Child Underperforms Because Tested Above Cognitive Level

[Chenonceau]

Fat Mama… we had a good laugh last night with DS 'cos we both couldn’t sleep. He told me that on one occasion, he and his friends were comparing the LOWEST mark they ever got. His classmates were all flabbergasted when DS told them that he had ever gotten 64 before in lower primary. He took the prize for getting the lowest mark ever in that group of kids.


Now, he laughs about it. Back then, I think he was miserable.

I thought he was a dumb-dumb. He also thought he was a dumb-dumb. I thought he was so dumb that I didn’t bother to bring him back to Singapore for 2nd round GEP even though he cleared 1st round before we flew off.

In P5, he failed. I sat up. Partly because he failed. Partly because as a psychologist I am sensitive to psychological imprinting. He was starting to develop worrying tendancies of not trying (since he knew he was dumb). So, I decided to disprove that notion (even though secretly, I also thought he was dumb). Dumb or not, in life, we must keep striving. I didn’t want him to say "I’m dumb so I dun have to try." So I said "It’s ok. Mommy oso not smart. You are my son. We both not smart. But Mommy tries. So you must try."

After I took over to source resources for him to read, no one could believe that he was consistently placing top 3 in the class in 3 subjects. He WASN’T dumb. He was just tested beyond what he was taught. And since he had no tuition, there was no one to teach him the extras that was tested but not taught.

[bebe]

Chenonceau:

Sometimes, learning is more effective if you don't bother about it for a while. The CCA allows him to think about things other than academics... and this clears his head. So, when he comes back, he is full of energy and has cleared his head. A few times, we have found that he just can't do something... but when we take time off and come back, it appears so easy.


CCA is important, whether compulsory or not.

I do agree. And it lets the kids to have a chance to mix around with schoolmates from different class/level. So far, my kids do enjoy CCA but they also get tired at the end of the day.

[corneyAmber]

Chenonceau:

ksi:

Just to correct a wrong perception... GEPpers have a compulsory CCA already in their curriculum and it is not even by choice.

Poor GEP-pers... what if they dun like it? What CCA is compulsory for them anyway?

The CCA is a club thingy, not sports or uniform group.

[bebe]

Fat Mama:

DD is P6 and she has no CCA since P1. But from P3 she was student leader and from P5 prefect. I dont know if prefect consider a CCA?


I agree with Chen our kids are test above cognitive level.

My DD is a good example. She is clever, focused and attentive. She has no tuition and all along she is doing very well by self study.
From P1 - P4, all subjects above 90. P5 after mid yr exam above 85. I got a wake up call after P5 CA2 for Maths, she got 76.
The last few problem sums were not taught in school and yet tested in CA2. As she had no tuition, she was not exposed to those type of qns. How do the teachers expect the kids to do those qns when they were not even taught.

The teachers assume and EXPECT all kids have tuition at home. Our kids are definitely tested on more than they are taught.

After CA2, we concentrated on difficult problems sums and SA2 she scored 93.

I totally agree with Chen that, if our kids are provided with the right resources and materials, they will excel.

Same with my gal, without tuition and based on textbooks and workbooks, she can only get a pass. With tuition, and assessments, that give her another 10 or cross over to the next banding. Sometimes I wonder if we can do without tuition, but the risk is too high. I dun think I can ever forgive myself if she does badly for PSLE just because I did not send her to tuition.
Interestingly, my gal enjoyed tuition classes much better than her normal school. She told me tutor give her tips to make learning easier. And given that the class size is small (15 vs 40), she has more attention from the teacher. If primary school education is not complusory, I would have just send her to tuition center, forget abt the PSLE, let her take whatever humanities or art subjects that she desired and take the O level when she is ready.

[Chenonceau]

bebe:

Same with my gal, without tuition and based on textbooks and workbooks, she can only get a pass. With tuition, and assessments, that give her another 10 or cross over to the next banding. Sometimes I wonder if we can do without tuition, but the risk is too high. I dun think I can ever forgive myself if she does badly for PSLE just because I did not send her to tuition.
Interestingly, my gal enjoyed tuition classes much better than her normal school. She told me tutor give her tips to make learning easier. And given that the class size is small (15 vs 40), she has more attention from the teacher. If primary school education is not complusory, I would have just send her to tuition center, forget abt the PSLE, let her take whatever humanities or art subjects that she desired and take the O level when she is ready.

:hi5: If primary school education were not compulsory, I'll just send to Learning Lab and they'll help him with PSLE. The rest of the time, he can play or goof around with his Science experiments.

[Fat Mama]

Actually, I have no complains about the school and I think they are teaching our kids well. It is just that the school test way above what our kids are being taught that upsets me.


During my school time, we have no tuition and we are tested what the school taught us. Tuition were for weaker kids.

But now, tuition is for very clever kids to score 100. With more kids getting 100, school set more difficult qns. More difficult qns, cant get 100, attend more tuition to get 100. It is a vicious cycle.

The kids that lose out are those who cant afford tuition and those who leak help and good resources.

Our kids are definitely not DUMB.

[beanbear]

Chenonceau:

Beanbear gave up on tuition because after so much tuition, still fail. :stompfeet: So now, her son also has no tuition. Tuition or not, it is very clear that the school tests beyond what they teach so... kids need to access the material outside school either enriched from young or go for tuition and catch up.

Hi Chen, my children still go enrichment/tuition lah because I don't have enuf resources and don't know enuf of Primary school maths. The Math enrichment class my DS go to every week, I'm allowed to sit in because I'm so desperate to learn the methods so that I can reinforce what DS learns. Every week, I become the oldest \"P6\" student in DS class, doing every sum my child does, following what the teacher is teaching. She does a fantastic job and because I'm also an instructional designer, I get a kick out of analysing her teaching methodology and finding out why she does a better job than other school teachers. Incidentally, she was an ex-school teacher also, now quit job and earn much much more running her own Enrichment centre. But her heart is in the right place, really wanting to help children see that Maths can be easy if you are given the right methods AND TEACHING.

