Preparing kids for P5 in 2011
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Happyfaye… I feel this way a lot this year, in P5.
P1 to P4, not so bad. This year, I really pity him. I pulled myself into knots to preserve play day, and I allowed play days when I saw that he was really getting tired. If he resists me, I stop pushing. I push as far as he wants to go. The short-term benefits of good grades cannot destroy the long-term curiosity and thirst for learning.
We’re no longer aiming for the top schools either. I’m not willing to pay the price for TOP. -
ksmama:
Hi. Thanks for the suggestions! Have gone thru his maths paper n realized that his concepts are indeed weak. Though I've gone through similar questions before exam, under exam stress he had fumbled and forgotten how to do. Yes will definitely try out your method during the hols to reinforce concepts first before trying any more papers. Thanks again.Hi, I have a kid in sec 1 and another in p5 this year so I can understand all the anxieties mentioned.
Linden, I suggest you start by using some the recommended assessments books mentioned to reinforce the concepts. If some questions are similar, pick about 2 to let your kid try. If he gets it correct, there's no need to do the rest and go on. If he has problem with the questions, do a few more similar ones to practice. Put a tag on these \"problematic\" ones so that nearer the exams, he can just go through these. Always let him go back to the previous sums which he had gotten wrong. Cover the answers and let him try again. If you are more\"on\", rewrite the questions changing the names and numbers so that the kid doesn't do the sum again by memory but doing it based on his own understanding. Once he is ok with the topical sums, go on to the school papers. -
Also not dreaming of top school or 260 aggregate. Hoping for respectable, ie not borderline passes first and probably a second tier secondary school if possible.
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Wow...this thread is moving fast !
Indeed when I come to this forum, I feel more stressed and want to push more. But I see my poor little boy, I relax a little so I think overall effect is still good - moving ahead at our own speed. Important thing is we as parents feel that we have tried out best, the rest is really up to them.
My ds did more-or-less as CA...quite okay by my standard but Chinese is really an area we have to keep working hard on. 260 and top-school have never been my goal, DSA is not in the pipeline either. As long as he has done his best, we'll see where it takes us. Just that in this thread, we parents can share the frustrations and stress...brainstorm a bit on strategies and resouces, pat each other's back and nudge each other forward a little. It is nice to be able to network and share info with each other.
One thing I noticed, whichever area I put priority, ds will do better eg. OE compre, then the previously-ok sections will slip, so end result is the same.....*gek sim* like that Secondary school how ? :stupid: For some of the compre questions - both EL and CL - I feel the paper is set just to 'fry' the kids' brains rather than test their grasp of the language *shake head*.
We will work on half-tank mode this June. P5 has really been tough going so far
Peony - my friend sends her children to Edward Debono 6 thinking hats courses, not sure if that's the kind of thinking courses you are looking for. I don't have first hand experience to share. My initial thought is just poor children of ours this generation, so much is expected of them. -
Chenonceau:
P1 to P4, not so bad. This year, I really pity him. I pulled myself into knots to preserve play day, and I allowed play days when I saw that he was really getting tired. We're no longer aiming for the top schools either. I'm not willing to pay the price for TOP.
From P1 to P4, we did consistent revision and could still hit average-above average for CA & SA. From Jan this year, I could feel the HEAT from P5. Even though revision started like 1 1/2 months before CA and SA, he was no where near average for his subjects...failing Math and near failing for Chinese.
He is tired most of the days after school, partially bcos of the warmer days now...wanting to sleep b4 starting his hw.
I'm relieved to be able to login here to release some stress, vent frustrations and get useful tips from other parents here. :lovesite: -
Just curious, janet_lee88, is your DS in those good school?
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janet_lee88:
You guys keep me sane!! :grphug:Chenonceau:
P1 to P4, not so bad. This year, I really pity him. I pulled myself into knots to preserve play day, and I allowed play days when I saw that he was really getting tired. We're no longer aiming for the top schools either. I'm not willing to pay the price for TOP.
From P1 to P4, we did consistent revision and could still hit average-above average for CA & SA. From Jan this year, I could feel the HEAT from P5. Even though revision started like 1 1/2 months before CA and SA, he was no where near average for his subjects...failing Math and near failing for Chinese.
He is tired most of the days after school, partially bcos of the warmer days now...wanting to sleep b4 starting his hw.
I'm relieved to be able to login here to release some stress, vent frustrations and get useful tips from other parents here. :lovesite:
Pixiedust, that sounds expensive. Had a re-think. Perhaps I ask the teacher what DD could do to improve her thinking skills rather than going for a class. -
HappyFaye:
Just curious, janet_lee88, is your DS in those good school?
My son is in Pei Hwa. When we registered him there, we had absolutely no idea it was such a pressure cooker...oops, hope I don't get thrown bricks.
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Peony:
You guys keep me sane!! :grphug:janet_lee88:
[quote=\"Chenonceau\"]P1 to P4, not so bad. This year, I really pity him. I pulled myself into knots to preserve play day, and I allowed play days when I saw that he was really getting tired. We're no longer aiming for the top schools either. I'm not willing to pay the price for TOP.
From P1 to P4, we did consistent revision and could still hit average-above average for CA & SA. From Jan this year, I could feel the HEAT from P5. Even though revision started like 1 1/2 months before CA and SA, he was no where near average for his subjects...failing Math and near failing for Chinese.
He is tired most of the days after school, partially bcos of the warmer days now...wanting to sleep b4 starting his hw.
I'm relieved to be able to login here to release some stress, vent frustrations and get useful tips from other parents here. :lovesite:
Pixiedust, that sounds expensive. Had a re-think. Perhaps I ask the teacher what DD could do to improve her thinking skills rather than going for a class.[/quote]yeah, good thinking skills are critical to long term success.
Unfortunately, have not seen any enrichment center teaching that.
In the short term, rote learning can improve grades, but once you move on to higher levels, rote learning falls short.
Critical thinking is different in languages (ie. comprehension) compared to Maths/Science subjects. Inferences required in languages depends on a good foundation of general knowledge and the ability to identify the logic inherent in the arguments to draw a subjective conclusion.
Inferences required in Maths/Science depends on the ability to link existing information to create a web of linkages that one can use to draw an objective conclusion.
This is where girls and boys are wired differently. Girls are better at languages while boys are better at hard sciences. This is a general statement of course, there are always exceptions. There are great male novelists (Charles Dickens, William Shakesphere, Mark Twain) and brilliant female scientists (Marie Curie).
While some children have inherent abilities (the GEP children), I personally believe that any abilities can be taught, given sufficient time, effort and the right teaching methods. They might not achieve the same heights as the truly gifted, but should be within touching distance of them. Inside all of our children is the potential to be someone outstanding, we just need to find a way to unlock it.
Unfortunately, I've yet to discover the right method for teaching critical thinking or found a center that teaches this. In the meantime, I'm still working on it and rote learning for the short term. -
janet_lee88:
Janet, if I were you, I would have transferred my son out of the school. Sometimes over-stress can result in a backfire of results. He might be happier and hence do better in another school.... That is why I decided to put my kids in neighbourhood schools from day one. They will fare better if they know that they have a chance to lead from the front.HappyFaye:
Just curious, janet_lee88, is your DS in those good school?
My son is in Pei Hwa. When we registered him there, we had absolutely no idea it was such a pressure cooker...oops, hope I don't get thrown bricks.
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