At what age should you start to prepare for PSLE

[1girl1boy]

My experience: you should start as early as possible in P6. Especially the languages. Maths and Science depends on how much intensive effort you want to put in after you started. If you’re ok with practicing 4-5 papers a day, then 1-2 months ahead. If not June is a good time to start (for my case).

Hope that help:)
Gone are the days that you can start just one week ahead. Those belong only to our generation.

[janet88]

mummy so kiasu:

Preparation for PSLE usually start at P5. However, it is important to ensure that your child has build up a strong foundation in P3 & P4.

Kids should have their foundation built for languages before they start school...especially English. With 3 subjects using English, there is even more reason. When the child goes to P5 though, he/she is introduced to PSLE syllabus...most parents would agree it is a different ball game altogether. This is not frightening parents but true fact.

Personally, PSLE preparation starts in Nov after P5 SA2.

With schools having mini assessments from P1, gone are the days when preparation is done 1-2 weeks before the BIG exam. Consistency is key now.

[1girl1boy]

1girl1boy:

My experience: you should start as early as possible in P6. Especially the languages. Maths and Science depends on how much intensive effort you want to put in after you started. If you're ok with practicing 4-5 papers a day, then 1-2 months ahead. If not June is a good time to start (for my case).

Hope that help:)
Gone are the days that you can start just one week ahead. Those belong only to our generation.

I would like to clarify the earlier post. we started for the languages beginning of P6. But for Maths and Science, because of all the supplementary classes mounted by the school, we couldnt squeeze in the time early. So we started the preparation in June while relying on the school for those 2 subjects. That is for my case. The problem is very much how to get the time. Dont ever try to do the preparation 1 week before the big exams!

[weatherbee]

After Primary 5 SA2 exam. My son has been taking Math and Science tuition. So far so good. But as his PSLE is next year, am thinking of sending him for English and Chinese tuition as well.

[janet88]

weatherbee:

After Primary 5 SA2 exam. My son has been taking Math and Science tuition. So far so good. But as his PSLE is next year, am thinking of sending him for English and Chinese tuition as well.

Totally agree. At most give your child 3 days to play...but start preparing EARLY.

[Champion]

janet_lee88:

mummy so kiasu:

Preparation for PSLE usually start at P5. However, it is important to ensure that your child has build up a strong foundation in P3 & P4.

Kids should have their foundation built for languages before they start school...especially English. With 3 subjects using English, there is even more reason. When the child goes to P5 though, he/she is introduced to PSLE syllabus...most parents would agree it is a different ball game altogether. This is not frightening parents but true fact.
Personally, PSLE preparation starts in Nov after P5 SA2.

Agrees that foundation has to be laid strong in the lower primary and slowly build up at P3. Starting at P4, I can feel that (at least for my DD1's case) teacher moves at a very fast pace to cover a lot of components Especially so for English - I can see that EL T dished out compo every week and made the class to re-write and re-write if grammatically or content is incorrect

DD1's Maths Tuition centre academic year starts in Nov 2012 so officially she will be doing P5 Maths in about 3 weeks' time. Will be following the same Teacher and that T already \"PRE-WARN\" :evil: ,\" P5 is a v tough year and especially so for Maths. So, I need all of your co-operation. If I find anyone of you not doing homework and not attentive in class, I will talk to your parents as 1st warning. If things do not improve again after 3rd warning, then please leave my class - don't waste your time and mine too!\" :yikes: :scared: Sound serious yah

[janet88]

Hi Champion,

The teacher really sounded scary…but better late than never.
This is really not fanning the flames to frighten parents of would-be P5s or P6s, it is not laughing matter. The earlier the child is exposed to the syllabus, the lesser stress/pressure.

[Imami]

I don’t have school going children, so I am speaking from my personal experience and what I have picked up in the recent years. I agree with setting the foundation for language subjects early, in particular English. Math and science should be built on, year on year. I don’t think it is wise to wait till there is obvious fault lines then look for help.


I think in terms of preparation for PSLE- personally, I would think that preparation comes in two aspects – 1. exam techniques, exam format and requirements, 2. General areas (not sure how I should phrase this bit but I will expand on this later).