I'm so poor in my Maths - suffered all my life with failing or borderline marks, but driven by poor teaching at DS school, I now have to learn how to teach Maths from others who are willing to teach me, since I'm not a trained teacher - just a very concerned parent who wants to help her child to learn. Fortunately, I've good process skills and can break things down into simpler parts so I translate this skills into teaching my child.

I've discovered this. Tuition/Enrichment is really useless if the teachers there do not have sound pedagogy and don't know how to analyze learning gaps besides labelling children as \"careless\". Good centres really know that the school test more than they teach, therefore they are trying to help bridge the gap by helping Parents & helping children and they focused on also enrolling Parents' involvement. I can now probably write a book about how to discern good tuition from bad ones, having paid $$$$ in tuition fees myself.

Incidentally, I've attended maths workshops for Parents at DS' school, but the \"lecturer\" - some NIE Lecturer who teaches other teachers - sooooo hopeless in her explanation - I left with little knowledge & more confusion. So no wonder the teachers cannot teach maths. They are taught by some hopeless NIE lecturers also. The best Teaching I've gotten about Maths was from a Pre-School teacher - Peggy Zee who also has her own Preschools and she gave a Parents' workshop at my DD's school. Fantastic teaching of concepts and helping me understand why certain concepts are important at P1 & P2. Unfortunately, she didn't conduct workshops beyond P1 & P2.

If our kids are taught beyond their cognitive ability, then one short-term solution is for Parents (those who have higher cognitive ability than their children) to learn what needs to be learnt in order to help their children learn. Not all of us Parents can or want to be teachers. Then short-term solution, tuition/enrichment - BUT, one must be very discerning to find GOOD teaching or GOOD resources from the centre. Otherwise really wasting time & money.

[Chenonceau]

beanbear:

Chenonceau:

Beanbear gave up on tuition because after so much tuition, still fail. :stompfeet: So now, her son also has no tuition. Tuition or not, it is very clear that the school tests beyond what they teach so... kids need to access the material outside school either enriched from young or go for tuition and catch up.

Hi Chen, my children still go enrichment/tuition lah because I don't have enuf resources and don't know enuf of Primary school maths. The Math enrichment class my DS go to every week, I'm allowed to sit in because I'm so desperate to learn the methods so that I can reinforce what DS learns. Every week, I become the oldest \"P6\" student in DS class, doing every sum my child does, following what the teacher is teaching. She does a fantastic job and because I'm also an instructional designer, I get a kick out of analysing her teaching methodology and finding out why she does a better job than other school teachers. Incidentally, she was an ex-school teacher also, now quit job and earn much much more running her own Enrichment centre. But her heart is in the right place, really wanting to help children see that Maths can be easy if you are given the right methods AND TEACHING.

I'm so poor in my Maths - suffered all my life with failing or borderline marks, but driven by poor teaching at DS school, I now have to learn how to teach Maths from others who are willing to teach me, since I'm not a trained teacher - just a very concerned parent who wants to help her child to learn. Fortunately, I've good process skills and can break things down into simpler parts so I translate this skills into teaching my child.

I've discovered this. Tuition/Enrichment is really useless if the teachers there do not have sound pedagogy and don't know how to analyze learning gaps besides labelling children as \"careless\". Good centres really know that the school test more than they teach, therefore they are trying to help bridge the gap by helping Parents & helping children and they focused on also enrolling Parents' involvement. I can now probably write a book about how to discern good tuition from bad ones, having paid $$$$ in tuition fees myself.

Incidentally, I've attended maths workshops for Parents at DS' school, but the \"lecturer\" - some NIE Lecturer who teaches other teachers - sooooo hopeless in her explanation - I left with little knowledge & more confusion. So no wonder the teachers cannot teach maths. They are taught by some hopeless NIE lecturers also. The best Teaching I've gotten about Maths was from a Pre-School teacher - Peggy Zee who also has her own Preschools and she gave a Parents' workshop at my DD's school. Fantastic teaching of concepts and helping me understand why certain concepts are important at P1 & P2. Unfortunately, she didn't conduct workshops beyond P1 & P2.

If our kids are taught beyond their cognitive ability, then one short-term solution is for Parents (those who have higher cognitive ability than their children) to learn what needs to be learnt in order to help their children learn. Not all of us Parents can or want to be teachers. Then short-term solution, tuition/enrichment - BUT, one must be very discerning to find GOOD teaching or GOOD resources from the centre. Otherwise really wasting time & money.

:oops: sorry I salah... but I love this post... :goodpost: So inspiring. You're really a fantastic Mom.

[KSP]

Chenonceau:

Fat Mama... we had a good laugh last night with DS 'cos we both couldn't sleep. He told me that on one occasion, he and his friends were comparing the LOWEST mark they ever got. His classmates were all flabbergasted when DS told them that he had ever gotten 64 before in lower primary. He took the prize for getting the lowest mark ever in that group of kids.


Now, he laughs about it. Back then, I think he was miserable.

Getting a Band2 or below in P1/2 could be viewed as quite a serious matter in some schools. The issue could offen be classified as the kid have learning difficulties.

[corneyAmber]

beanbear:

BUT, one must be very discerning to find GOOD teaching or GOOD resources from the centre. Otherwise really wasting time & money.

So instead of letting poor parents swim around for these, let the school prescribe, since they are the ones who set the exams....think this is what Chenon has been asking for all the kids.