2011 PSLE Discussions and Strategy

[Brenda10]

Pen88n:

My DS is a messy writer, and I really doubt he can survive without correct tape. He will write and then half way change a word or phrase. It will be an eye sore to mark his paper (compo or otherwise) if correction tape is not allowed.

True, my dd is also a big consumer of correction tap as always have this bad habbit of doing correction immediately after the writing!

If fact, MOE booklet should give a clear signal of CAN or CANNOT use.

[verykiasu2010]

there is a separate discussion thread on use of correction tapes


conclusion : can use

evidence : many students used it, including my kids

better to use it when needed it at least to improve the marks than to waste the marks

[Pen88n]

Leanne & Brenda,


Since start of Term 3, supp is still once a week but DS also see increase in workload. Back from sch at 1+pm, will end up doing homework till 6+pm (include bath time, lunch and tea break). Thereafter, he is so tired that he will relax at night or do some easy revision.

DS has also been informed Sep hol has supp class at least 2-3 days.

[Brenda10]

verykiasu2010:

there is a separate discussion thread on use of correction tapes


conclusion : can use

evidence : many students used it, including my kids

better to use it when needed it at least to improve the marks than to waste the marks

Thank you verykiasu2010 for your kind advise!

[Brenda10]

Pen88n:

Leanne & Brenda,


Since start of Term 3, supp is still once a week but DS also see increase in workload. Back from sch at 1+pm, will end up doing homework till 6+pm (include bath time, lunch and tea break). Thereafter, he is so tired that he will relax at night or do some easy revision.

DS has also been informed Sep hol has supp class at least 2-3 days.

Hi Pen88n

For dd class, they need to stay 3 days for supplementary class. Those weaker in math will need to stay another 1 day. Seems that most of the work had completd duing the class as such not much homework to be done when she is back after 3.30pm. So we just continous with some prelim math paper and sciecne MCQ.

[phankao]

Pen88n:

Leanne & Brenda,


Since start of Term 3, supp is still once a week but DS also see increase in workload. Back from sch at 1+pm, will end up doing homework till 6+pm (include bath time, lunch and tea break). Thereafter, he is so tired that he will relax at night or do some easy revision.

DS has also been informed Sep hol has supp class at least 2-3 days.

How come your ds' school so lucky? Back from school at 1+pm???!!! That's super early! Super lucky.

My ds ends school only 1.45pm - by the time he comes out of the classroom, it will already be 1.55pm. Most days he ends at 4.30pm after supplementary. By the time he's home, it's 5pm at least? Then eat early dinner. By the time settle down to do homework would already be at least 6.30-7pm! Your ds already finish homework by 6+pm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's why I say super-lucky.

[Pen88n]

phankao:

Pen88n:

Leanne & Brenda,


Since start of Term 3, supp is still once a week but DS also see increase in workload. Back from sch at 1+pm, will end up doing homework till 6+pm (include bath time, lunch and tea break). Thereafter, he is so tired that he will relax at night or do some easy revision.

DS has also been informed Sep hol has supp class at least 2-3 days.

How come your ds' school so lucky? Back from school at 1+pm???!!! That's super early! Super lucky.

My ds ends school only 1.45pm - by the time he comes out of the classroom, it will already be 1.55pm. Most days he ends at 4.30pm after supplementary. By the time he's home, it's 5pm at least? Then eat early dinner. By the time settle down to do homework would already be at least 6.30-7pm! Your ds already finish homework by 6+pm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's why I say super-lucky.

Super-lucky: for the kid or for the teacher? Sometimes I really wonder.

I see other schools having teachers who run supp classes to address PSLE kids' main weakness areas - compre, compo, cloze, oral.......we don't have that, and have to address that by ourselves at home. The best I can get is teacher giving out some pointers on eg. compo, but it's purely up to parents / external tutor to coach the kid and practise more. If DS school has more supp classes to address these areas, I can be more hands-off and leave it to his sch to run the show instead of having to come back from work and start tutoring him myself.

[phankao]

Pen88n:

I see other schools having teachers who run supp classes to address PSLE kids' main weakness areas - compre, compo, cloze, oral.......we don't have that, and have to address that by ourselves at home. The best I can get is teacher giving out some pointers on eg. compo, but it's purely up to parents / external tutor to coach the kid and practise more. If DS school has more supp classes to address these areas, I can be more hands-off and leave it to his sch to run the show instead of having to come back from work and start tutoring him myself.

Aiyah, my son is like one of the weakest in his class - the supplementary classes doesn't address his weak areas definitely. It's just what the teacher(s) want to teach the whole class or level (bc sometimes it's mass lectures to the whole level). Just trying to finish the syllabus, that's all I can tell.

[Pen88n]

phankao:

Pen88n:

I see other schools having teachers who run supp classes to address PSLE kids' main weakness areas - compre, compo, cloze, oral.......we don't have that, and have to address that by ourselves at home. The best I can get is teacher giving out some pointers on eg. compo, but it's purely up to parents / external tutor to coach the kid and practise more. If DS school has more supp classes to address these areas, I can be more hands-off and leave it to his sch to run the show instead of having to come back from work and start tutoring him myself.

Aiyah, my son is like one of the weakest in his class - the supplementary classes doesn't address his weak areas definitely. It's just what the teacher(s) want to teach the whole class or level (bc sometimes it's mass lectures to the whole level). Just trying to finish the syllabus, that's all I can tell.

Your DS sch pitches at higher level for most subjects. So even comparatively against national standard, he should be ok. After they have finished syllabus, then they can do revision.

I know quite some sch whereby they identify weak areas and use the additional supp class to provide more practice in these areas. My fren's kid's sch go to the extent of having classes for parents to learn how to support their kid for each subject, emphasize on which area to look out for, and how to address these. Comparatively, I find DS sch much more laid back in this area. They know the parents will be hands-on and will take up the task of coaching the kids - afterall we want to help our kids and if sch is not doing, we need to roll up our sleeves, right?

[phankao]

Pen88n:

Your DS sch pitches at higher level for most subjects. So even comparatively against national standard, he should be ok. After they have finished syllabus, then they can do revision.

I know quite some sch whereby they identify weak areas and use the additional supp class to provide more practice in these areas. My fren's kid's sch go to the extent of having classes for parents to learn how to support their kid for each subject, emphasize on which area to look out for, and how to address these. Comparatively, I find DS sch much more laid back in this area. They know the parents will be hands-on and will take up the task of coaching the kids - afterall we want to help our kids and if sch is not doing, we need to roll up our sleeves, right?

I sure hope so. Bc right now, his grades sure don't look pretty at all.

Yeah, last time my elder boy's class had intensive Chinese drilling classes from the 1st week of p6 year bc that was what they were especially weak in. But this time, my younger boy's class - no such identification. All uniform in their supplementary class approach. ;(

Even my eldest daughter's time, they picked out the students according to their areas of weakness (and even areas of strengths) and had supplementary classes for them accordingly.