Parents, not enrichment centres, are key to result

[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.

In my long tunnel of night, this post is a welcome ray of sunshine.
On the sore of my bee sting, this post is a welcome balm.
In the heat of a sweltering day, this post is like ice cold lime juice.
In the cold winter's night, this post is like hot mocha by the fire.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[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.

[limlim]

deminc:

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

it always feels good when \"inside\"..isn't it? :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

:siam:

[Funz]

limlim:

deminc:

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

it always feels good when \"inside\"..isn't it? :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

:siam:

:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:

:spank: :spank:

[Musings]

insider:

Deminc

Funz,

My first experience with models was about 17 years ago when my current 25 years old nephew was around his P2 (exactly when it was implemented was unknown). Having hard time understanding it at that time too but now it's like a breeze...(for kids' level, I feel easier for them to understand than simultaneous equations).

Actually, we probably feel algebra and simultaneous equations are easier because those were the only stuff we were taught and familiar with. We will instinctly fall back on them to solve problems with several unknowns. Like everyone else, I was v resistant to this model thingy. But having had to re-learn all these (first during uni days when I tutor some kids), I realise that there is a beauty and logic to it - which I could never appreciate using algebra. (Algebra was great esp for humanities gal like me who hates Math and it gave me an easy formula to apply and solve problems. I could never explain the logic of it and didn't care much either.) I find this method much better for children who can visualise much better and lays a strong foundation for understanding of math concepts. With the model method, kids are 'forced' to understand the rationale and concepts.

Even for my DS at P1 - I found it highly interesting that addition and subtraction are taught as 'mirror image' of each other. Later on, this same 'mirror image' concept is applied to multiplication and division. In my time, we were taught addition and subtraction as discrete concepts and basically kids memorised the sum of various sets of numbers for the purpose of exams. Now, kids are taught number bonds - various sets of numbers can add up to the same number.

I have read in forums of Americans who home school their kids using a set of books called SingaporeMath (i haven't found out what that is) and who praise the innovative ways math concepts are presented. The 'mirror image' of addition and subtraction was something they highlighted and that made me realise what was different between addition and subtraction now and during my school days. (Instinctly, I could tell things had changed but couldnt quite put my finger to it.)

I an reading a book published by MOE on the rationale behind the implementation of the model method in Math here and it is quite insightful. The annoying thing is...for parents to coach kids these days...it feels like going back to school all over again.

[corneyAmber]

:hi5: to all of you here....Me 5!


Initially I was very annoyed with model diagrams too but I think it is a necessary evil after I picked it up myself. It is indeed a way to present algebra pictorially and would be easy for EVERYONE to learn. I think most of us here took to algebra easily when we were young, perhaps we played more then...

As for learning simultaneous equations, I remember clearly during my time, not sure same as which one of you, we had an introduction to algebra at P6, i.e. we learned about using alphabets as variables to solve problems. However for simultaneous equations, it was in lower secondary that I was exposed to it. My time was 'mata wear shorts' day so I believed syllabus could have changed to bring S.E learning to upper primary later on.