2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy
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Our school released all the component marks ( continuous writing, situational, oral and listening comprehension).
If they hadn’t released the individaul component marks, I would have politely but insistently asked for an explanation why. I have done this on certain issues and where the answers at the first level were not satisfactory, I raised it higher up. In some of the cases, there was in fact a logical explanation why something I thought should be done was not done and I stood duly corrected having learnt more about the issue. But school was good, generally I did not face stone walls; just that less ( perhaps very very much less) parents were interested in the things I was interested in.
I also made an appointment to see the teacher to discuss the compo paper.
I sighted the actual paper ( did this since P3) and mostly there were only "markings" on it - wiggly lines, spelling corrections and punctuation corrections.
But the real value of the session was twofold - (a) I needed to see if DD was translating what I had taught her to do under exam conditions and (b) invariably I could engage the teacher into a discussion as to better understand the marking rubrics.
The marks were immaterial - only one compo "counts" in primary school- the one the kids write for PSLE.
With the teacher’s verbal critique and my own analysis of DD’s writing, DD could come away from every compo paper learning how to improve and this must be the final outcome of any piece of writing our DC do, isn’t it? Why bother to do anything if you don’t learn anything from it?
I once asked a trainer why teachers don’t give more helpful comments. She shared that she does tell her teachers how they can mark so that the marking is more useful, but she can’t control what the teachers do in school.
In this trainers’ marking scheme (we did a couple of workshops with her where the kids submitted compo pieces and she critiqued them both in writing and with a verbal one on one session), we learnt where the weak areas were, why they were considered weak, we were offered suggestions how to strengthen these weak areas and the re-writes were marked again and similarly critiqued.
I don’t blame the teachers or the school for not doing more detailed marking - where’s the time to do all this for 40+ students who write 10 compos a year?? -
janet_lee88:
That's so true !
Time management is crucial now. Everything has to be timed. No point doing the questions taking own sweet time scoring full marks but under pressure only get 2/5 (MCQ questions). -
psle2011mum:
:thankyou:Our school released all the component marks ( continuous writing, situational, oral and listening comprehension).
If they hadn't released the individaul component marks, I would have politely but insistently asked for an explanation why. I have done this on certain issues and where the answers at the first level were not satisfactory, I raised it higher up. In some of the cases, there was in fact a logical explanation why something I thought should be done was not done and I stood duly corrected having learnt more about the issue. But school was good, generally I did not face stone walls; just that less ( perhaps very very much less) parents were interested in the things I was interested in.
I also made an appointment to see the teacher to discuss the compo paper.
I sighted the actual paper ( did this since P3) and mostly there were only \"markings\" on it - wiggly lines, spelling corrections and punctuation corrections.
But the real value of the session was twofold - (a) I needed to see if DD was translating what I had taught her to do under exam conditions and (b) invariably I could engage the teacher into a discussion as to better understand the marking rubrics.
The marks were immaterial - only one compo \"counts\" in primary school- the one the kids write for PSLE.
With the teacher's verbal critique and my own analysis of DD's writing, DD could come away from every compo paper learning how to improve and this must be the final outcome of any piece of writing our DC do, isn't it? Why bother to do anything if you don't learn anything from it?
I once asked a trainer why teachers don't give more helpful comments. She shared that she does tell her teachers how they can mark so that the marking is more useful, but she can't control what the teachers do in school.
In this trainers' marking scheme (we did a couple of workshops with her where the kids submitted compo pieces and she critiqued them both in writing and with a verbal one on one session), we learnt where the weak areas were, why they were considered weak, we were offered suggestions how to strengthen these weak areas and the re-writes were marked again and similarly critiqued.
I don't blame the teachers or the school for not doing more detailed marking - where's the time to do all this for 40+ students who write 10 compos a year?? -
fightingmom:
I got him to do a cloze practice. Oh he sure did well under no time constraint. When I timed him to get 10 MCQ done for grammar, he gave me 5/10. He told me he needed time to think. Told him he has 1 min for one question. Move on if he cannot get it. When done with 10th, then return to those he didn't answer. No blanks allowed.
