2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy
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Part 4 – P6 Annotations
When Luke arrived home, he gave the money that was left to his father. “What is this?” asked his father in surprise. “You would not get so much money by selling those few peppers.”
What can you tell about Luke from here?
He is not boastful – he didn’t run home bragging about his success instead it is his father who has to ask him questions to find out what happened. Add to the Luke Character listing.
I would also add some stretch here by pointing out to the child that from any one given scenario, there could be more than one scenario to follow. From understanding these possible scenarios and comparing them, many conclusions could be drawn about the characters. Eg. The author could have developed the story a different way.
“What is this?”asked his father in surprise. “ You would not get so much money by selling those few peppers! How did you come by so much money! Did you steal it?” is a possible scenario – if so, what would you say about the characters eg Father has a suspicious nature – note : be careful how child says this – they might say “ Father is a suspicious character” which has a totally different meaning.
Shyly, Luke told him what he had done. His mother hugged him when she heard the story. His father walked over to him. He smiled at Luke as he often did when Antonio talked about becoming a bullfighter.
The child needs to link back to the idea that Antonio had his father’s approval while Luke initially did not but now the father has come around. What does this tell you about the father? My answer - His father cannot see anything as worthy until there is proof by way of money. Again, I would have used this as an opportunity to discuss characters. Is this father a good one? No, he does not believe in his child’s talent and believed only because Luke earned money. What if Luke’s drawings were good but it just happened that that day, there were no customers or customers with no money? Would Luke’s father have approved of Luke’s attempts to help his family situation?
“My son Luke – always doing something for the family.
I would point out to the child that there is no evidence of “always” that is clear from this passage and to avoid writing something like this in their compos.
This time we will do something for you. Here, my son. Here is the extra money.”
Child must be able to tell you what happened here – Luke sold drawings and earned a lot of money; with some he bought food for his family and he gave the balance to his dad but his dad gave it back to Luke.
His father put his arm around him.
What does putting his arm around Luke mean? He has his father’s approval; his father is pleased with him.
“Our artist must use it to buy himself more paper and pencils.”
I would ask the child – why? What is father’s intention? Reward? Hope that Luke can draw more and then earn more? Again this is in the realm of speculation but I think some children might say that it is more likely the latter because at the end that is what the dad is really interested in eg bull fighter is a great man – not because he is brave but because his job can put food on the table. So this latter speculation is in line with what we know of Luke’s father. Does that make Luke’s father a bad father? Not necessarily – in an earlier era, no food means a certain slow and painful death through starvation. Luke’s dad is being practical because you have to be like this in order to survive. This sort of exercise stretches the child’s mind so that they get used to answers which seem wrong but can be explained and answers which seemed right but have problems with them so that one can say that they are wrong.
Footnote : In this P6 annotation, you will see less of the \"circle this word and write its meaning\" directive which was more evident in the P4 piece; this is because a lot more inference is required of the child at P6 as opposed to the child being required only to know the literal meaning of slightly more difficult words. Hence in each line, you can see me trying in one way or other to ask \" what do you understand by this sentence\"/ \"why does the author say this\"/ why did the character do that\"/\"what did the character mean by doing/saying that\"?
At the end of the exercise, you are trying to encourage the child to mine for meaning - dig deep into the sentences, ask questions and frame answers.
That's it folks! Will get peterch's help on Monday with showing you how the messy handwritten annotations look like. DD handed this in for every exam including the PSLE. The teachers did wonder what she was doing but they were good - they never gave her grief over it.
The main purpose of the annotations is to slow down and mine for meaning; after this intensive exercise and an equally rigourous analysis of the questions, the answers come more naturally.
DD ended this section with a checking scheme ie she had a special order in which she checked for (s) spelling (t) tense (a) answer to the question etc Again, the particular items are not important - the process is - so help your child devise one which works for them best.
Have a blessed Sunday ahead everyone! -
:thankyou: psle2011mum for your treasure trove of informaiton. Really appreciate your taking the time to pen down the exam answering techniques for us :love:
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Thank you so much again psle2011mum! I am going to try out this compre with my DS later today. Your postings give me tonnes of confidence to guide him along
I am not sure if is too much to ask but can you also share your strategy to tackle compre cloze too? My DS always loose marks from there and he does not really like to read ;( -
Yes, I swear by annotations. My DD hated it at first and didn’t see the necessity to it, full of grumblings when asked to do but it really did slow them down and let them see the inferences and hidden meanings (which P6’s compre is all about).
It’s tedious at first but once you get the hang of it, it becomes 2nd nature to them and they no longer speed read and this paid off handsomely - cos she got an A* for her Eng, though this isn’t the main reason as there are other components but she wasn’t doing very well for her compre at the beginning of P6 last year. So do stress to them the importance of annotations. -
Just thought I'd share a little thought here. I'm impressed with this annotation method because I've never seen this before. Even in homeschooling, I have never used this.
