2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy

[speedmaths.012624com]

alng:

speedmaths.com:

For Maths, over the last 10 years, NYPS usually has the most interesting questions.
But the most difficult prelim Maths paper I have seen is the 2008 Ngee Ann Primary paper.

At this late stage (one month before PSLE), it is important that your child actually learn how to answer those tough A-star maths questions from the prelim papers.

Some schools give their pupils lots of papers to do, but do not have the time to go through the answers/solutions sufficiently, in detail, with their pupils.
The result is that many pupils just learn how to answer the questions wrongly, which is not the desired outcome.


speedmaths.com


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Hi speedmaths, thanks for the info.
May I ask if the maths syllabus has changed in the last 10 years? Is it relevant to practice the maths prelim papers of NYPS say for year 2003? Could you share the Ngee Ann 2008 paper? Or where can we download the paper from? Thanks very much!

Hi,

There have been slight changes since; the present syllabus has been in use since 2007. The emphasis is still on the development of mathematical problem solving ability.

There are probably sufficient papers over last few years (2007 to 2011), so perhaps no real need to go too far back.

I kept some choice questions from the Ngee Ann 2008 paper, which I use to teach P6 students at our PSLE Maths workshops.
For the full paper, I do not really know where to get it.
You can try the usual PSLE Maths papers web sites, or ask Mr J (the usual supplier).

All the best for your DD's PSLE.

Cheers



speedmaths.com


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[speedmaths.012624com]

janet_lee88:

[quote=\"speedmaths.com]At this late stage (one month before PSLE), it is important that your child actually learn how to answer those tough A-star maths questions from the prelim papers.


Some schools give their pupils lots of papers to do, but do not have the time to go through the answers/solutions sufficiently, in detail, with their pupils.
The result is that many pupils just learn how to answer the questions wrongly, which is not the desired outcome.

speedmaths.com

Thanks for the advice. My boy told me the last question was a 'thinking question'. Last year's prelim was tough according to my son...but this year is more difficult. I hope this year's PSLE is not going to leave kids crying out of the classroom.

Kids should be exposed to tough questions in the weeks leading to PSLE...at the same time, they should also be taught how to handle them if it is phrased differently but actually using similar application.[/quote][/quote][/quote][/quote][/quote]

Yes, it is very important that students make the best use of these last 4 weeks.
They should try to be exposed to as many \"tough\" PSLE Maths questions as they can, and also know the solutions to these questions.

If students can learn (or are shown) how to solve, say, 2 to 4 tough questions per day, they would have covered 56 to 112 tough questions over the next 4 weeks.
This definitely helps.

In previous years, many (not so smart) students were able to do some of the tougher questions during PSLE simply because they have seen/done these questions before.

All the best for your boy's PSLE.

Cheers


speedmaths.com

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[Nebbermind]

I’m not suggesting giving up on these qns for everyone but rather providing alternative strategies for some of the weaker students.


Sometimes during the exams, it’s not about knowing or not knowing the answers. We are also fighting against time.

For the weaker students, I assume some may take more time even for the simpler qns. So if they time themselves and rush in hope to complete the whole paper, they may end losing marks for the easy qns due to carelessness or panic when the take too long and seem to be running out of time. So may be better to just focus on the easy qns and do well in them rather than rushing and lose marks everywhere.

[august24]

PSLE Listening Compre coming up next. Any advise from parents on prepration? Is it needed?

[Chenonceau]

Nebbermind:

I'm not suggesting giving up on these qns for everyone but rather providing alternative strategies for some of the weaker students.


Sometimes during the exams, it's not about knowing or not knowing the answers. We are also fighting against time.

For the weaker students, I assume some may take more time even for the simpler qns. So if they time themselves and rush in hope to complete the whole paper, they may end losing marks for the easy qns due to carelessness or panic when the take too long and seem to be running out of time. So may be better to just focus on the easy qns and do well in them rather than rushing and lose marks everywhere.

Nebbermind... bear with me can? I am quite intrigued by this conversation. Not arguing one way or other but I just wanna throw ideas up for discussion. Just explore and mull over. No conclusion either way.

First off... I wanna say that my first reaction to your comment was - \"Yah! That's what I would do too if Little Boy were poor in Math. It's kind of you to devise an approach that would work for those poor at Math. At least, they can use it to maximize marks.\"

However, I have been reading up on divergent thinking in the research literature just for fun. It appears that ALL CHILDREN have the innate capacity for divergent thinking. A study was done in a preschool where 98% of the children were found to be highly competent in divergent thinking. By the time they were 10 years, only 10% of the same batch of kids are good at divergent thinking.

