PSLE - New Format for Maths

[kiasiparent]

This year’s PSLE maths was tough because last year’s was too easy. It was so easy last year that a lot of students completed the questions 10 to 15 mins before the time was up.


Many scored 100% or close to 100%. Some get 1 or 2 wrongs and were already upset as they felt they might not get A* already. Most of them still get A* anyway.

[HoSayLiao]

Hi, i am a private maths tutor. After seeing some of the more difficult questions, I think we can give up on drawing models liao. Next year onwards, i will be teaching my P6 students algebra and for good measure, trigonometry (Python’s theorem and toa cah soh).


That is the way to go!!!

[atutor2001]

HoSayLiao:

Hi, i am a private maths tutor. After seeing some of the more difficult questions, I think we can give up on drawing models liao. Next year onwards, i will be teaching my P6 students algebra and for good measure, trigonometry (Python's theorem and toa cah soh).


That is the way to go!!!

Don't forget to teach them integration to find the area under a curve of speed time graph too. It may come in handy. :lol:

[HoSayLiao]

[quote]Don't forget to teach them integration to find the area under a curve of speed time graph too. It may come in handy.[/quote]

I dun think integration or speed time graph is necessary yet. However, toa cah soh and python theorem will be useful this year for the geometry question.

Also, permutations and combinations will also be useful. My students will then be able to explain to the mothers why 4D got 24 beatings.

[Mandy-Alex]

HoSayLiao:

Hi, i am a private maths tutor. After seeing some of the more difficult questions, I think we can give up on drawing models liao. Next year onwards, i will be teaching my P6 students algebra and for good measure, trigonometry (Python's theorem and toa cah soh).


That is the way to go!!!

Hi Liao,
Would you like to translate for those, who don't speak Chinese Mandarin or any Dialect of Chinese! \"Toa cah soh\" - :roll:?
Thanks in advance!
Mandy

[atutor2001]

HoSayLiao:

...Also, permutations and combinations will also be useful. My students will then be able to explain to the mothers why 4D got 24 beatings...

I like that. Then they will learn earlier not to be so silly to waste money on TOTO :lol:

[James Ang]

// Moderator's note: Topics merged.


PSLE Maths: post mortem - my view
There are some new and unfamiliar questions in this year's PSLE Maths paper, therefore many students find these questions difficult to solve. I think one important reason is due to the use of calculators for PSLE Maths from 2009 onwards. Another possible reason is the not-so-straightforward language used in the phrasing of these Maths questions which makes it important for students to understand the questions well before they can solve them.

On hindsight, many will find the questions are now possible to solve quickly even easily, but it was not really the case while under the exam conditions faced by the P6 cohort of students during PSLE Maths this year. I expect the trend for future PSLE Maths exam questions to be of similar level of difficulty or higher, from now onwards.

[James Ang]

Mandy-Alex:

HoSayLiao:

Hi, i am a private maths tutor. After seeing some of the more difficult questions, I think we can give up on drawing models liao. Next year onwards, i will be teaching my P6 students algebra and for good measure, trigonometry (Python's theorem and toa cah soh).


That is the way to go!!!

Hi Liao,
Would you like to translate for those, who don't speak Chinese Mandarin or any Dialect of Chinese! \"Toa cah soh\" - :roll:?
Thanks in advance!
Mandy

Mandy,

TOA CAH SOH is Singapore students' (and teachers') interpretation of trigonometry ratios;

TOA - Tangent is Opposite/Adjacent sides
CAH - Cosine is Adjacent/Hypothenuse sides
SOH - Sine is Opposite/Hypothenuse sides

TOA CAH SOH is invented by Singapore but never officially appear in any textbook or guides of reputable standard. Because it smacks of \"hokkien\" dialect connotations.

In the past, my maths teacher said \"On Her Majesty Service\" - OHMS => Opposite/Hypothenuse Means Sine! More classy, (but she didn't teach Tangent and Cosine! :p)

[Muffins]

HoSayLiao:

Hi, i am a private maths tutor. After seeing some of the more difficult questions, I think we can give up on drawing models liao. Next year onwards, i will be teaching my P6 students algebra and for good measure, trigonometry (Python's theorem and toa cah soh).


That is the way to go!!!

By the way HoSayLiao,
It is Pythagoras' theorem, not python's theorem...

[Mandy-Alex]

James Ang:

Mandy-Alex:

[quote=\"HoSayLiao\"]Hi, i am a private maths tutor. After seeing some of the more difficult questions, I think we can give up on drawing models liao. Next year onwards, i will be teaching my P6 students algebra and for good measure, trigonometry (Python's theorem and toa cah soh).


That is the way to go!!!

Hi Liao,
Would you like to translate for those, who don't speak Chinese Mandarin or any Dialect of Chinese! \"Toa cah soh\" - :roll:?
Thanks in advance!
Mandy

Mandy,

TOA CAH SOH is Singapore students' (and teachers') interpretation of trigonometry ratios;

TOA - Tangent is Opposite/Adjacent sides
CAH - Cosine is Adjacent/Hypothenuse sides
SOH - Sine is Opposite/Hypothenuse sides

TOA CAH SOH is invented by Singapore but never officially appear in any textbook or guides of reputable standard. Because it smacks of \"hokkien\" dialect connotations.

In the past, my maths teacher said \"On Her Majesty Service\" - OHMS => Opposite/Hypothenuse Means Sine! More classy, (but she didn't teach Tangent and Cosine! :p)[/quote]

Thanks James Ang,
It's good to know this, cos I will be my daughter's tutor in Secondary School as well. But we are not Chinese, that's why may be \"TOA CAH SOH\" will not work like a good association for her. Any way I am \"kiasu\" for everything, which related to Maths!
Great weekend!
Regards!

Mandy