Recommendation of changes to reduce Stress for PSLE

[janet88]

Chenonceau:

These are big big systemic changes and it takes people with guts to make it happen. Systemic changes like this will certainly shape individual teacher behavior. Hopefully, in time to come, the situation in mainstream (non high ability) education will improve. There is hope for a better tomorrow in mainstream. For us, it's over... and we can just smile and say \"Whatever didn't kill us.... made us stronger.\"

Time to revel in the rainbows of life.

:lovesite:

[mommylow]

ammonite:

Lilac66:

[quote=\"DKWhy\"].


But kids who have mastered enough self learning skills in their early years will not suffer so much in sec schools coz chances are they will have the ‘inbuilt mechanism’ akin to ‘survival instinct’ to auto learn to adjust, adapt and survive within manageable stress. This ability comes from those chances that were given to them by not-so-KC and not-so-KS parents when they were allowed to learn to swim on own. This natural innate ability either can be built slowly or can also be taken away slowly by their very own parents during their early years.

I like what you brought up.
But sorry just asking coz when we discuss about self-learning skills for kids of such age, what type of skills are specifically looking at or inculcating?

For discussion sake, we'll use MAths since this is one area where parents have most grouses about- say a child is not able to grasp the model concept for in class, what does he do? Ask the teacher in class or get help from parents. What if the child is not able to clear his doubts either because the teacher is has got too much on her plate to attend to him personally or the parents are not sufficiently equipped to help him? What should he or we parents do if we want to inculcate self-learning attitude? Let's presume the child does not have tuition.

To me, the ability to analyse and understand areas of weakness, identifying sources of help or remedies, and then following through with what needs to be done faithfully.

For models, which was a problem for us, I helped my son determine that he could solve the problems but did not know how to draw the models. So it is not that he was bad at Maths per se, but unfamiliar with the model method.

I instructed him to ask his teacher, and I emailed her privately. She would then go through the models with him for another five minutes at her desk when giving out holiday homework.

On my side, I sourced for a book on models and went through that with him in small doses. Eventually I could hand him the book, instruct him to look at the examples in a section and attempt any question of his own choosing. He could refer to the examples anytime. We would do only three sums each time. Over a few months, he became very comfortable with models though i still encourage him to consider other more efficient methods of solving the sums.[/quote]Problem solving heuristics for primary Mathematics is something most students and parents struggle with. In class, when the teachers teach, students should listen very attentively to the mathematical concepts and solving techniques discussed. That is expected of every student. How many times can the teacher explain the same concept in class？Maybe 2 or 3 times. Of course she will allocate worksheets to students to review what they have learnt. As parents, what we can do is to reinforce the stuff our DCs learnt in school at home, simply because we have more time with our DCs than the teacher have with them. Parents with good knowledge of the primary syllables can easily and efficiently coach their DCs but parents who are at seas can first help themselves by doing some self reading up. There are many teaching aids and guide books specially written for parents/teachers found at Popular bookshop. Make use of these books. I pay for these books without qualms although some of them are pretty expensive. I see it as a form of investment and it certainly beats using the money on tutors instead.

Yes, as parents, we should make the sacrifice of our time and energy to go into what our DCs are learning and struggling with in school. If we as parents find self learning of their syllables a daunting task, then what can we expeçt of our DCs, not forgetting that they are much younger in age and not so well equipped and also their state of maturity is in question.

In truth, stress only prevails for parents who are not in the know of what their DCs are learning and struggling with in their syllables. I know exactly what my DCs are good or weak at the individual areas of their various subjects. Those weak areas, I keep reinforcing and those strong areas, I continue to take them to greater heights. The key to good learning is reinforcement and application. I take a very keen interest in what they learn. In fact, I am just like another 'school teacher' who never knocks off from work because I 'work' from home as I am SAHM.. ..and I am not paid, poor me! I do not simply rely on the school teachers to do the job. My parents don't give me an education for nothing. Now is the time to exploit what I have learnt to help my school going children although teaching is not my forte.

When my DCs are better equipped, they do self learning. I do not spoon feed. I always tell them that I teach them to fish, not give them the fish.

[tutormum]

DKWhy:

Sec schools, esp Sec 1, are definitely tougher than primary school coz of additional and some more ‘alien’ subjects (history, geography, etc). It is common to see average marks hover around 60s and 70s and for those who just manage to ‘squeeze’ themselves into super schools via extensive and if-never-give-will-die coaching, around 50s if these kids’ coaching is removed.


It is also therefore NOT THE TRUTH to say that sec school will be less ‘stressful’ than PSLE. They are just different.

