PSLE - New Format for Maths

[endingteen]

david59:

atutor2001:

[quote=\"endingteen\"]actually i hae no idea why they introduced the use of calculators into the PSLE. i mean i do not see the point in making tough questions to cater for the use of the calculator. i remember my psle being a test for us to use your mental calculations and the 'model' method to solve questions. calculators are actually only needed in the upper secondary years.

Some people children cannot count mentally, so must help them lah :oops:

All the more they need to be working hard practising the use of models. I see models as the visual expression of the question in pictorial form. I know some students can visual the qn mentally but most kids need to see it clearly in written form.

As for calculator, as I have shared earlier, it makes the students lazy to think and analysize complex questions. They would rathe tikam n tikam until they feel that a certain answer looks reasonable correct. :?: :?: :?:[/quote]precisely my point. the calculations they are solving does not require the use of the calculator. they are only taught addition subtraction multiplication and division. which only requires their mental calculations or if need be some form of working like the long division etc. i am sure over the course of 6 years this skill can be easily acquired. using the calculator for simple problems like 4X4 makes the child lazy and it actually wastes time. compare two kids. one who knows that 4X4 gives 16 while the other needs to use the calculator to figure it out. the kid who knows the answer can write it down instantly instead of wasting time pressing the calculator hence saving a few seconds. if you can save this time from every simple question, it will free up an extra minute or so to tackle a harder question and hence maybe give the kid an extra mark or so.

[endingteen]

personally i think it would be much easier if the kids were taught algebra instead of the model method. simply because it is more applicable in secondary school. secondary 1 math is largely similar to pri 6 math just that it does not use the model method instead it uses algebra. yes the model method is easier to use but it does not ensure that the kids understand what they are doing. with algebra you get a clearer picture of what they are doing.

[enoawng]

atutor2001:

luckystar:

To p5 parents, train your kids algebra if he or she a high-ability learner !

Fully agreed. However, please don't condemn \"model\" completely to the dungeon. It is a very powerful tool for solving question with minimum information.

Models are useful to solve problems up to a point of complexity.

Beyond that point, models are useless because the human mind can only handle a limited amount of complexity at the same time.

Einstein, Newton didn't use models or did they?

[Augmum]

[quote]
Einstein, Newton didn't use models or did they?[/quote]Good question, maybe we should forward this question to MOE :lol:

[finder]

atutor2001:

luckystar:

To p5 parents, train your kids algebra if he or she a high-ability learner !

Fully agreed. However, please don't condemn \"model\" completely to the dungeon. It is a very powerful tool for solving question with minimum information.

Model is powerful tool but not easy to grasp.

[enoawng]

finder:

atutor2001:

[quote=\"luckystar\"]To p5 parents, train your kids algebra if he or she a high-ability learner !

Fully agreed. However, please don't condemn \"model\" completely to the dungeon. It is a very powerful tool for solving question with minimum information.

Model is powerful tool but not easy to grasp.[/quote]Can anyone help me to solve this below using the model method?

John inherited $25,000 and invested part of it in a money market account, part in municipal bonds, and part in a mutual fund. After one year, he received a total of $1,620 in simple interest from the three investments. The money market paid 6% annually, the bonds paid 7% annually, and the mutually fund paid 8% annually. There was $6,000 more invested in the bonds than the mutual funds. Find the amount John invested in each category

[Guan Hui]

John inherited $25,000 and invested part of it in a money market account, part in municipal bonds, and part in a mutual fund. After one year, he received a total of $1,620 in simple interest from the three investments. The money market paid 6% annually, the bonds paid 7% annually, and the mutually fund paid 8% annually. There was $6,000 more invested in the bonds than the mutual funds. Find the amount John invested in each category


Money invest model
MM [ ] |
MB [1u ][6000] }$25000
MF [ 1u] |

25000-6000=$19000
MM= 19000-2u

Interest received for the $6000 invested in municipal bonds
7% x 6000=7/100 x 6000
=7 x 60
=$420

$1620- $420= $1200

interest receive from 19000-2u of MM
6% x (19000-2u)=19000x 6% -2u x 6%
=(114000-12u)/100
interest receive from 1 u of MB
7% x 1u= 7u/100
interest receive from 1 u of MF
8% x 1u= 8u/100

$1200=120000/100

since all is divided by 100 we can ignore them(multiply all by 100)

114000-12u+7u+8u=120000
3u +114000=120000
3u=6000
1u=$2000

money invested in MM
19000-2u=19000-2x2000
=19000- 4000
=$15000
money invested in MB
1u+6000=2000+6000
=$8000
money invested in MF
1u=$2000

double check
15000 X 6%= $900
8000 X 7%= $560
2000X 8%= $160
900+560+160=$1620(correct)

hope this helps=D But still seems algebra to me :stupid:

[tutormum]

For the benefits of those parents who have kids preparing for next year (and the next, and the next) PSLE, I strongly recommend this assessment book \"Must know Maths problem sums\" by EPH. The solution for the sweets question is found there. Of course, there are many more different types of questions. However, make sure your kids know their basics well. If you need to help in almost all the questions, you know they're not ready. Good luck! :rahrah:

[Tang]

enoawng:

Can anyone help me to solve this below using the model method?

John inherited $25,000 and invested part of it in a money market account, part in municipal bonds, and part in a mutual fund. After one year, he received a total of $1,620 in simple interest from the three investments. The money market paid 6% annually, the bonds paid 7% annually, and the mutually fund paid 8% annually. There was $6,000 more invested in the bonds than the mutual funds. Find the amount John invested in each category

Amount
F [Fu]...............)
B [Fu][6000]......) $25000
M [Mu]..............)

2 Fu + Mu -> 25000 - 6000 = 19000
12 Fu + 6 Mu -> 6 x 19000 = 114000

Interest x 100
F [Fu][Fu][Fu][Fu][Fu][Fu][Fu][Fu] ...............)
B [Fu][Fu][Fu][Fu][Fu][Fu][Fu][420 x 100]......) $1620 x 100
M [Mu][Mu][Mu][Mu][Mu][Mu]........ ..............)

15 Fu + 6 Mu -> 162000 - 42000 = 120000

3 Fu -> 120000 - 114000 = 6000
1 Fu -> 6000/3 = $2000

Mu -> 19000 - 2 x 2000 = $15000

Bu -> 2000 + 6000 = $8000

John invested $15000 in Money market, $8000 in Muncipal Bond and $2000 in Mutual Fund.

[James Ang]

tutormum:

For the benefits of those parents who have kids preparing for next year (and the next, and the next) PSLE, I strongly recommend this assessment book \"Must know Maths problem sums\" by EPH. The solution for the sweets question is found there. Of course, there are many more different types of questions. However, make sure your kids know their basics well. If you need to help in almost all the questions, you know they're not ready. Good luck! :rahrah:

The P5 book is very tough (good for diligent students) but I didn't try using the P6 book yet because there is another good book \"Challenging Maths made easy\" which all my students do before the PSLE. Hope for the best for all students!