That's so true !janet_lee88:
Time management is crucial now. Everything has to be timed. No point doing the questions taking own sweet time scoring full marks but under pressure only get 2/5 (MCQ questions). -
Don't worry Cheryl.
Just cast those frightening questions that are senseless aside.
Some school papers are way overboard.
There are questions can only be solved with simultaneous equation.
(Students learn that only in sec 2).
There are others that are plain tedious and so difficult that the even after the teacher in the school tried hard to explain to the class, most of the children in the class still ended up in wonderland.
I believe the PSLE examination board is not too insane!
Well, at least I hope so.
Have a good day ahead
Jasmine -
underthesea:
How do you work out her T score? Does the school report book include the T score?DD got back all her SA1 results. All show improvement except for maths and the T-score is still far far away from her dream school...
So I will let do more maths now, to re-gain her confidence in maths. She hates maths!
Jia you all mummies! -
janet_lee88:
Me too. so have to send my dd to writting class last year, when I saw her struggling on her compo. School only pratice a few compo so sending children to writing class is a great advantages, they had to do a compo everyweek good practice. I can see the different from my younger son P3 he had no problem in writing compo in school, a lot of idea and good phrase/vocab in his compo which he learn in his tuition class
I don't know to teach compo...that itself is a skill.august24:
Yes, those compo done in class, remarks given are one sentence comments, hardly useful. Not too sure are they given feedback for improvement in class. Was told to get them to read more to improve, year after year. When I get /dd to practice writing, I can't mark as my EL is not gd! Tuition is def no no, I can't find more time to squeeze into their alrdy crazy schedule.
Btw, their teachers also do not give out email addresses. All comm need go thru general office. Hesitant to write in to P. as I don't want them being blacklisted!
Teaching compo starts with sentence structuring or something like that...but it's really a skill in itself. I don't mind coaching grammar, vocab, synthesis, comprehension for lower pri...but upp pri onwards, I surrender. -
mum42:
sometimes very disheartened, the mummy is working hard but the child is not. Like mummy going to sit for PSLE. I am facing the same problem.fifiyeo:
DS is so slow in getting anything done. It can really get on your nerves.
In terms of hours, he clocks tons of it but there is no quality in it. He doesn't put in 100% effort so the hours are often wasted doing everything extremely slowly and talking whenever he gets a chance to. I've told him many times, encourage him, used timer, motivation treats, scream at him etc. Nothing seems to work.
If going to his desk without urging and sitting there with books in front of him is a good boy, then he is. But if sitting at the desk the whole time without getting anything much done is a bad boy, then he also is one.
I tried very hard to contain myself this time, but today I just couldn't keep it down any more. My bottle cap popped! Maybe exploded. Maybe this doesn't sound like what a mommy should do but years and days of nagging, nagging and nagging... I really can't take it anymore.
I really can't understand DS. He puts in loads of effort but it's not good efficient effort. Basically he thinks that by sitting at his desk the whole day long, that's hardworking. I hope this is a wake-up call for him. If he still chooses to be in lalaland... ... ...this will be a very sad journey for him at the end of it all.
I need a miracle!
All Mummies do not be disheartened . We still have abt 3mths plus before the actual PSLE , so let pull up our sock, jia you together :rahrah: n reach our goal all together :grphug:
Just tell our DC ,they only have to work harder for these 3mths plus to aim for their dream sch . And to look forward when after the PSLE , by all means they can play,eat or sleep for all they want . -
mummy so kiasu:
Teacher told the class to take the total score and multiply 0.75. The school report book does not include the T-score.
How do you work out her T score? Does the school report book include the T score?underthesea:
DD got back all her SA1 results. All show improvement except for maths and the T-score is still far far away from her dream school...
So I will let do more maths now, to re-gain her confidence in maths. She hates maths!
Jia you all mummies! -
DS’ school does not release actual marks for oral and composition too.
We have spoken to the school many times, including VP, HOD etc, politely asking but they still refused. Only a range of marks eg. 41-45 is given. The compo papers are not returned even to the pupils to look.
My question : Why make the children take an exam and not know where were the mistakes made ?
This is another non-standardised practice in our schools.
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