11-12 yrs old, UK Year 7 (Secondary school starts in Y7)

[optimistforum]

janet_lee88:

optimistforum:

Hi Janet


Can I please clarify the age for P2. Is it age 7-8. DS1 is a rising 8; meaning his cohort is full of DC who are 7 or 8, and that they will be 8 by 31 Aug 2011.

PS, shall I use both P2 Complete Practice and P2 Challeng 4in1 English, or just the P2 Complete Practice?

Many thanks.

SG schools start in Jan...so kids born in Jan 2 will be in P1. Children born on 1/1 will have to join the earlier cohort though.
Both the English assessment books are not bad...but Josephine Yeo's Complete Practice book is thicker. So if there is no time, this one should be sufficient.

Hi Janet

I notice you mentioned that Complete Practice and Challenging 4-in1 English are not bad. Does that mean that they are not thatgood. :? I ask this as I woiuld gladly purchase more appropriate titles - if you can think of better ones, then I can order online fromn POPULAR.

[janet88]

Hi optimistforum,

There is a difference in the way questions are set in both books.
For Complete practice, vocab and grammar are in MCQ format…and according to topics for eg, pronouns, articles, tenses. As for vocab, questions are according to themes like fantasy, transport, animals etc.

Challenging English is in a ‘test’ format - vocab, grammar, comprehension OE/MCQ etc. It’s appropriate for testing the child before exams, not so much for daily practice/revision.

[Callie Tan]

May I share my point?


I think it is ideal to get some assessment for individual topics and then some in "test" formats… this is what i do… do note that there are revision exercises in the individual topics too… but I normally will let my girl do the "test" without assistance, ie. like during an exam.

As to the age and which level the kids are, I guess the more important consideration is to have a good foundation. If you feel that your child is still not very familiar with P1 work, I suggest you reinforce that area first before moving on to P2 work. Like what my girl’s Math teacher said, once the foundation in P1 is good, P2 they can fly…

Just my 2 cents worth…

[janet88]

Callie Tan:

I think it is ideal to get some assessment for individual topics and then some in \"test\" formats... this is what i do... do note that there are revision exercises in the individual topics too...


As to the age and which level the kids are, I guess the more important consideration is to have a good foundation. If you feel that your child is still not very familiar with P1 work, I suggest you reinforce that area first before moving on to P2 work. Like what my girl's Math teacher said, once the foundation in P1 is good, P2 they can fly....
Just my 2 cents worth...

Hi Callie,
The foundation must be built from P1. That's very true ...also to 'reinforce' the mindset of my P1 gal that she is no longer in kindy and it's REAL school although with some fun thrown in.

Although there is no CA/SA in most schools now, it doesn't mean relax completely bcos teachers will be more 'on' in P2 and if the child has been in 'relaxed' mode for whole of P1, he/she will suffer.