2014 PSLE Discussions and Strategy
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Suz855:
Speaking from own experience, my girl p5 this year, you might want to download the ca1 p5 exam papers esp. the 2 languages n get them to work throu them.
The toughest challenge for my dd is English language n she did well in her p4, I think partly also the fact that she was taught by one of the most 'challenging' type of teacher that u won't want to meet ... so yes get them to read plenty of books too during the coming holiday n pray .... If your dc get quality teachers in the coming year then it should be alright .... After all 2 years of preparation for PSLE ... More than sufficient to get them there la .... Have fun n enjoy.
:oops:
:thankyou:
Suz for your advise :grphug: -
Some key observations :
Science
P3 and P4 work will still be tested so it is important that the kids have a good foundation. If your child currently struggles in P3 and P4, then it’s good to revisit those topics and revise again
Maths
Speed and exposure to different types of questions. Ensure kids do not become over reliant on calculator otherwise their paper 1 will suffer. My P5 FT told us that ask the kids to try to score as much for paper 1 so that passing is easy. For this subject, in my kids’ school, there are alot of failure and cohort average is only 50+. So it does seem more killer as compared to other subjects.
I’ve a P4 who is P5 next year and frankly… I wonder how prepared we are during his time… as it all depends on the child as well. -
Hi all
My DD is in P5 this year. Just to share, I was complacent about the jump because she was the top 25% of her school’s cohort during P4. I envisioned the strategies we put into place would serve her and me well - buying and doing worksheets/top school papers diligently closer to exams is sufficient. I was wrong. My focus on results and not on the process is incorrect.
What I think I would have done differently is let her have more time to PLAY. This year, I shed silent tears when I see her workload. I should step in earlier when extreme burdens are placed on her in the guise of homework e.g. 40 book reports in 2 weeks. I cringe when I see the remarks teachers make on her worksheets. I should have monitored more closely because the pace is faster in P5 compared to P4. I would build up her self motivation and self resistance to negative influences. I would encourage learning for self-discovery to make it less of a chore. I should have also stepped in earlier to advocate broad-based reading not just her fav chick lit. Quality reading NOT quantity translates into better English vocab.
Above all, the push to want to study to bridge the gap must come from the child because it gets really hard…and it MUST be enough if the child has really tried but is still not doing as well as your own expectations. Because we as parents must never lose sight of the fact that exams and PSLE are only part of the long journey ahead… -
Frankly… I observed that my P5 has so much homework everyday that sometimes, she only has time for homework…
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mummyv:
i will always come back here to remind me on this precious statmentHi all
My DD is in P5 this year. Just to share, I was complacent about the jump because she was the top 25% of her school's cohort during P4. I envisioned the strategies we put into place would serve her and me well - buying and doing worksheets/top school papers diligently closer to exams is sufficient. I was wrong.
What I think I would have done differently is let her have more time to PLAY. This year, I shed silent tears when I see her workload. I should step in earlier when extreme burdens are placed on her in the guise of homework e.g. 40 book reports in 2 weeks. I cringe when I see the remarks teachers make on her worksheets. I should have monitored more closely because the pace is faster in P5 compared to P4. I would build up her self motivation and self resistance to negative influences. I would encourage learning for self-discovery to make it less of a chore.
pls share with us on how we can build up their self resistance to -ve influences
Above all, the push to want to study to bridge the gap must come from the child because it gets really hard...and it MUST be enough if the child has really tried but is still not doing as well as your own expectations. Because we as parents must never lose sight of the fact that exams and PSLE are only part of the long journey ahead....
:goodpost: -
MMM:
Frankly... I observed that my P5 has so much homework everyday that sometimes, she only has time for homework...
Yes MMM that is the case with mine too. It is compounded when DD homework is wasting time due to her own carelessness eg rewriting compos - she has even done up to draft no 3 for mistakes.... so part of the problem is getting the process right ... -
hi snowball
I am no expert in motivation. Dr Petunia Lee is the expert - http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/content/internal-drive-theoryr-motivate-your-child-want-study-0. Her book has been an eye opener on what I could have done better with my child and where I went wrong and hopefully how I can do better. Conversations with various parents too also cemented my belief that school is just a part of our child's lives and our upbringing focusing on education excellence is part of the social phenomenon that leads to expectations/standards spiralling out of control. The challenge for me is how to find the right balance. School teachers are no longer motivators/coaches in our children's learning journeys - they are also under tremendous pressure with the tough standard. They do not have the luxury of time/passion to pay attention to all children - their main aim is to finish the syllabus on time. Parents are now keeping their children home because teachers do not teach enough and well - to ensure children have a balanced life. Now harried teachers no longer talk about the moral value of education. It is now a checklist of what YOU should do to bring your child up to scratch. A child's character / social ability is not in the equation. -
mummyv:
yes i agree, we cannot depend on the school and teachers for good grades anymore.....hi snowball
I am no expert in motivation. Dr Petunia Lee is the expert - http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/content/internal-drive-theoryr-motivate-your-child-want-study-0. Her book has been an eye opener on what I could have done better with my child and where I went wrong and hopefully how I can do better. Conversations with various parents too also cemented my belief that school is just a part of our child's lives and our upbringing focusing on education excellence is part of the social phenomenon that leads to expectations/standards spiralling out of control. The challenge for me is how to find the right balance. School teachers are no longer motivators/coaches in our children's learning journeys - they are also under tremendous pressure with the tough standard. They do not have the luxury of time/passion to pay attention to all children - their main aim is to finish the syllabus on time. Parents are now keeping their children home because teachers do not teach enough and well - to ensure children have a balanced life. Now harried teachers no longer talk about the moral value of education. It is now a checklist of what YOU should do to bring your child up to scratch. A child's character / social ability is not in the equation.
their main aim is to finish the syllabus on time, whether the child can understand is another story ..... :sad: -
Haiz, I just don’t understand why kids like them has to go through so much at this age. They should learn to enjoy the journey of learning and not study because of exams. Look at those Americans, most of them turn out just as well without so much of exams… They learned things outside of books that our children don’t learn.
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chiam lah…my boy is alri v "qing cai" and relax now. V often, reluctant to do his homwork, learn his spelling and ting xie. Even more difficult to ask him to revise for exams or do his assessments.
Spoke to him numerous times and he is still like that. He has that "can’t be bothered" attitiude…we have a hard time w him this year.
I heard P5 is very tough…if he is alri like that this year, really worried how he cope next year.
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