My daughter managed to score A* for English as well without any of such help (from me or teacher and no tuition - she has never asked for help in English, used to top her school in the subject every year), and she scored close to full marks for her SAT exams reading and writing as well, a very difficult achievement for a then 14 year old. She has only one secret. She reads a lot, a lot. Practically eats books.
So there are many methods, and some times, just having a good grounding in the language can do wonders. Otherwise, using methods like these I'm sure can give heaps of advantage to the kids as well. Many roads to Rome, thanks for sharing all the different ones.
Also, one caution. The method might work wonders on some kids, and may not for others. Of my kids, I know at least 3 will get really angry if I use these on them, but 1 of my kids will definitely benefit.
If the kid is able to scan a piece of writing, can be newspaper article, books, novel etc, and understand it fully (not partly) without the need for such breaking down, then perhaps he will be frustrated. If we insist that he does this, he will hate to do compre or even read, if we keep bugging him to comply.
I know PSLE is important to parents and children. But take care of the passion for reading. If you kill that for them in the midst of getting an A* for English, I think it will be quite sad. In fact, some could get that good grade without our help.
Don't under estimate our little ones. Some kids are intuitive and know their way without us having to point them every single step. Don't stone me har... I still think it is an amazing effort, and I won't be able to even do/attempt a fraction of this. What an effort! :shock:
Go ahead and get that good grade, but most importantly, take care of that passion. :boogie: -
I think it’s only for those who don’t read much English literature. I am doing this VERBALLY with my two young kids when I read something to them that may be beyond their life experiences, not just with books, but movies. I can’t imagine having to do this for them at p6 for English. But for CHINESE, yes! Because there will be many phrases, references, and vocab they are unfamiliar with. Because they don’t understand the references, they won’t see the ‘hidden’ meaning. But for someone who is proficient in the tongue, it is clear as daylight.
I feel reading good books can be different from reading non fiction, or books that are more simplistic. So being very good at reading assessment books - or
Geronimo, Percy Jackson books - is not the same as reading a more textured and layered work that draws its material from a deeper philosophical question, or from a more complicated socio- economic background. The Giver for one, can be easily read by a P6, but not every 12 year old will be able to extract the themes from it. It remains one of the most controversial books on reading lists in the US. -
deminc:
Actually, I'm also in a similar situation. I've always had problems with Chinese when it comes to teaching the kids because they don't read enough Chinese books, and we don't speak it at home. But I devised a very simplistic compre method and they would score full marks for that PSLE paper (compre only) without understanding the passage at all! It even amazes the teachers.I think it's only for those who don't read much English literature. I am doing this VERBALLY with my two young kids when I read something to them that may be beyond their life experiences, not just with books, but movies. I can't imagine having to do this for them at p6 for English. But for CHINESE, yes! Because there will be many phrases, references, and vocab they are unfamiliar with. Because they don't understand the references, they won't see the 'hidden' meaning. But for someone who is proficient in the tongue, it is clear as daylight.
I feel reading good books can be different from reading non fiction, or books that are more simplistic. So being very good at reading assessment books - or
Geronimo, Percy Jackson books - is not the same as reading a more textured and layered work that draws its material from a deeper philosophical question, or from a more complicated socio- economic background. The Giver for one, can be easily read by a P6, but not every 12 year old will be able to extract the themes from it. It remains one of the most controversial books on reading lists in the US.
But since my kids has normally progressed from PSLE to a degree program, I don't really care about their Chinese beyond that PSLE (A is good enough for me, don't need A*) because they pick it up from scratch at uni. P6 level is enough to give them a headstart among real beginners. :rotflmao:
For English, I think the reading habit is very important, can't agree more. I don't really track what the kids read (which include management books and thick novels, comics, HBR and uni texts displayed on our shelves). In addition, I subscribe to a US reading list, and at the end of every book, they test comprehension of the book. DS2 reads at least a book or two from the reading list a day. I know that he comprehends the whole book (e.g. DS2 read Call of the Wild and Midsummer Night's Dream at 11) and answered all the comprehension questions correctly in an hour inclusive of reading. I am pretty sure he has read The Giver, but I am not sure if he got the themes. I believe my daughter only started looking into themes systematically at about 15 when required by the syllabus. Slowing down a kid might or might not work. If I were to slow DS2 down deliberately, he will be very angry with me. I am more worried about him thinking I do not trust him then him getting the grades. Therefore, if he loses one or two marks here or there, I don't really lose sleep because I want him to continue to love reading instead.
For reluctant readers, like DD3, I think annotation method would work, since I am not sure if he really comprehends (inferences etc) everything he reads and he is still young (P3) to think I know nothing. :skeptical: Yet, I am cautious, I might want him to find a method for himself, just like him to for Math. Having said that, I still think those who use this annotation method are excellent educators! What a wonderful way to break a huge piece into bite size pieces!
Same caution. If we tell the kid everything they need to know, they might stop exploring. I shudder to think the next generation might ask us the right method to learn to walk properly. Something that should come from instinct. :xedfingers: So I'd say let the kid try first, if he can, then leave him alone. Otherwise, whip this up and help him. I'm going to copy all of these annotation thingy and keep it in case I'll ever need it one day.