But kids who have mastered enough self learning skills in their early years will not suffer so much in sec schools coz chances are they will have the ‘inbuilt mechanism’ akin to ‘survival instinct’ to auto learn to adjust, adapt and survive within manageable stress. This ability comes from those chances that were given to them by not-so-KC and not-so-KS parents when they were allowed to learn to swim on own. This natural innate ability either can be built slowly or can also be taken away slowly by their very own parents during their early years.

For those kids who have been hand-held for so long, there is a high chance that they need to be handheld further into sec schools and maybe into JC and perhaps into their uni years as this may seem to be the only way that they KNOW they can float. It is a ‘pattern’, a learnt sense of helplessness that they are so used to that if removing the tuition, they may TANK!

So parents you do have a choice to be KC and KS ttm / face green green or choose to be concerned-enough parents who give only adequate support (never over support) for your children to discover their own path / way. Emphasising here is adequate support when the family and kids still can have a good balanced life that can be fun and fulfilling and not over-support till straining almost everyone.

Real butterflies emerge themselves with their own efforts from their cocoons. Those who are forced to be butterflies will end up in no where.

Sow the seeds and reap your own returns.

I hope more not-so-KC and not-so-KS parents can lend your voices to balance this forum, else it fits the saying of “Three People then Tiger Becomes Real” (I can’t type Chinese). I can read some KC parents fanning some of the KS parents and then all sing together in ‘harmony’. Do new parents a favour to support the motion of primary school education indeed doesn’t need to be so stressful for the family and the children and that it is really manageable.

Sometimes ignorance is a bliss. Cannot imagine highly educated people ‘scared’ of primary school education to the extent of not willing to have kid / more kids when it is just so a tiny part of a child long journey in this wonderful life. New inexperienced parents must be ‘frightened’ by such reading!

:goodpost: :goodpost: :goodpost:

[ruohoo97]

A child should be taught how to learn before he can do self-learning, as this does not happen in one day.


I feel that our system is way too ambitious, maybe just as other parents had mentioned earlier, the only way to reduce PSLE stress is to set realistic expectation. Don’t teach too much, also don’t expect students to learn too much; but rather, focus on learning skills:- 21st century skill as some call.

Three Rs is basic educational requirement in the USA. Children learn through project work; field trips and drama and arts etc… Best of all, there is no need to take exam in primary level.

[MR06]

Peony:

janet_lee88:

[quote=\"Chenonceau\"]The only responsible teacher he had in P5 & 6 taught him his worst subject - Chinese. If I lay back and nicely just follow his teachers' basic teaching in English, Math and Science... he would fail all the three subjects in which he has the highest potential because his exams can be MORE difficult than top school papers. Then for sure, my poor boy would end up with t-score below 200 - which is below his capability.

Same here...the only responsible and really teaching person was his Chinese teacher...she gave the class extra practice for oral and listening. Even the worksheets were good stuff.

Chenonceau, you are lucky not to not have anyone biting your bum when you said your son's teachers are teaching just the basic. Don't mean to insult you or anyone here, but I should have used a nick when I first signed in.

I really felt vindicated this year when DD's P6 teachers kept asking the class \"what did (p5 teacher's name) teach you last year?\"

Even they realised the lack of teaching... Of even some BASIC stuff. They had to work extra hard to make up for the \"loss\". I was more relaxed this year when DD had truly committed teacher that TAUGHT.[/quote]I had my fair share of bad teachers during my school days.....

If anyone says I am on the ball or hands-on, I credit it to my experience with these lousy teachers who had wasted the time of xx no. of classes x xx no. of students per class x xx no. of years in their career as teachers!

I have no respect for them, they did not discharge their responsibilities by teaching the subjects they were assigned neither had they taught the class any values to help us become a better person.

Can you imagine 2 out of these, just read from the text book or asked students to read from the text book, with hardly any explanation. Gave out assignment, marked, periodically went on MCs or leave. Before you knew it, it was the end of the school year.

[Peony]

ruohoo97:

A child should be taught how to learn before he can do self-learning, as this does not happen in one day.


I feel that our system is way too ambitious, maybe just as other parents had mentioned earlier, the only way to reduce PSLE stress is to set realistic expectation. Don't teach too much, also don't expect students to learn too much; but rather, focus on learning skills:- 21st century skill as some call.

Three Rs is basic educational requirement in the USA. Children learn through project work; field trips and drama and arts etc... Best of all, there is no need to take exam in primary level.

:goodpost:

Yes! Teach to fish so they can fish. When just throw to deep end, survival of the fittest, yes... But then how many drown?

