All About Preparing For Secondary One

[janet88]

MeKiasuLeh:

janet_lee88:

Hi Parents of Sec school students,

My son is going to Sec 1 next year...would you like to share what to expect when kids go to secondary school? For eg how to manage homework after longer school days, how to study humanities subjects like history and geography?

Appreciate your advice. Thank you.

Try letting your DS watch programmes on cable TV from channels such as 'Discovery Channel(422)\", \"National Geographic(411)\", \"History Channel(401)\", \"Nature Channel(424) and even \"TL Channel(427)\" if he has not already done so.

They might just trigger or open your DS eyes to the volume of interesting articles and materials out there. I personally find these documentary channels extremely valuable not only in providing knowledge but also allow one to pick up pointers on how to write factually simply by listening very carefully to how experts present their views and narrate stories. Many a times a child knows his/her subject matters well but is not good at articulating their thoughts. So learning how to write factually and make strong references will put a child in good state right up to tertiary level and beyond.

Thanks but we do not have cable tv at home
But will try to find such related programs for him to learn...thank you.

[julialai]

cindylauper:

I was the one who started this thread. My kid was massacred by HCL in Sec 1. :yikes:
Ha ha, two years later, I realised that what I should have done was to let her have chinese tuition and to get her to read chinese articles in the newspapers. She got pass for her HCL and \"A\" for her CL in PSLE. Because her T-score was 253, she was qualified to study HCL in Sec 1. Let me tell you, for parents whose kids scored pass in HCL in P6, please be alerted that your kid may not be able to cope with Sec 1 HCL. The china private tuition teacher told me that in Singapore, the HCL standard in P6 is very low, but the HCL standard in Sec 1 is very high. Meaning, it is not a step from P6 to Sec 1. Rather, it is a HIGH jump!! I asked the tuition teacher why my dd couldn't cope when her normal CL got an A. She said A is nothing. Even her student who is an eurasian (meaning non-chinese speaking background) got an A.

Also, my dd was weak in argumentative and non-fiction english writing. She was not exposed to this skill of writing in P6, so she suffered in Sec 1. It would be good to let her read Straits times newspapers and Eng literature books such as Pride and Prejudice instead of letting her read so many Harry Potter and Agatha Christie books.

2 years later, I have attained wisdom.. :imanangel:

Agree with you I personally also think that instead of letting DS do the challenging HCL which will take up much of his time and attention, let him do CL and have more time to work on his new subjects and expository or argumentative writing, which is something he is not exposed to in P6. Boys probably wouldn't like Pride and Prejudice :yikes: Maybe can try Animal Farm or To Kill A Mocking Bird

[janet88]

checked out son’s prospective sec school booklist…saw ‘sing to the dawn’ used for literature. i bought ‘to kill a mocking bird’ for son and also to bring back old memories. the english teacher at the open house mentioned argumentative writing and something about visual for sec 1…new challenges ahead…though lesser components for sec level compared to primary school but much much tougher.

[julialai]

janet_lee88:

checked out son's prospective sec school booklist...saw 'sing to the dawn' used for literature. i bought 'to kill a mocking bird' for son and also to bring back old memories. the english teacher at the open house mentioned argumentative writing and something about visual for sec 1...new challenges ahead...though lesser components for sec level compared to primary school but much much tougher.

:rahrah: Cheers! Janet on the go again!!

[julialai]

Sent DS to a Sec 1 Math classes these past few days. Today at dinner he talked enthusiastically about congruent & similar triangles, pythagoras theorem and algebraic factorisation..maybe keen to impress his older sister.


DH nodded his head approvingly and said,\"Go and look around and send him for MORE classes, better than playing computer games at home!\" :yikes:

[atutor2001]

julialai:

Sent DS to a Sec 1 Math classes these past few days. Today at dinner he talked enthusiastically about congruent & similar triangles, pythagoras theorem and algebraic factorisation..maybe keen to impress his older sister.


DH nodded his head approvingly and said,\"Go and look around and send him for MORE classes, better than playing computer games at home!\" :yikes:

Very interesting lesson format. Usually Sec 1 starts with prime factorisation, algebraic manipulation... Triangles is in the 2nd semester.

[julialai]

atutor2001:

julialai:

Sent DS to a Sec 1 Math classes these past few days. Today at dinner he talked enthusiastically about congruent & similar triangles, pythagoras theorem and algebraic factorisation..maybe keen to impress his older sister.


DH nodded his head approvingly and said,\"Go and look around and send him for MORE classes, better than playing computer games at home!\" :yikes:

Very interesting lesson format. Usually Sec 1 starts with prime factorisation, algebraic manipulation... Triangles is in the 2nd semester.

It's a module covering all the IP Math topics in Sec 1. First of a 4-part training for SMO Junior.

[SAHM_TAN]

janet_lee88:

History is ok for me...I think I can still coach him but this subject all boils down to reading. As for Geography & Science, I taiji to hubby.

History is not all abt reading and memorising, will need analysis skills too.

[isetan]

Try mind map? Maybe useful.

[Augmum]

SAHM_TAN:

janet_lee88:

History is ok for me...I think I can still coach him but this subject all boils down to reading. As for Geography & Science, I taiji to hubby.

History is not all abt reading and memorising, will need analysis skills too.

Current subject of history is so much different from our time ......

History consists of SBQ ( source based questions) and SEQ ( structured essay questions),
Which requires skills of analysing and critical thinking....
such as making inferences from the sources given, evaluation of reliability and usefulness
and comparing of sources....etc...

While SEQ tests on the ability to formulate valid and strong arguments.....
Pupils must able to think and analyse on the spot and yes,
they need to write real fast within the short period of time.....

Hence, is not so much of memorising.....
Geog will need more memorising.....