Divergent Thinking is NOT Creativity
Divergent thinking is NOT creativity... but it is an essential thinking process skill for being creative. In other words, you can be a divergent thinker but create nothing. BUT you cannot be creative WITHOUT being a divergent thinker.

Cute right? At least I find it so... I hope you do too.

We Educate Divergent Thinking OUT OF Our Kids
So, what does this mean for Math teaching in primary school? Essentially, it COULD mean that the traditional ways of teaching Math by emphasizing accuracy and correct answers actually educate our naturally divergent thinking children into the mould of the convergent thinkers. The very obedient lose their divergent thinking ability after some years of education. Simply because Teachers insist that there are right/wrong answers... and the school systems (all over the world, not just here) focus on getting students to conform.

GEPpers Are Just Resistant to a Normal Education
However, you have the GEPpers... who REFUSE to be crammed into a boring mould. GEPpers are just plain stubborn when it comes to thinking divergently. They switch off... tune off... misbehave when people try and FORCE them into disciplined and accurate structures. GEPpers' intellectual curiosity is so strong that they break through every attempt to bind their thinking. These kids create hell for adults and we have to do something to engage them or WE will suffer. Of course, I talk of true GEPpers, not the hothoused ones. Hence, they force us to teach them the way the human brain should NATURALLY be taught.

Teach Less Learn More Should Make non-GEP Kids Smarter
Hence, Teach Less Learn More DOES make sense even for kids who AREN'T gifted. Teach Less Learn More, if properly done, with adequate materials and small enough classes would ensure that even mainstream kids benefit from NOT having their divergent thinking ability educated OUT OF them.

In which case, when it comes to PSLE Math, the divergent thinking Math questions, which we now consider THE MOST DIFFICULT, would become THE MOST EASY since even the lowest ability child would have maintained his/her natural levels of divergent thinking.

Ok... ok... this sounds strange right? But it makes sense?

[Nebbermind]

Interesting.


BTW, have you asked your boy to re-do his prelim paper within the exact amt of time?

[Chenonceau]

Nebbermind:

Interesting.


BTW, have you asked your boy to re-do his prelim paper within the exact amt of time?

That won't help with divergent thinking I dun think. What I am trying to do now with him is to arrow in on the QUESTIONS with a TWIST... and then time him per question on how long he takes to derive 6 DIFFERENT approaches.

It's a shot in the dark but it's interesting to do. Even if it doesn't reap returns for PSLE Math, it's a good exercise in divergent thinking. Fun.

Re-doing the same paper means that he'll just be working on convergent thinking. It'll lock him into convergent thinking processes again. This said, he is not poor at Math. He can usually score full marks for Paper 1. Nothing wrong with his logic and accuracy... but we have neglected Divergent Thinking skills training that kids who go for Olympiad get practice in.

We'll do what we can. It's interesting.

[Sun_2010]

. Interesting …


One thing I may add, while the objective of Olympiad might have had to encourage and nourish divergent thinking, with the advent of Olympiad traing classes sprouting all over Singapore this too is being converted into a very convergent thinking process.

Sad that . But the ones who sustain long term , are those that have not let these classes lump their thinking into a preset box. No, I don’t mean these classes are useless, they expose the kids to a variety of problems, but how many do the kids really really try to solve before the sol is given?

[Chenonceau]

Sun_2010:

. Interesting .....


One thing I may add, while the objective of Olympiad might have had to encourage and nourish divergent thinking, with the advent of Olympiad traing classes sprouting all over Singapore this too is being converted into a very convergent thinking process.

Sad that . But the ones who sustain long term , are those that have not let these classes lump their thinking into a preset box. No, I don't mean these classes are useless, they expose the kids to a variety of problems, but how many do the kids really really try to solve before the sol is given?

Hmmmm... yeah... so I think it was a blessing that I am an idiot in Math. I couldn't help my son and so he HAD to figure out his Math sums. See... God loves me and my son.

We were as butterflies coming out the cocoon. The process was painful. We had little help because no tuition... but it gave Little Boy a better education WITHOUT me knowing it - http://mrmom.amaonline.com/stories/benefits.htm.

[janet88]

I am an idiot with Math...when son asked me to explain question this morn, I freaked out :?: in fact I am also lost where science is concerned this year. So I told hubby I cannot cope :siam:


Starting from now, all questions done now are timed. He has to learn to work within stipulated time with speed and accuracy for all subjects...no more doing at his pleasure or he will suffer during the real thing.