Meet-The-Parents Session

[SAHM_TAN]

janet_lee88:

SAHM_TAN:

[quote=\"janet_lee88\"]I got a tutor to give individual attention for my son as he failed his CA1 & SA1.


Same goes for Science :rant: teacher doesn't give any materials to help students to pass.[/[/b]color] His class is strong in Science, scoring higher marks than level median...I suppose they attend enrichment lessons.

My kids are still in kindy. I thought for problem sums, the students use model method? In Science if teacher don't give material to pass, what do the teacher teach during Science period? Thanks for sharing

For P4, son was encouraged to use models...at P5 however, he can use whatever method he wishes...as long as he can use it correctly. There is algebra and many other methods not taught in school, bcos the teacher is afraid to confuse her students.
That's all this idiot mum knows about Maths.

As for Science, my boy doesn't have materials from school...yet he is supposed to analyse and apply concepts to pass. The teacher uses the pathetic textbook to teach.[/quote]It's so strange, if it's ok to use another method, then can't it be arranged in the syllabus? Just teach it as another option that kids can use, kids will understand if it is taught in a coherent manner. I know that there are some schools who invite teachers from the Sakamoto method franchise to teach their maths teachers and students to use this method.

I don't understand, do teachers think analytical skills can just suddenly happen in P3? It must be guided process before a child can think in a certain manner. Maybe GEP kids are different, but I think in normal circumstances thinking skills need to be taught, like the process of thinking, before it's \"automatic\".

I don't understand, if don't give inputs how to have outputs????? Is MOE in cohorts with the tuition industry?

[cimman]

SAHM_TAN:

I know that there are some schools who invite teachers from the Sakamoto method franchise to teach their maths teachers and students to use this method.

what is the Sakamoto method ? do they teach the various heuristics or it's another method of solving problem sums ?

[SAHM_TAN]

cimman:

SAHM_TAN:

I know that there are some schools who invite teachers from the Sakamoto method franchise to teach their maths teachers and students to use this method.

what is the Sakamoto method ? do they teach the various heuristics or it's another method of solving problem sums ?

I'm still at the exploring stage. I'm interested in the Sakamoto method because I found that some primary schools have engaged their teachers to teach the method to the maths teachers and students.

From what I can find out from the website, it's a method to tackle problem sums.

[dovetail]

SAHM_TAN:

I don't understand, do teachers think analytical skills can just suddenly happen in P3? It must be guided process before a child can think in a certain manner. Maybe GEP kids are different, but I think in normal circumstances thinking skills need to be taught, like the process of thinking, before it's \"automatic\".

I don't understand, if don't give inputs how to have outputs????? Is MOE in cohorts with the tuition industry?

Dear SAHM_TAN,

I agree thinking and analytical skills can be and should be guided by teachers in schools. It is very ideal but very hard to execute by teachers because

1. Some teachers don't know how to guide, they just get by using the old school methods because that was the way they were taught.

2. Not every child can absorb such guidance. Even in the GEP classes,some kids don't benefit from the style of the curriculum and end up just going for drills just to handle the final PSLE.

3. In view of the fact that teaching thinking skills may not be effective for every child. Also our system is always in a hurry to sort the kids into their respective abilities. The best compromise is to drill and learn-by-hard method. Very painful but effective but not what education is about as far as I think.

Ideally, thinking skills should be taught but we need to give children time. With such a hurried and exam-oriented system, it is just too difficult to materialise.

[janet88]

SAHM_TAN:

janet_lee88:

[quote=\"SAHM_TAN\"]I got a tutor to give individual attention for my son as he failed his CA1 & SA1.

I thought for problem sums, the students use model method? In Science if teacher don't give material to pass, what do the teacher teach during Science period? Thanks for sharing

For P4, son was encouraged to use models...at P5 however, he can use whatever method he wishes...as long as he can use it correctly. There is algebra and many other methods not taught in school, bcos the teacher is afraid to confuse her students.
That's all this idiot mum knows about Maths. [/quote]It's so strange, if it's ok to use another method, then can't it be arranged in the syllabus? Just teach it as another option that kids can use, kids will understand if it is taught in a coherent manner. I know that there are some schools who invite teachers from the Sakamoto method franchise to teach their maths teachers and students to use this method.

Is MOE in cohorts with the tuition industry?[/quote]

The school teacher is afraid to teach other methods for fear of confusing the students, but yet marks are given for steps/methods during exams. That implies that students can use any method and marks are given for each step (M1, M2 thing)...correct me if I'm wrong.
So if students want to pass Math, they have to seek tutors bcos school teachers are not teaching enough to pass.

Why must it be this way ? Schools are built for students to attend...then if students don't pass, they need tutors. Where do all these tutors come from ??? It's obvious MOE is paving the way for the tutor industry.

[SAHM_TAN]

dovetail:

SAHM_TAN:

I don't understand, do teachers think analytical skills can just suddenly happen in P3? It must be guided process before a child can think in a certain manner. Maybe GEP kids are different, but I think in normal circumstances thinking skills need to be taught, like the process of thinking, before it's \"automatic\".

I don't understand, if don't give inputs how to have outputs????? Is MOE in cohorts with the tuition industry?

Dear SAHM_TAN,

I agree thinking and analytical skills can be and should be guided by teachers in schools. It is very ideal but very hard to execute by teachers because

1. Some teachers don't know how to guide, they just get by using the old school methods because that was the way they were taught.

2. Not every child can absorb such guidance. Even in the GEP classes,some kids don't benefit from the style of the curriculum and end up just going for drills just to handle the final PSLE.

3. In view of the fact that teaching thinking skills may not be effective for every child. Also our system is always in a hurry to sort the kids into their respective abilities. The best compromise is to drill and learn-by-hard method. Very painful but effective but not what education is about as far as I think.

Ideally, thinking skills should be taught but we need to give children time. With such a hurried and exam-oriented system, it is just too difficult to materialise.

Yes agreed. The pace is too fast at Primary level, which I find sad. Many talents are lost through the rapid pigeon-hole process.

MOE should look into training teachers on how o guide students in thinking process from P1.If there's such courses, I will attend to help my kids.

[SAHM_TAN]

Is it true that a student cannot repeat PSLE?

[corneyAmber]

SAHM_TAN:

Is it true that a student cannot repeat PSLE?

I don't think so...I see students repeating P6 in the schools.

[SAHM_TAN]

ksi:

SAHM_TAN:

Is it true that a student cannot repeat PSLE?

I don't think so...I see students repeating P6 in the schools.

Thanks