Preparing kids for P5 in 2011
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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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cimman:
Perhaps that why's EL is always the subject the percentage of getting A/A* is the lowest among all the 4 subject during the PSLE.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.
DD also told me that can get above 80++ for EL in P6 already very good lah.
Also to share some interesting question we came before:
Why was Candy in America ?
If you refer the passage (..... planning for the break....)and answer like:
She was there for a break. (1 mark given)
The correct answer is :
She was on holiday. (2 marks given)
So the children must be able to change \"for the break\" to \"holiday\" otherwise get only 1 mark instead of 2 marks for the question.
As such, still long way to learn and improve on this area lah. -
I suppose thinking skills are required for maths and science too.
Science - to link a "foreign", unrecognisable question to a concept they have learnt.
Maths - to breakdown tricky questions. -
Was a little puzzled by a question in son’s SA1 p5 English paper. Question asks : Quote an instance when… So son quoted with inverted commas the part he thought was relevant and was marked wrong for lifting. So quoting does not mean literally quoting? So whatever question asks, best to paraphrase in future . Sigh…
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jesschan:
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.[/quote]Hi,janet_lee88:
[quote=\"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.
Sometimes, it's really not easy to make such decision
I had the same mentality initially ie. neighbour school is fine. However, when the school fared badly in PSLE year after year and on seeing the lack of discipline & quality, my thinking changed. While it's true that the kids fare better and are more motivated once they are in the lead, I still took the path of transferring my children. Succeeded for younger one but not the older. I'll see how they turn out eventually.
Frankly, my expectation is much higher for the elder boy.......given the right guidance, he can excel.......but I think the school isn't able to stretch all these good students well enough. I just hope I dun regret not pushing for his transfer. The younger is no longer the top in her new school and I sense her disappointment and apprehension of facing sooooo many smarter kids around her. But I know she has secretly set her mind to inch her way back. Whether she can do it or not, not that important.... cos' I see her learning & improving in the new school, and I'm happy. The extra stress, workload etc......have to accept it since the choice is made. There's no perfect world.......must always be prepared to lose some gain some. Think eventually, we need to tell our children, just do your best in whichever place you are.....and for the good ones 一山还有一山高
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Both my DD and I have high expectations for her PSLE (260 and above) and so far she has been doing well. But i'm also trying to manage her expectations now that we are in P5 and it's really a big jump from P4, in case she feels so disspointed for not achieving but on the other hand, trying to encourage her to attain her goal.
For Comprehension Close and Compre (OE), we really need to have a good English Foundation and i think sometimes she does not understand/misinterprete the passage? Even after i marked and went through with her, still do not see improvements in SA1. Is there a technique we should apply? Like read qns first, then passage, OR read passsage then qns....not sure how to teach the techniques.
For Vocab, i tried going through all the 4 options in each qn and explain to her and ask her to form sentences, but it takes a really long time to go through 1 page and since i'm a working mum, just do not have enough time. Maybe should ask her to check dictionary for each word??
Guys, i feel the same everyday \" Good MUM\", \" Bad MUM\", i keep swtiching from one to the other....thankfully i asked my DD yesterday...\" Am i a bad mum? Always pushing you to study and scolding you??\", and she sweetly said\" no mum , i know it's for my own good>>\" She's a good girl, but at times such have no choice but to push them along right, if we want to achieve?
I'm sure many of you feel the same way and it feels good to let it out of my system -
well, i must say i used to be very good & like maths when i was little but after looking thru ds p5 sa1 paper, i don't even feel like reading it
Trying to understand the questions already give me headache Same goes to Science -
mistychances:
well, i must say i used to be very good & like maths when i was little but after looking thru ds p5 sa1 paper, i don't even feel like reading it
Trying to understand the questions already give me headache Same goes to Science
:celebrate: same here.
Most of the time, forcing myself cos' need to help the kids.....but more often than not, will ask them ask teacher or search internet (for Science) -
When i get to read this forum, I realised I am not alone after all... I must agree that P4 to P5 is a big big jump. Seeing DD putting in a lot of effort to do well in her SA1 and yet not getting her 'ideal' marks make me feel that P5 is not easy at all.
However to comfort her, I tell her that we still have another year to put in double efforts to do well for PSLE. She felt very demoralized and told me that she may not be able to get in to her dream school (with PSLE score of 260???)
But I must say that Maths & Science are really the subjects that you either can do fantastically well or it will kill you... I am telling my DD that probably she should redo the school papers so as to \"Practice Makes Perfect\"? Hopefully, over time she can grasp the concept and methods to tackle the super difficult maths questions! As for Science, we shall do the same too, try to expose to more different kinds of questions...
Sad to say... I really pity all the kids now.... :roll:
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