Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary

[Joyfulhands]

Jennifer:

IMO lower pri enrichment = strong foundation, then no need to worry in upper pri lvl. Somemore, lower pri lvl only has 3 core subjects, unlike upper pri lvl has HCL, NC and Sci, topped with supplementary lessons, less time in a week, can only sign up for weekend classes- more expensive and eats into family rest day.

Upper pri lvl= supposedly more stressful, non-academic enrichment can come in as stress reliever. Like my elder boy who attended badminton coaching in P4 to P6- an avenue for him to release tension after sch hours.

Jennifer, thanks for sharing your perspective.
I do agree that a strong foundation is necessary. If tuition for lower pri is to build a firm foundation, that leads me to wonder if the school is not teaching enough to meet the same objective? It's a strange phenomenon that the enrichment centres teach, the schools test. I haven't come to terms with that.

I suppose I the child is enjoying an non-academic enrichment, it acts as a outlet to destress. Does your son train to play competitively?

[Mrsbongz]

Term 4 timetable is out.. so are the exams dates

[Trapwithin]

Joyfulhands:

If tuition for lower pri is to build a firm foundation, that leads me to wonder if the school is not teaching enough to meet the same objective?

Lower primary cohort is a challenge for school to teach. Some kids start P1 with foundation while some start school without any foundation at all. The school will have to cast the net wide to cover all students so that no one is left behind.

Previously with streaming after P1 exam, school can use different teaching methodology for different students with different depth. But now they have to use the same methodology across whole cohort till P2 before they are stream in P3. Thus some kids find it hard to cope and some find it bored.

Currently in PHPPS, the weaker students in P1 and P2 are pull out of class to go for special enrichment class to build their foundations. Similarly HCL class are banded so that all the students need can be met.

Tuition centre do not have this issue because parents will do the moderations and adjustment. If this centre is not good enough for their strong/weak kids, they will find a suitable one. That's also the reason, why I mentioned in previous posting that no centres are suitable for all kids. Each serve a different need.

This also applies to the different assessment book in the market. Some are tough and challenging; while some are design to \"drill\".

[Trapwithin]

Mrsbongz:

Term 4 timetable is out.. so are the exams dates

Thanks .. have been waiting for it so that I can start planning.
Not for exam .... but holidays

[Jennifer]

Joyfulhands:

Jennifer:

IMO lower pri enrichment = strong foundation, then no need to worry in upper pri lvl. Somemore, lower pri lvl only has 3 core subjects, unlike upper pri lvl has HCL, NC and Sci, topped with supplementary lessons, less time in a week, can only sign up for weekend classes- more expensive and eats into family rest day.

Upper pri lvl= supposedly more stressful, non-academic enrichment can come in as stress reliever. Like my elder boy who attended badminton coaching in P4 to P6- an avenue for him to release tension after sch hours.

Jennifer, thanks for sharing your perspective.
I do agree that a strong foundation is necessary. If tuition for lower pri is to build a firm foundation, that leads me to wonder if the school is not teaching enough to meet the same objective? It's a strange phenomenon that the enrichment centres teach, the schools test. I haven't come to terms with that.

I suppose I the child is enjoying an non-academic enrichment, it acts as a outlet to destress. Does your son train to play competitively?

He now plays for leisure only. Recently he teamed up with a JH3 classmate to compete in a sch badminton event. Lost to a pair of JH2 who (according to my boy) are trained professionally.

I feel that to expect lower pri pupils to pay 100% attention during lesson is unrealistic. The teacher might have taught, but the child did not listen or did not understand or did not retain. Then when the child goes home, he tells his parents \"teacher did not teach this'.

I am saying this becos I have heard from my boys this sentence, only to hear a different story the next time \"oh, this looks familiar. I think Ms.xxx told us in class last time.\"

To me, enrichment lessons are to make up what my children missed in class or what the teacher could not cover in class due to time constraints or what the teacher chose not to teach in order to cater to the majority pupils' ability.

I sent my elder boy for enrichment in his lower pri lvl becos the school he was attending then (BPPS) did not stream the pupils. He was not challenged. Everyday, he came home with no homework as he was able to finish them in class.

I do not agree that enrichment centres are to teach, schools are to test.

[Joyfulhands]

Trapwithin:

Sorry to jump in.
It is always good to start language early, because it is not something like Maths that you can \"drill\", \"learn\", etc and still perform well. Languages usually requires a lot of consistent work, particularly compositions. In addition, IMHO ... Language is best learn in group due to interaction and group work. Kids tends to remember vocab faster while learning in group setting.

For MA and Sci, I know Jennifer is not a believer in Advanced learning.
Advanced learning is ok, if you start early and the child is able to understand the concepts. BUT if the child is trying to cope with the current syllabus, then it would be UNWISE to do advanced learning. It depends a lot on the child.

No prob to jump in to comment, in fact I'm happy to hear your views.
Thanks for sharing that group settings facilitate language learning

My DD goes for HCL enrichment which teaches the textbook lessons in advance. I find it advantageous that the content is repeated to her in school subsequently. It's like 1st time she didn't get it, still got 2nd chance to learn again in school

[Joyfulhands]

Trapwithin:

Joyfulhands:

If tuition for lower pri is to build a firm foundation, that leads me to wonder if the school is not teaching enough to meet the same objective?

Lower primary cohort is a challenge for school to teach. Some kids start P1 with foundation while some start school without any foundation at all. The school will have to cast the net wide to cover all students so that no one is left behind.

Previously with streaming after P1 exam, school can use different teaching methodology for different students with different depth. But now they have to use the same methodology across whole cohort till P2 before they are stream in P3. Thus some kids find it hard to cope and some find it bored.

Currently in PHPPS, the weaker students in P1 and P2 are pull out of class to go for special enrichment class to build their foundations. Similarly HCL class are banded so that all the students need can be met.

Tuition centre do not have this issue because parents will do the moderations and adjustment. If this centre is not good enough for their strong/weak kids, they will find a suitable one. That's also the reason, why I mentioned in previous posting that no centres are suitable for all kids. Each serve a different need.

This also applies to the different assessment book in the market. Some are tough and challenging; while some are design to \"drill\".

Perhaps then it's better to phrase that lower pri sch education lays only the very basic foundation while the enrichment centres strengthen that esp for the better performers.

[iRabbit]

Mrsbongz:

Term 4 timetable is out.. so are the exams dates

Haha Mrsbongz, machiam you are the one taking exams liddat.

My son told me P2's too young to join the T&F sch team. I also bery sad. How nice if he can rep sch in this event and get a good tan at the same time.

[iRabbit]

Joyfulhands,


There’s also this group of top-performing pupils who don’t have any enrichments (like xxx and xxx). Cannot say name, wait they angrii.

In the end of the day, it really depends on the child himself, with or w/o external help. Some kids are born to study bcos they enjoy learning so much.

[Trapwithin]

Joyfulhands:

Perhaps then it's better to phrase that lower pri sch education lays only the very basic foundation while the enrichment centres strengthen that esp for the better performers.

But then the gap to P6 is huge. Laying only the very basic foundation in lower primary might not give them sufficient time to bridge this gap. Unless PSLE lower it's standard, which is not likely as many will do very well and the bell curve will not look like a bell curve, it is a difficult problem that the government have to solve.