Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary

[gracy]

Jennifer:

markfch:

Am I right to assume that the main purpose of all this (substantial) preparation for MO competitions is for DSA?


The qn at the tip of my mind is, 'Would a P6 kid suffer in PSLE maths exam if he doesn't get any MO training?'

Two years ago, I did not know abt the value of MO awards. Hence, there was no outsourced training for my elder boy and we treated it like an enrichment prog since the teacher shortlisted him as a participant.

The awards he got were not fantastic, ranging from a 25 percentile (his very first competition) to a Silver (the last competition).

We applied DSA at NUSHigh and ACS(I) and passed 1st round screening at both schs despite a just above avg P5 and P6 academic results.

So I think MO awards hv an impact on DSA.

PSLE Maths paper has a different set of qns. But I believe MO trainings sharpen thinking and speed at solving qns.

My P4 boy has started MO training recently. Just the other day, I gave him a few qns from Fabian Ng's assessment to practise. He finished the qns quickly and accurately, even applying a new concept (ratio) learnt during the MO class.

But I dun think any pupil who is good at Maths would not do well at PSLE if he did not receive MO training.

The general feeling is that PSLE is moving more towards MO type of questions. Thus, knowing MO techniques, though not compulsory, does help to ans questions quicker, which may prove to be crucial when it comes to a tough paper

[ruaqt2]

gracy:

The general feeling is that PSLE is moving more towards MO type of questions. Thus, knowing MO techniques, though not compulsory, does help to ans questions quicker, which may prove to be crucial when it comes to a tough paper

like that die la

[kohhweelin.010441gmail.010441com]

comfy:

Hi E3, so how your dd find the Gep screening test?

pm u.

[Trapwithin]

markfch:

Trapwithin:

I think because most GEP parents outsourced their teaching and monitor from behind, a lot of the GEP kids already know their stuff before the teachers are teaching. As such, that \"standard\" becomes a norm in school and kids without external help will have to play catch up. In school, the GEP teachers can only do additional stuff with those \"catch up\" kids during remedial lessons after school.

That sort of defeat the purpose of GEP issn't it? How I interprete - of course I could be totally wrong - is that GEP is specially designed to groom gifted kids to fulfill their potential. But if the parents of these gifted kids still need to outsource to avoid playing catch-up within the programme, then what's the pt of GEP except maybe for purpose of DSA? See the irony.

Anyway I've :offtopic:

Hee hee I have explain too many times. Not all kids can be trained for GEP. You need certain level of maturity and ability. So gifted + training = moving more ahead of other GEP kids. These kids are in the diff league of competition not meant for the main stream.

[markfch]

Trapwithin:

Hee hee I have explain too many times. Not all kids can be trained for GEP. You need certain level of maturity and ability. So gifted + training = moving more ahead of other GEP kids. These kids are in the diff league of competition not meant for the main stream.

Uncle Trap, I think you misunderstood my post. I'm not referring to training main streamers to qualify for GEP. I'm referring to cases like comfy's dd who did not train specifically for GEP. So obviously her dd is in a diff league. But now even comfy is considering to send her dd for enrichment so that her dd won't need to catch-up.

Apparently most of her classmates are going for external enrichment so that they don't need to catch-up too, in this specialized MOE sanctioned GEP programme, that was designed to bring out the best in them in the first place.

In other words, it's like I need to pay for extra outsourced training in order to survive in a customised programme that was specifically designed for me, otherwise I get left behind. That (the programme) sounds pretty weird to me.

Anyway, the good news is that I'm very sure GEP is none of my business so why bother myself over this, hehe. :xedfingers:

[Trapwithin]

markfch:

Trapwithin:

Hee hee I have explain too many times. Not all kids can be trained for GEP. You need certain level of maturity and ability. So gifted + training = moving more ahead of other GEP kids. These kids are in the diff league of competition not meant for the main stream.

Uncle Trap, I think you misunderstood my post. I'm not referring to training main streamers to qualify for GEP. I'm referring to cases like comfy's dd who did not train specifically for GEP. So obviously her dd is in a diff league. But now even comfy is considering to send her dd for enrichment so that her dd won't need to catch-up.

Apparently most of her classmates are going for external enrichment so that they don't need to catch-up too, in this specialized MOE sanctioned GEP programme, that was designed to bring out the best in them in the first place.

In other words, it's like I need to pay for extra outsourced training in order to survive in a customised programme that was specifically designed for me, otherwise I get left behind. That (the programme) sounds pretty weird to me.

Anyway, the good news is that I'm very sure GEP is none of my business so why bother myself over this, hehe. :xedfingers:

Oops .... No prob
But do not think we should rule out our children potential. You never know, don't put on a fix mindset. If your ds can make it to GEP why not. Your ds has not taken any exam, so you probably do not know how he fair among his peers. Be open, continue to teach them as long as they understand. Pull back when necessary.

[Jennifer]

gracy:

The general feeling is that PSLE is moving more towards MO type of questions.

Really?

[Jennifer]

Trapwithin:

Not all kids can be trained for GEP. You need certain level of maturity and ability. So gifted + training = moving more ahead of other GEP kids.

I agree.

In every prog, there will be some groups wanting to out-do the peers. It's our kiasu mentality. All boils down to how much time and money to sustain the race.

[Jennifer]

markfch:

Thanks Jen for the detailed info.


The reason I asked is that my most pressing constraint is time. I really don't see how I can squeeze any more enrichment for ds when he reaches P4.

With a strong foundation in the core subjects, u might be able to find some time.

One of my regrets was to let my younger boy enjoyed too much during the presch and lower pri years. If I had implemented the same coaching prog on him like my elder boy, I wont be having so much catching up later. His play first, work later attitude is also a headache for me now.

[Jennifer]

comfy:

So students without prior knowledge are definitely at a disadvantage unless the student is a true math genius. Yap, unfair right, so what to do, going to outsource Math in the coming months. So if cannot beat them, join them. Only :moneyflies: Even having remedial lessons also quite useless as 'Teaching' method still the same.

U hv another option: leave them and return to mainstream.