Parents, not enrichment centres, are key to result

[metz]

Riding on the solution from PiggyLalala’s ds, we can work out the solution in another way -


A: shaded: unshaded = 1u:1u
shaded: unshaded = 1p:4p

Since only ¼B is shaded,
¼B = 1u+1p
B = 4u+4p

Given area A+B = 125% tt of C,

=> 2u + 4u + 4p = (5/4)(5p)

6u + 4p = 25p/4
2¼p = 6 u
p = 8u/3

B = 4u+4p
= 4u + 4(8u/3 )
= 4u + 32u/3
= 44u/3

A : B = 2u : 44u/3
= 6u : 44u
= 3 : 22

A/B = 3/22

alternatively,

A/B = 2u / (44u/3)
= 3/22

[Chenonceau]

chamonix:

Funz:

My kiddos are not yet at the PSLE stage yet so all is still kinda rosy right now. Just trying to understand what I might be heading in for so don't shoot me hor.


But I am just wondering, all these talk about testing beyond what is taught or beyond the abilities of kids this age, is it really so? Of the entire exam paper, are all the questions beyond what is taught in the syllabus? Or just a small percentage of the questions to sniff out those with higher order thinking?

Is it the paper that is forcing the parents to need all these tuition and enrichment or is it the parents who refuse let their children stumble on these questions that led to this 'tuition culture'?

A strong understanding of concepts and exposure to various application-type qestions (i.e practising beyond the textbooks and workbooks) should help in solving most of the P5 & P6 questions. However, some acceleration may be required when one reaches P5. For instance, the topic on Ratio. The P5 school syllabus touches briefly on Ratio. But to solve higher level questions at P5, one needs the knowledge from P6 ratio topics, ie. Ratio & Fraction, Changing Ratios. These are covered in P5 Onsponge Book. However, it is possible to tackle P5 & P6 papers without going through the Onsponge books. Tried and tested.

For me, the school syllabus does not include all the topics one may encounter in the school test papers or assessment books. We picked up some 'new Maths' from Maths Olympiad books. But I must confess these form a small percentage in most test papers. What stumble most students would be the application of concepts learnt in problem solving. From the question that PiggyLalala posed, we see that one can arrive at the same answer via different methods. In fact, a number of the questions posed in the maths threads can also be solved using various methods. It is not so much the depth but the skill in applying concepts learnt that makes Maths seemingly difficult.

Just my 2 cents - from someone whose kids have no school teachers/materials but textbooks & assessment books to rely on ...

The words in red describe my experience to a T.

Especially this sentence...
It is not so much the depth but the skill in applying concepts learnt that makes Maths seemingly difficult.

Skill comes with practice. The children need a lot of practice with the questions of the right difficulty. First in the fundamentals in lower primary... and then with Paper 2 in Upper Primary. In P5 and P6, Questions in Paper 1 test the fundamental skills. Someone with a strong foundation can easily get full marks there in P5. If you're scoring poorly in Paper 1 in P5, then it is a sign that you need to pay attention to fundamentals. Paper 2 requires the more complex skill of cracking the question and choosing the method.

I am hoping to train some degree of flexibility by getting him familiar with
(1) unit approach
(2) onsponge
(3) models
(4) algebra (by extension simultaneous)

At one point last year, he developed 2 solutions for each of the last 4 questions in Paper 2... just for practice. He doesn't have to do that anymore. But I think I can do that with him because he seems to be able to absorb all this and not get confused. If fundamentals are not strong then maybe just stick with units or models since it is clear that one does not need simultaneous equations in their pure forms.

[cnimed]

Hm, didn’t we learn simultaenous equations in primary school during our time?? I thought we did? In my fading memories, the question doesn’t seem very different from what we were given in P6 and everything was solved using simultaneous equations. I remember I had fun doing them.

[Chenonceau]

They dun even teach them now... I dun think? But now I am REALLY confused. Do they teach or not? :? My DS for sure didn't learn in school pure form and complex simultaneous. More important question for me is... Do they need it or not?


Some people say no need... some people say need. Aiya... since DS can cope, learn more better than learn less!!!!!

[Funz]

insider:

During dinner, my P3 son 'declared' this to everyone at the dinner table,

\" XXX is smarter than me.\" (xxx is his classmate from K1 to P3).

