2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy
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Thanks peony.
How to identify weaker question? Get him to sieve out questions he spends saymore than 5 min on? Sorry, I am new to this, what is the average speed required to complete a typical 4 mark problem sum?
I had told him to identify questions that he spends too much time on, but at this point, we still can’t gauge how long is too long per question. Should we timed each question? -
Thanks, mummy so ks for your note.
So far, there is only one timed paper done in school. Not much comparison for this gan chiong mum who freakdd out when he flung his paper two that I tested him at home when time ran out before he could complete the paper. He was half hour short. -
jedamum:
Did your boy spend too much time on one or two questions? Is he able to proceed to the rest of the easier ones then go back to the one or two challenging ones? 4 or 5 marks questions are usually more challenging. Sometimes such questions could only be solved by the high ability students. How much time should be allocated to each question will depend on the marks allocated & the level of difficulty. Usually take less than 10 mins for a 4 to 5 marks question.Thanks peony.
How to identify weaker question? Get him to sieve out questions he spends saymore than 5 min on? Sorry, I am new to this, what is the average speed required to complete a typical 4 mark problem sum?
I had told him to identify questions that he spends too much time on, but at this point, we still can't gauge how long is too long per question. Should we timed each question? -
Thanks again mummy soks for the ballpark figure.
I currently told him to move on when stuck. Guess he needs to get familiar with how long is too long as sometimes when he felt too long, time to move on, 20min already past! -
fifiyeo:
Me too! That's why we are KSP!!! :evil:[/quote]OMG, I haven't collect my dd's.janet_lee88:
[quote=\"isetan\"]Have your DC collected their PSLE certificate? Any deadline to collect from school?
Collected already...Dec 10. -
jedamum:
I think you already got the answer. That is where he lost his time & unable to complete the paper. Time management is very important. Do proceed if he can't solve the question & get back later. He will end up losing marks on those easy questions that he did not have time to do.Thanks again mummy soks for the ballpark figure.
I currently told him to move on when stuck. Guess he needs to get familiar with how long is too long as sometimes when he felt too long, time to move on, 20min already past!
Btw, don't have to panic so soon. P4 to P5 is a big jump. P5 & P6 standard is similar. School starts preparing the kids for PSLE in P5. Quite a no. of my boy's classmates did badly in CA 1 & they picked up in SA 1. Your boy will be fine. Give yourself & him some time. -
jedamum:
jedamum,Dear psle 2012 and earlier parents.
Would like to seek your suggestions
My p5 boy is facing difficulties completing his math papers on time even for paper 1, no time to check depending on difficulty of the paper. He is able to get above 80 if we give him additionall time to finish, meaning, he spends too much time thinking Ann lacks practice. He only has so much time for math revision per week and we try to squeeze in one paper a week, timed and recording his time to see how long he needs to complete the paper. What else should I do to improve his speed and accuracy?
We are prepared to make him drop hcl end of the year to free up more time to practice math if situation does not improve by then- will it be too late? Thanks.
As mentioned by others, P5 CA1 Maths, most pupils will see a drop in marks as this is the first paper they encounter which follows the PSLE format. I personally think it is a little earlier to make the decision of whether to drop hcl or not.
For Paper 1, 50 mins, 30 questions.
There will be some easier question and some thougher ones but on average, if 1.5mins is used for each question, there will be 5 minutes left to check. In the book by See Jaik Yong (which she describes her experience in helping her daughter with PSLE), she listed some important things which can be \"memorised\" or rather drilled for maths to ensure faster computation. eg. 20%=3/10=1/5=2.0. Your boy has good foundation in Maths, so he can look through these and with practise, it will become 2nd nature (also known as \"Maths sense\").
For Paper 2,
I feel that it is continous practise to gain exposure to the different types of questions. For many questions, I myself took a long long time when I first try to solve them. I am often \"mentally exhausted\" before I reach the end of the paper so I can \"understand\" what the kids are going through. Try a timed paper yourself, it is a good way to understand what the kids face. For my son, the biggest problem is remaining focused as this is a 100min paper.
Keep up the hard work, you will see improvements in the long run. -
Pixiedust and mummysokiasu for sharing.