[Chenonceau]

Peony:

ruohoo97:

A child should be taught how to learn before he can do self-learning, as this does not happen in one day.


I feel that our system is way too ambitious, maybe just as other parents had mentioned earlier, the only way to reduce PSLE stress is to set realistic expectation. Don't teach too much, also don't expect students to learn too much; but rather, focus on learning skills:- 21st century skill as some call.

Three Rs is basic educational requirement in the USA. Children learn through project work; field trips and drama and arts etc... Best of all, there is no need to take exam in primary level.

:goodpost:

Yes! Teach to fish so they can fish. When just throw to deep end, survival of the fittest, yes... But then how many drown?

:goodpost:

[Glade]

Agreed that PSLE are getting tougher and tougher…esp the maths is the killer of all killer!

[janet88]

Glade:

Agreed that PSLE are getting tougher and tougher....esp the maths is the killer of all killer!

Maths has always been a killer, but the other subjects are not guaranteed.
Son is weak in the topic of Speed...so I told him to do his best if he encountered that...do not spend too much time on each question...we have gone through the drills for so long. He has 2 timers on his table. TIME MANAGEMENT is vital.

[ruohoo97]

tutormum:

DKWhy:

Sec schools, esp Sec 1, are definitely tougher than primary school coz of additional and some more ‘alien’ subjects (history, geography, etc). It is common to see average marks hover around 60s and 70s and for those who just manage to ‘squeeze’ themselves into super schools via extensive and if-never-give-will-die coaching, around 50s if these kids’ coaching is removed.


It is also therefore NOT THE TRUTH to say that sec school will be less ‘stressful’ than PSLE. They are just different.

But kids who have mastered enough self learning skills in their early years will not suffer so much in sec schools coz chances are they will have the ‘inbuilt mechanism’ akin to ‘survival instinct’ to auto learn to adjust, adapt and survive within manageable stress. This ability comes from those chances that were given to them by not-so-KC and not-so-KS parents when they were allowed to learn to swim on own. This natural innate ability either can be built slowly or can also be taken away slowly by their very own parents during their early years.

For those kids who have been hand-held for so long, there is a high chance that they need to be handheld further into sec schools and maybe into JC and perhaps into their uni years as this may seem to be the only way that they KNOW they can float. It is a ‘pattern’, a learnt sense of helplessness that they are so used to that if removing the tuition, they may TANK!

So parents you do have a choice to be KC and KS ttm / face green green or choose to be concerned-enough parents who give only adequate support (never over support) for your children to discover their own path / way. Emphasising here is adequate support when the family and kids still can have a good balanced life that can be fun and fulfilling and not over-support till straining almost everyone.

Real butterflies emerge themselves with their own efforts from their cocoons. Those who are forced to be butterflies will end up in no where.

Sow the seeds and reap your own returns.

I hope more not-so-KC and not-so-KS parents can lend your voices to balance this forum, else it fits the saying of “Three People then Tiger Becomes Real” (I can’t type Chinese). I can read some KC parents fanning some of the KS parents and then all sing together in ‘harmony’. Do new parents a favour to support the motion of primary school education indeed doesn’t need to be so stressful for the family and the children and that it is really manageable.

Sometimes ignorance is a bliss. Cannot imagine highly educated people ‘scared’ of primary school education to the extent of not willing to have kid / more kids when it is just so a tiny part of a child long journey in this wonderful life. New inexperienced parents must be ‘frightened’ by such reading!

:goodpost: :goodpost: :goodpost:

I certainly agree with above view as I have learnt it hard-way myself. My DS1 was very much \"pampered\" and \"assisted\" in many aspects of his life, Being a first-born with a first-time parents is certainly not a bliss. I remembered well how my DH and I rushed him to hospital with every fever above 38c and I fretted over why he didn't like to eat this or that....He was provided with much love and care, ...., too much for his own good, now I reckon.

He did survive through PSLE but not without me sitting beside him, studying with him for four months. it was nightmare, I tell you, I know it was my own fault.

So with determination, I don't HELP my other children to do things they should do:- to make their own bed, to clean up their own mess, to pack their own school bag, to get ready for their exams....especially, to study for themselves. If they have questions in their studies, I will help them to solve problems; I do remind them the exam schedules, but how they plan to study is up to them.

DD2 just finished her PSLE this year, I was so much less stressed and happier person. That is so true the stress of PSLE or any other kind can be self-induced. We, parents, must be aware of the higher purpose of children's education, not just for PSLE, O, A level, but to develop their character, to equip them with life skills and to instill positive attitude to whatever happens in life.

So may God give us wisdom to be a better parent each day.