How to coach and support your GEP child?

[Ragamuffin shinobi]

yusim_lim:

Dear Parents,


I would like to seek your guidance of how to coach your child in gifted program?

I have talked to many parents(friends) with child in gifted program. All of them have the common view about the program.

\"It is a good program and it really stretch your child. However, the kids will be given a lot of difficult homeworks.\"

My child were selected for this program this year, 2012, and I would like to let my child try it out.

Let's share your opinion here so that we can learn from one another of how to support our child in their next learning journey.

:thankyou:

Hi yusim!
I was wondering the same thing too! Have asked some questions in the other thread and awaiting replies. Am worried too about how to support DD in the programme.

Hopefully some helpful parents will enlighten us or at least the talk this sat will. *keeping fingers crossed*

[tired mom]

Just sharing my own experience…


My DD was in P6 GEP this year. Academically, the teaching she received from school was enough for her to tackle her homework/ tests/ exams. Personally, she had private tuition for compo (cause she is a poor writer) and science (more practice on open-ended questions)

The more challenging homework are those project-types. They usually involve researching and collating data (which are also taught in school), organising them and writing up reports.

I had to hand-hold her quite a bit in P4, as all these are very new to her. But I do not do the projects for her, just guiding her closely through all the steps. It was a difficult year for both of us. I had to invest a lot of time, and she was on a steep learning curve.

By the time she reached P5, she was starting to soar. In that year, she handled almost all the projects by herself, I only provided some ideas on initial brain-storming and final editing. By P6, I was hands-off.

These "difficult"" home work are in my opinion, quite possible to manage once we show them the way. Just have to persevere through the first year. But the benefits are enormous. She has never looked back since.

[678Yess]

Thank you tired mum, you are really a great support to your child. I will remember what you have shared. It is very valuable to me. May I seek your kind sharing every now and then to this tread so that more people will be able to learn from you. Thanks!


As for me, I guess I have to be firmed in the believe of the program, that it is to stretch the child, and not focus on getting good grade or marks which can be very discouraging when they show different perspective in the years to come.

I hope my child will love learning and still trying to her best eventhough it is going to be tough.

However, we should not give them so much of negative pressure now or start to prepare them so much at this point of time.

[ooioo]

Just to share for all new GEPper parents;


Disclaimer - all child is different so your journey will be very different.

For my child, it was a big big culture shock when she get into GEP; from P1 to p3, she did not have any tuition, she was always bored in class, and she always come in among the top in her class. No problem with school work, infant I have to tell most of the teachers to let my child help out in class, either Admin or teaching weaker students. So "school" became a very relax and happy place.

Only when she comes back home is when she starts to learns stuffs that I tried my best to get from NLB so as to keep my child interested in learning.

Then came GEP, which I thought will suit my predicament just nice. At age 10, my child just started to learn to do home work, for the first time, life becomes like a normal child, but after 10 years of easy life, it was a big shock and change.

Then the grades start to fall, which we have pre- warn, but still a big set back, the grades became average instead of top in the class. Things that were easy in the past became very hard, like homework, tests and exams.

The biggest lesson learn then was humility, and learning how to work hard in school.

Lots of support is required from parents because now they are among the brightest in the country.

[ooioo]

So is GEP good? Yes.


Why?
1. Because now i know where my child weakness are in ability
2. Humility, an important virtue to have IMHO
3. Learn how to work hard and become more discipline and focus
4. The 1 to 25 student teacher ratio is best class size IMHO. You only get this ratio in international school, which cost at least $1to5k a month
5 My child finally have more friends like themselves; imagine the joy of suddenly finding that are many people that like to collect snails like you

[Just relax]

It is important to emphasize reading books, to your child. GEP requires a lot of project work and there is an ERP list which contains many books which the children are to read. Get the ERP list early, start looking for books on the list and get your child to read over the school holidays. As your child will only get the list in P4 it may be good to ask GEP parents of the current P4 GEP to let you have a copy of the list to start borrowing or buying the books. For the other subjects let your child find his/her own pace first to se how well they cope before deciding how to help.

[Fun fun]

My ds will be in p6 GEP next year, he is the happy go lucky type. Always do project last minute. I asked him recently how he find he GEP programme. He said good, he gets to learn interesting stuff, he makes more friends than in mainstream. So don’t worry, let your child have this experience. The homework is also beyond us parents but the kid seems to be able to handle them.

[678Yess]

Just relax:

It is important to emphasize reading books, to your child. GEP requires a lot of project work and there is an ERP list which contains many books which the children are to read. Get the ERP list early, start looking for books on the list and get your child to read over the school holidays. As your child will only get the list in P4 it may be good to ask GEP parents of the current P4 GEP to let you have a copy of the list to start borrowing or buying the books. For the other subjects let your child find his/her own pace first to se how well they cope before deciding how to help.

Can you help us to post the ERP list here?
How about maths, does doing maths olympiad help?

[678Yess]

Just relax:

It is important to emphasize reading books, to your child. GEP requires a lot of project work and there is an ERP list which contains many books which the children are to read. Get the ERP list early, start looking for books on the list and get your child to read over the school holidays. As your child will only get the list in P4 it may be good to ask GEP parents of the current P4 GEP to let you have a copy of the list to start borrowing or buying the books. For the other subjects let your child find his/her own pace first to se how well they cope before deciding how to help.

Can you help us to post the ERP list here?
How about maths, does doing maths olympiad help?

[Just relax]

yusim_lim:

Just relax:

It is important to emphasize reading books, to your child. GEP requires a lot of project work and there is an ERP list which contains many books which the children are to read. Get the ERP list early, start looking for books on the list and get your child to read over the school holidays. As your child will only get the list in P4 it may be good to ask GEP parents of the current P4 GEP to let you have a copy of the list to start borrowing or buying the books. For the other subjects let your child find his/her own pace first to se how well they cope before deciding how to help.

Can you help us to post the ERP list here?
How about maths, does doing maths olympiad help?

I will check if I have the list. Hopefully other GE parents will be able to help as well. I understand that the list usually does not change very much each year. Anyway there are so many books on the list that it is not possible to read every book!

Maths Olympiad and Science Olympiad are for the children with the real interest in the subjects as it is very challenging. Children do this if they feel it can help with the DSA at P6 or actually want to challenge themselves.

But note GE students who want to go to IP or IB schools via DSA must apply via the GEP DSA only and for that you have to do well in GE from P4 - P6 >80% for 4 subjects to avoid the GAT or HAST but all GE students will still be interviewed even if exempted from GAT or HAST.