Guess I am a bit gan cheong. Will monitor him closely.:: -
hi jedamum
i bit confused with the title. booket a,&b…paper1&2
hmmmm…today only i cleared.
we haven’t yet set time. but most of the qns he didn’t know how to do.so i have to explain.now seems to pick up.
regarding onsponge.last yr he used at school…we never practice at home from the book.i did past papers only.some qns from assessment books here and there.
for onsponge they do few sums for specific technique.btw he will bring the book for doing hw or sat. so i can refer the methods. -
Top PSLE Scorer’s Steady Route to Success
Friday, November 28, 2008
Wee Yen Jean, top PSLE student 2008
No school work after dinner!
Such a piece of advice would stun many parents. But for Mrs Wee Pei Fong, the idea of burning the midnight oil every day for months is out of the question. Despite this unconventional practice, her daughter, Yen Jean, topped her cohort in this year’s PSLE results.
So what’s their secret?
Yen Jean, who studied at Nanyang Primary School, lives by the golden rule that consistent work to laying a good foundation is the path to academic success. According to Mrs Wee, steady progress in studying and revising not only helps Yen Jean to remember, it also gives more opportunities for her to clarify doubts and improve her understanding of difficult topics.
No surprise, therefore, that Yen Jean credits this approach for her success. “It was the consistency that helped me achieve the good results, not cramming at the last minute,” she says.
Wee Yen Jean, top PSLE student 2008
On their part, how can parents best support their children in the nerve-wrecking months leading up to the PSLE? Mrs Wee gives full credit to Yen Jean’s teachers for their hard work in preparing the pupils. In turn, she sought to complement the school’s efforts by ensuring that Yen Jean lacked for nothing at home.
Tips from the parent of the top PSLE student? Mrs Wee sees an intangible but nonetheless real value in basic acts such as ensuring that Yen Jean maintains a good balance between schoolwork, play and rest; and eats a healthy diet. It also means giving Yen Jean steady moral support, especially when she feels discouraged or down. Mrs Wee believes parents should always be available as a sounding board for their children to talk about issues that affect them.
Adjusting to a new stream
Mrs Wee, who quit her job eight years ago to become a homemaker, puts a premium on having a close relationship with her daughter. “I try to always be around,” she remarks. “If Yen Jean has a problem, we address it quickly rather than letting it fester. At this age, she faces many growing up issues that we discuss about.”
Yen Jean was formerly a pupil at CHIJ Kellock, but switched to Nanyang Primary School at Pri 4 after qualifying for the Gifted Education Programme (GEP). Initially, she found it a bumpy ride trying to adapt to the new school. “I was a little apprehensive at first as I would be leaving CHIJ Kellock for a completely new environment, one in which there was a lot of emphasis on Chinese which was my weakest subject then,” Yen Jean recalls. But her fears soon dissipated when her paternal grandmother offered to coach her in the language. And rather than relying on tuition, Mrs Wee herself helps Yen Jean in her English, Mathematics and Science.
Wee Yen Jean, top PSLE student 2008
Yen Jean (second from right) seems perfectly at ease during an Interschool Debate.
Transfering to the GEP stream also threw up other concerns. Mrs Wee was not worried about Yen Jean’s self-motivation and desire to excel, but she saw a need to manage her daughter’s high expectations.
“It’s not uncommon for a child to falter under stress,” observes Mrs Wee. “Yen Jean did not do well in her Science Practical Test in Pri 5 despite trying her best, and naturally she was very disappointed”. In this instance, Mrs Wee sought to reassure Yen Jean that it was ok to stumble on occasion. “I told her that we are human beings” she recounts, “and the important thing is to learn from failure and mistakes and continue to persevere.”
Not all work and no play
Hitting the books takes up nearly 70 percent of Yen Jean’s waking hours. But she makes it a point to immerse herself regulaly in a whole gamut of activities. Taking after her mother, who was a lawyer, Yen Jean loves to debate. She also enjoys the thrill of thinking up creative solutions to problems and has joined her schoolmates in a trip all the way to Perth, Australia to learn about Future Problem Solving from international coaches.
With this range of experiences and the emotional support of her parents, Yen Jean is no stranger to new challenges and environments. Now about to enter Raffles Girls' School, she is looking forward to future adventures in learning. “I hope that I will be able to maintain a good academic performance,” she laughs, adding lest you think that’s all that matters, “And at the same time, have lots of fun!”
http://www.schoolbag.sg/archives/2008/11/top_psle_scorers_steady_route.php