We asked how it is so?

He explained coz XXX oredi mastered his 12 timetable.

Know your kids well. As long as they have been diligently doing homework, etc, the road will even out when come closer to PSLE for most kids... (prior to PSLE, most teachers will throw many sets of past year PSLE papers for kids and kids who do all these papers over and over again may begin to enjoy the 'Ah-Huh' enlightenment, with or without heuristics...) During that time, most kids will have minimal time to even look at assessment books (it's the 'quality' that counts instead of quantity at the 'final countdown'. So can save money...)

DD will never tell me someone else knows the timetable better then her. She will tell me so and so also dun know how to multiply. :frustrated:

I am waiting for DD's Ah-huh! moment. Right now it is ahhhh-huh????

This discussion is moving fast and has suddenly skewed to become very much a math discussion.

I think my Sis experienced something similar to Chen when niece was in P5. Niece did not fail her math paper but came back with a score of 60+ for her mid years, she is normally in the high 80s-90+ category. That started my sis on a tutor hunting mode. She went through a few tutors and all of them assured her niece's foundation was sound. All she needs is more exposure to a variety of questions. That paper that niece did badly, some tutors describe it as a 'ego-trip' paper by the setter. By early P6, no more tuition.

Niece has done well, made it into an IP school. In sec 2 now with a GPA average of 3.8.

[Chenonceau]

Funz:

DD will never tell me someone else knows the timetable better then her. She will tell me so and so also dun know how to multiply. :frustrated:


I am waiting for DD's Ah-huh! moment. Right now it is ahhhh-huh????

This discussion is moving fast and has suddenly skewed to become very much a math discussion.

I think my Sis experienced something similar to Chen when niece was in P5. Niece did not fail her math paper but came back with a score of 60+ for her mid years, she is normally in the high 80s-90+ category. That started my sis on a tutor hunting mode. She went through a few tutors and all of them assured her niece's foundation was sound. All she needs is more exposure to a variety of questions. That paper that niece did badly, some tutors describe it as a 'ego-trip' paper by the setter. By early P6, no more tuition.

Niece has done well, made it into an IP school. In sec 2 now with a GPA average of 3.8.

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[corneyAmber]

I have been talking to P5s and P6s mummies. One thing is quite consistent and clear. P5 exams usually trip the children and some principals even articulated that it was meant to be a ‘wakeup’ call for the parents and children so that they would not miss the bigger boat in P6. It is DELIBERATE. Of course the biggest angst of these parents are the poor results in P5 alone killed their chance of applying for DSA with academics. Perhaps MOE should stop schools from such ‘malpractice’ because many who resisted tuition would probably still shoot for tuition from P5 due to this scare tactic. If cannot motivate, scare?


Funz’s sis’ experience is quite a common one.

[cnimed]

Chenonceau:

They dun even teach them now... I dun think? But now I am REALLY confused. Do they teach or not? :? My DS for sure didn't learn in school pure form and complex simultaneous. More important question for me is... Do they need it or not?


Some people say no need... some people say need. Aiya... since DS can cope, learn more better than learn less!!!!!

It's not in the syllabus NOW. That's for sure. The model method is supposed to be a pre-algebra method. When I first saw the model method, I didn't understand it at all and I remembered asking why don't they just use simultaneous equations like they used to. I'm quite sure we did learn it in P6 during our time. The original solution provided was the way I was taught...am I so old that none of you had the same textbooks??!!

:idea: I'll ask FIL when I see him. He's been teaching for decades, he might remember.

[Funz]

I remember doing simultaneous equations in primary school. And I remember during that time we have to write our workings in sentences using words like because, therefore, if, assuming, etc.


Until now I can solve sums using algebra and simultaneous equations but cannot make heads nor tails of that model thingy.

[cnimed]

Funz:

I remember doing simultaneous equations in primary school. And I remember during that time we have to write our workings in sentences using words like because, therefore, if, assuming, etc.


Until now I can solve sums using algebra and simultaneous equations but cannot make heads nor tails of that model thingy.

Yes! Yes!! Exactly!! It wasn't hard at all! It was so logical and fast. But the model thing.....just seems like jumping through a lot of hoops for dunno what.

insider, u know how to make a gal feel better.