Changes in PSLE formats over the past few years

[Chicken Rice Mom]

SAHM_TAN:

None of the changes affect 2013 PSLE.

I am just curious, do you have any more information regarding the changes that will occur in 2015, as my DD will be doing her PSLE then?

[verykiasumummy]

my kids are not affected, but still, i also want to know the changes…


tried asking my ds’s form teacher today but she said she’s not handling any P3 class this yr… can anyone share what do teachers say??

[Will_lim]

Hi guys,


Thank you so much for the replies!

As far as I know the changes to the English PSLE format for 2013 include:

a) Pupils’ grammar mastery will be explicitly assessed under the Editing segment.
b) Pupils will now have to deal with 3 passages in the Comprehension segment as compared to 2 passages in the current format.
c) Pupils have to respond personally to the Comprehension texts
d) The essay topics require pupils to merge all aspects of their writing skills ranging from the Narrative, Descriptive, Argumentative and Discursive.

Personally, I am quite happy with the changes because I feel that this is what English is supposed to be about - application. In the past, we had to do stuff like rearranging the sentences, close passage(guess the missing word) and comprehension was basically just lifting from the passage. I didn't think all that was helpful to me at all in terms of mastering the language. At least now the education system is teaching students how to express themselves and use language as a tool for communication rather than just another subject to be practiced over and over again in assessment books.

On a side note, I am also happy that quite a number of tuition centers, well at least from what I know, are already changing their teaching methods for PSLE English. Off the top of my head, The Alternative Story tuition centre, Young Champs Eduland and Raffles EduHub have already adapted to the changes.

So besides English, have there been any changes for Math and Chinese? Because I heard something about new types of questions for Math and something about lesser emphasis in the marks for Mother Tongue, i.e. Mother Tongue results will play a smaller role in entrance to secondary schools. Is this true?

[AgonyMum]

Hi, my child will also be affected by the PSLE English format changes. However, I am a little wary of tuition centres that claimed that they have already made chages to their programmes. As you may be aware, even the HOD of schools have not attended the MOE briefing and so, nobody really knows the type, extent, level of changes that will be implemented.


Can anyone share which are the TRUSTED centres that have first -hand info and have revamped their prog accordingly?

TIA!

[mummyscopio]

Will_lim:

So besides English, have there been any changes for Math and Chinese? Because I heard something about new types of questions for Math and something about lesser emphasis in the marks for Mother Tongue, i.e. Mother Tongue results will play a smaller role in entrance to secondary schools. Is this true?

well... my DS will be taking his PSLE in 2017..
but i'll be over the moon if Mother Tongue results can play a smaller role in entrance to secondary schools
:rahrah:

[sunnymumsy]

I think the biggest change to the syllabus will be the components that have always been hard to score in - compo and compre.


Compo has changed to a more authentic syllabus instead of the usual drawings that we are so used to. i think this is quite good! more real-world but at the same time help students to be more creative.

[alisaken]

FYI, I read on ChannelNews from May that Pri 1 maths syllabus will be tweaked from next year.

ge
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1200575/1/.html

According to the article, MOE plans to drop part of the Primary 1 mathematics syllabus, measuring and comparing objects' physical mass through the use of non-standard units. Instead, they will be taught about the orientation of objects such as whether they are facing left or right or pointing up or down. With such an adjustment, PSLE format will change for students from 2008.

Thus, more numeracy skills will be required for the exams. They said the review can help to lighten the workload and improve students' numeracy knowledge. I'm just not sure if it can make students less stressed as probably instead of testing the measuring and comparing, they can focus on more complicated maths.

Thus, it may end up even more stressful!

[AgonyMum]

So many changes coming fast and furious.We as parents have no control over these adjustments. Tweaking here and there... gives me the impression that they are like blind men in the dark, muddling their way through. Whenever a new minister gets on board, he feels that he must do something(sometimes drastic) to leave a legacy. Our poor children are the ones who have to be super-adjusted to be able to beat the system. I shall not be having any more kids


Whenever I see young kids dragging themselves from tuition centre to tuition centre, I feel so sorry for them. Now that so many of these tuition centres are in shopping malls, I cannot avoid looking at the empty, exhausted eyes of our primary school-goers. I am trying to keep tuition to a minimum for my kid but might have to join the bandwagon soon.......

[janet88]

sunnymumsy:

I think the biggest change to the syllabus will be the components that have always been hard to score in - compo and compre.


Compo has changed to a more authentic syllabus instead of the usual drawings that we are so used to. i think this is quite good! more real-world but at the same time help students to be more creative.

Oral will help kids score.
Compo this year, be it pic or continuous wasn't easy. I would say this is challenging as kids have to be creative to think out of the box. Those pic compositions we were so used to are a thing of the past. But again, are our kids ready???

[SAHM_TAN]

Will_lim:

Hi guys,


Thank you so much for the replies!

As far as I know the changes to the English PSLE format for 2013 include:

a) Pupils’ grammar mastery will be explicitly assessed under the Editing segment.
b) Pupils will now have to deal with 3 passages in the Comprehension segment as compared to 2 passages in the current format.
c) Pupils have to respond personally to the Comprehension texts
d) The essay topics require pupils to merge all aspects of their writing skills ranging from the Narrative, Descriptive, Argumentative and Discursive.

Personally, I am quite happy with the changes because I feel that this is what English is supposed to be about - application. In the past, we had to do stuff like rearranging the sentences, close passage(guess the missing word) and comprehension was basically just lifting from the passage. I didn't think all that was helpful to me at all in terms of mastering the language. At least now the education system is teaching students how to express themselves and use language as a tool for communication rather than just another subject to be practiced over and over again in assessment books.

On a side note, I am also happy that quite a number of tuition centers, well at least from what I know, are already changing their teaching methods for PSLE English. Off the top of my head, The Alternative Story tuition centre, Young Champs Eduland and Raffles EduHub have already adapted to the changes.

So besides English, have there been any changes for Math and Chinese? Because I heard something about new types of questions for Math and something about lesser emphasis in the marks for Mother Tongue, i.e. Mother Tongue results will play a smaller role in entrance to secondary schools. Is this true?

I thought for the changes listed in your post on Eng will only affect those taking PSLE in 2015. The kids who are in P5 and P6 next year will be under the old Eng syllabus.