Thank you psle2011mum. What selfless sharing! :thankyou: -
2ppaamm:
Hi 2ppaamm,
Actually, I'm also in a similar situation. I've always had problems with Chinese when it comes to teaching the kids because they don't read enough Chinese books, and we don't speak it at home. But I devised a very simplistic compre method and they would score full marks for that PSLE paper (compre only) without understanding the passage at all! It even amazes the teachers.deminc:
I think it's only for those who don't read much English literature. I am doing this VERBALLY with my two young kids when I read something to them that may be beyond their life experiences, not just with books, but movies. I can't imagine having to do this for them at p6 for English. But for CHINESE, yes! Because there will be many phrases, references, and vocab they are unfamiliar with. Because they don't understand the references, they won't see the 'hidden' meaning. But for someone who is proficient in the tongue, it is clear as daylight.
I feel reading good books can be different from reading non fiction, or books that are more simplistic. So being very good at reading assessment books - or
Geronimo, Percy Jackson books - is not the same as reading a more textured and layered work that draws its material from a deeper philosophical question, or from a more complicated socio- economic background. The Giver for one, can be easily read by a P6, but not every 12 year old will be able to extract the themes from it. It remains one of the most controversial books on reading lists in the US. But since my kids has normally progressed from PSLE to a degree program, I don't really care about their Chinese beyond that PSLE (A is good enough for me, don't need A*) because they pick it up from scratch at uni. P6 level is enough to give them a headstart among real beginners. :rotflmao:
For English, I think the reading habit is very important, can't agree more. I don't really track what the kids read (which include management books and thick novels, comics, HBR and uni texts displayed on our shelves). In addition, I subscribe to a US reading list, and at the end of every book, they test comprehension of the book. DS2 reads at least a book or two from the reading list a day. I know that he comprehends the whole book (e.g. DS2 read Call of the Wild and Midsummer Night's Dream at 11) and answered all the comprehension questions correctly in an hour inclusive of reading. I am pretty sure he has read The Giver, but I am not sure if he got the themes. I believe my daughter only started looking into themes systematically at about 15 when required by the syllabus. Slowing down a kid might or might not work. If I were to slow DS2 down deliberately, he will be very angry with me. I am more worried about him thinking I do not trust him then him getting the grades. Therefore, if he loses one or two marks here or there, I don't really lose sleep because I want him to continue to love reading instead.
For reluctant readers, like DD3, I think annotation method would work, since I am not sure if he really comprehends (inferences etc) everything he reads and he is still young (P3) to think I know nothing. :skeptical: Yet, I am cautious, I might want him to find a method for himself, just like him to for Math. Having said that, I still think those who use this annotation method are excellent educators! What a wonderful way to break a huge piece into bite size pieces!
Same caution. If we tell the kid everything they need to know, they might stop exploring. I shudder to think the next generation might ask us the right method to learn to walk properly. Something that should come from instinct. :xedfingers: So I'd say let the kid try first, if he can, then leave him alone. Otherwise, whip this up and help him. I'm going to copy all of these annotation thingy and keep it in case I'll ever need it one day.
Thank you psle2011mum. What selfless sharing! :thankyou:
Would u able to share with us the simplistic method that u devised? -
DS1 reads voraciously yet has not been doing well for comprehension, compositions and cloze passages. On the other hand, DD2 reads vey little, relies only on audio CDs and yet fares better for grammar, comprehension and compositions. I’ve been rather puzzled by this. I started to observe DS1, and realized that he reads alot for pleasure without really consciously noticing vocabulary, sentence structures, etc. Hence I’ve started to teach him annotation skills, drawing his attention specifically to grammar structures and teaching him explicitly how the English language is constructed. So far, he seems to be benefiting from this explicit unpacking of the language.
DD2 however, gets overwhelmed if I tried to unpack and teach her specific skills. She somehow has internalized the English language rules with little explicit teaching and has unconscious competence that enables her to deal with grammar tests and comprehension passages. Besides audio CDs, I haven’t been able to get her "read" physical books.
So I agree with 2ppaamm that you need to use these strategies for the right child. Our brains are very complex especially for language mastery and some of us need explicit teaching while others just need alot of immersion and exposure. -
You are all very welcome to the annotated pieces - just my very, very small contribution back to a community that has helped me so much since 2008.
Most definitely - different strokes for different folks and yes, some of us do this mining for meaning exercise subconsciously because it is second nature, while others are not quite at that stage yet. Some will benefit from this more structured method, and some will need other methods.
I shared what worked for DD to pull her grades for OEC up; she is an able reader but one who reads solely for pleasure – her love for reading was not translating into her better understanding of compre passages.
Yes, totally agree that reading is the key for both the languages too; both DDs are doing HMT now but I can see them really struggling because we speak none of it at home.
At the end of the day, as parents, I guess we all need to look hard at our DC, sieve through the sharings and decide what works best for them since each one of us knows our own DC best and have their best interests at heart, above everyone else.
Have a great week ahead!
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