For 1. exam techniques, exam format and requirements – I think starting at in primary 6 itself is suitable, ideally by end of term 1. By the month in which the school prelim is scheduled, the kids should be familiar with the format, duration, requirements and should be able to finish the mock papers within the stipulated time frame. The last few weeks should be just to fine tune on the exam techniques and revising on weaker aspects of the subjects.

I see for myself that exam techniques is very important and crucial in gaining higher marks. As I coach my little child through his work, i would sometimes impart some techniques to him. And I realise, with those little tricks, he is doing better, faster and neater. As a parent, I think there is only this much I can share with my child in terms of techniques and tricks. Hence, it is very likely that I would send my kid to enrichment/tuition classes so that the tutors can impart the bits which I don’t know of.

I have heard of some folks saying things like “we are tertiary educated/have degree/MBA etc but we can’t teach primary school math”. While I believe the standard of education in singapore has generally risen over the past two decades (I happen to have a few k2 math workbooks published about ten years ago and a few published in the recent years. I see it for myself the difference in standard), I believe it is the requirement that is render us ‘educated parents’ helpless. The students are required to use certain models/show workings in a certain manner in order to score the marks. This bit is something most of us parents are out of touch. Those using the same models are probably too young to be parents.

For 2 – general areas – I group the following under this: mastery of language, writing skills, oral, general knowledge, reading and comprehension skills, arithmetic accuracy and speed.
I would think these should start as early as possible, even right before primary one. Much has been said about how reading would help in language and broadening our knowledge about things in general. Hence, cultivating a love for reading makes sense and should start young. If writing and speaking good English is no problem for the child, I think it puts the child in a good stead forward. Like janet said, 3 subjects conducted in English.

Arithmetic accuracy and speed is important for math. We often hear how kids lose much marks because of carelessness or because of poor time management. I believe if we can train arithmetic accuracy and speed from young, the child stand to lose lesser marks on carelessness.

Science is a subject which I have no idea yet how I should prepare/approach.

The above is my personal view and how I am/would be preparing my child. Given that he is still very young, the above plan remains fluid and probably has some flaws.

[gimme_a_break]

I heard most schools start at the beginning of pri 5 and it was already so during my time in primary school (which was still within the decade, actually). I was teaching pri 4’s and pri 5’s part-time awhile ago and the after-school classes are already more than enough, in my opinion. For every level from pri 3, there are already designated timeslots on different days of the week for every subject, some in small groups (remedial type) and some with whole classes (supplementary type). The child would already have been ‘programmed’ into the preparatory mode way earlier than their PSLE year, so there really isn’t much point to pack your children’s schedule with PSLE preparation before they are in pri 6 since their school would already step up on rigorous after-school classes and regular assessments for them in their pri 5 year.

[janet88]

Will_lim:

To be able to fulfill the latter I believe that a good education is the key and that's why PSLE is so important for so many of us as PSLE is one of the important steps in being able to continue the advancement in the Singaporean school system.


-So at what age should you start to prepare for PSLE?
- How often do your kids have tuitions a week? How many hours? In order to safeguard their childhood and their future.

There is no childhood at P6. Actually, there is no childhood when children reach P5...bcos schools give supplementary lessons twice a week...and there is CCA and homework. Supplementary lessons are a continuation of curriculum time. What kind of life is this for a 11 year old?

Son didn't have any tuition other than Chinese from P1. He started Math tuition in P5 June bcos teacher couldn't reach out to whole class (understandable for a class of 41) and hubby didn't know how to teach...daily Math homework brought home was hardly done...Math at P5 is a total ball game even though son did well from P1-4 (in the 80s range). When he flunked Math (30/100) for CA1, alarm bells rang...sent him to tuition centre. Another disappointing story there.
Flunk Math again for SA1. Homework still don't know how to do. That's it...1-1. By Aug, he started to pick up...for one thing, he was able to get homework done by himself. Tutor drilled him intensively. By SA2, he passed with a 51/100.

Son attended all the supplementary lessons faithfully in P5 last year...this year, we decided that these extended 'school hours' were not helping other than being more tired. So we tightened our belts and brought in tutors.
Emailed to teachers to take him out. So after school everyday, he came home for a bath, lunch, rest before his tuition after dinner.
March/June/Sep 'holidays' were for intensive programs. Lots of sweet talk from grandparents and treats from parents to make up for that craziness.