Preparing kids for P5 in 2011

[janet88]

gel:

Thinking Skills & Heuristics Workbook for Primary Level by Teacher@work is selling@ $3.60 at Popular Fair at Expo Hall.

Hi Gel,
Thanks for the info.
Didn't expect this new title to have discount and avail at Popular Expo.
Will get it end of the year.
Must compare this book with Fan-Math i-Excel Heuristic and Model.

[cimman]

janet_lee88:

gel:

Thinking Skills & Heuristics Workbook for Primary Level by Teacher@work is selling@ $3.60 at Popular Fair at Expo Hall.

Hi Gel,
Thanks for the info.
Didn't expect this new title to have discount and avail at Popular Expo.
Will get it end of the year.
Must compare this book with Fan-Math i-Excel Heuristic and Model.

I've the Fan-Math i-Excel Heuristic book.
I find that this book is not what I'm looking for.
It focuses a lot on Whole Numbers and Fractions, devoting about 3/4 of the book on these 2 topics. That in itself is not a bad thing, but it did not categorize the different topics under Fractions or whole numbers. Unlike the OnSponge books or the Challenging Maths Problems Made Easy books, which clearly names each category of problems, and shows the relevant method for each category, the i-Excel book just lumps the questions together, broken up by different Practices, by difficulty level. There is no explanation on how to identify that specific category of question, like in the OnSponge books. This is a very important skill set to master. You must first identify the category and then use the methods for that category.

The other issue I have is that the i-Excel did not have a lot of materials on the other heuristics methods.This is an issue with OnSponge as well, it did not cover the Working Backwards heuristic, which came out in DS's exam, pretty unfortunate. There are other heuristics that OnSponge did not cover. That would have to be supplemented by other assessment books.

In this area, I find that Maths Olympiad books provides a good broad range of heuristics not covered by either OnSponge or Challenging Maths Problems.

btw, I'm referring to Level 4 of i-Excel and P4 of OnSponge.

[Chenonceau]

cimman:

In this area, I find that Maths Olympiad books provides a good broad range of heuristics not covered by either OnSponge or Challenging Maths Problems.

Math Olympiad books? Which ones? Can give specific titles please? :please:

[cimman]

Chenonceau:

cimman:

In this area, I find that Maths Olympiad books provides a good broad range of heuristics not covered by either OnSponge or Challenging Maths Problems.

Math Olympiad books? Which ones? Can give specific titles please? :please:

I didn't really go through all the Maths Olympiad books, but I liked this one:
Maths Olympiad, Unleash the Maths Olympian in You by Terry Chew, Publisher: SAP
There are two Maths Olympiad series by Terry Chew, get the first series. This contains worked samples at the start of each topic. The second series does not contain any worked samples at all. Terry Chew has a couple of Maths Olympiad books targetted at different ages (age stated on the cover), get the one appropriate for your child.

[janet88]

Hi cimman,

Thanks for the overview, appreciate your input.
I bought the Heuristics Maths by Andrew Er and Joanne Er for P2...honestly quite regretted doing so...but since it's for P2, damage not so bad.

I've a friend who told me have to finish Challenging Maths Problems (Ammiel Wan) and Onsponge by end of P5 and this other title A* Maths Problem Series in Primary 6. These 3 are really killers...esp for someone hopeless in Math like me :razz:

[Chenonceau]

cimman:

Chenonceau:

[quote=\"cimman\"]In this area, I find that Maths Olympiad books provides a good broad range of heuristics not covered by either OnSponge or Challenging Maths Problems.

Math Olympiad books? Which ones? Can give specific titles please? :please:

I didn't really go through all the Maths Olympiad books, but I liked this one:
Maths Olympiad, Unleash the Maths Olympian in You by Terry Chew, Publisher: SAP
There are two Maths Olympiad series by Terry Chew, get the first series. This contains worked samples at the start of each topic. The second series does not contain any worked samples at all. Terry Chew has a couple of Maths Olympiad books targetted at different ages (age stated on the cover), get the one appropriate for your child.[/quote] :thankyou:

[janet88]

Hi Mummies,

I was surfing SAP website and saw this title. Anyone has comments about it ? Am planning to go to Popular to take a look at the P1 book.
http://i51.tinypic.com/30t75l4.jpg\">

[pixiedust]

Hi all, just a small suggestion: since this thread title and past discussions are mainly for current p5, maybe it would be better to update the existing respective threads for feedback on assessment books. This helps to keep all current threads relevant and easier to dig up info if need to in future.

[cimman]

janet_lee88:

Hi cimman,

Thanks for the overview, appreciate your input.
I bought the Heuristics Maths by Andrew Er and Joanne Er for P2...honestly quite regretted doing so...but since it's for P2, damage not so bad.

I've a friend who told me have to finish Challenging Maths Problems (Ammiel Wan) and Onsponge by end of P5 and this other title A* Maths Problem Series in Primary 6. These 3 are really killers...esp for someone hopeless in Math like me :razz:

you're welcome. The Challenging Maths and OnSponge supplement each other. Both are very good for modelling problems. A large percentage of topics overlap for the two books, but there are enough differences to make it worthwhile to get both books. The emphasis on these books is on heuristics related to modelling problems. Do note that in exams, it is not just modelling problems that are tested on, so non modelling heuristics are important as well, ie. Logic, Working Backwards, Draw a Picture, Recognize the Pattern, etc.

The A* book is good in that it gives you a fair amount of basic drills necessary when you start on a new topic. The problem sums are also pretty good, though they don't name the heuristics involved. The drilling on problem sums should be done using the Onsponge and Challenging Maths book. The A* book could be used once the student is familiar with the different types of heuristics.

[Peony]

Sad sad sad situation but what a sense of relief I feel!


Have officially outsourced ALL of my DD’s academic needs. She now has tuition for English (one for paper 1 and another for paper 2), Maths, Science and MT.

I cannot keep up with SAHM friends and am not going to "kill" DD and myself, trying to.

She had her 1st lesson with the compo tutor and we both became so happy! All I did to her was kill her love for the subject. I was so happy to see her respond to the tutor and they spent a productive 2 hours together. Have never seen her so focused in writing in such a long time.

Think I make a better cheerleader than a teacher for her…