All About GEP

[ChiefKiasu]

cluelessmom:

...Chief Kiasu, wat is ur take on TienHsia? Sign....my dd is already regretting her decision to opt for GEP (DUN WAN ENRICHMENT CLASS!!) .... but wat to do

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416 where we have been talking about all available Chinese enrichment programmes. Some of these classes are actually quite fun. My son enjoys his Chinese idiom classes in Yuquan. Tien Hsia is also quite popular and tuned to the MOE syllabus. My son also started in Molin in September and it is very academic, but after a couple months, he finds it quite enjoyable now.

[sleepy]

take a look at this letter to Straits Time forum today


http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_305300.html

[sleepy]

I believed GEP can be trained too


if you expose the child to the style of GEP questions, tune the mind to think along that line, sure do, can be done

versus other children who only see those GEP questions for the very first time in their life during the screening, I am sure those with prior exposure will flair much better

sort of like O level 10 years series. Practice the past year papers sufficiently, grasp the way questions are set, very hard to fail your exam, right?

Having say that, I don’t agree with the method of drilling the child with GEP questions. The child may pass the screening but end up struggling. Even more demoralising if he or she is ‘banish’ back to mainstream

However, to be fairer, I believe all students should be offered a sample set of questions to minimise the ‘shock’ when they see the style of GEP questions

[cnimed]

[Moderator's note: Topics split and merged.]

sleepy:

I believed GEP can be trained too...Having say that, I don't agree with the method of drilling the child with GEP questions. The child may pass the screening but end up struggling. Even more demoralising if he or she is 'banish' back to mainstream

However, to be fairer, I believe all students should be offered a sample set of questions to minimise the 'shock' when they see the style of GEP questions

You mean train for the exam. But as you rightly pointed out, the child may still end up struggling afterwards and end up more demoralised.

As for offering a sample set of the question - I think it's more relevant if NO ONE sees the questions rather than everyone prep for it.

[cnimed]

tamarind:

I feel that the GEP seems to focus on advanced maths, english, chinese, computer. But there are so many other areas that the children can explore.


I am not impressed by what GEP offer in computer enrichment. There is so much more that the child can learn.

Yes Singapore GEP focuses much more on academic ability, and doesn't cater for underperforming gifted children. At the same time, to be fair, as to the child being able to learn much more, it all depends on the home environment and what we're comparing with. For some children whose parents don't have the time, money or cultural capital, GEP can be a very valuable gateway to higher learning. Obviously a child will be able to learn much more from a family member with specialised knowledge/skills than in school, GEP or not.

tamarind:

The purpose of this thread is about identifying children who are gifted...Like wwcookie wrote :
the recognition that these kids learn differently and therefore should be taught differently...I agree with this statement. I think that we should start teaching these kids differently long before they enter primary school.[/color]

I understand where you are coming from. I didn't see a lot on identification after a quick scan, and personally, I don't think one should try to at this age. It's more a matter of following a child's interests and providing the child with new experiences and materials for exploration, gifted or not.

Having said that, I do understand when parents are driven to seek out more information as a result of unsatisfactory learning situations, asynchronous development, or unusual sensitivities. This then lead to the gifted term, and information that pertains to gifted children.

Perhaps the problem we have is when kindergartens practise lock-step curriculum. I would agree with ability differentiation from kindergarten level onwards. But the truth is, I think no learning institution that is catering for a relatively big group can truly satisfy any child. The best situation I can think of is the mixed age play-based setting that also provides learning corners, and quiet corners. And of course, generous staffing. But THAT would definitely cost so much that it would be out of the question for most. :?

[tamarind]

deminc,

This thread is \"All about GEP\". I did not post those comments in this thread.

I posted those comments in these threads.

Any parents of gifted children here ? Part 1
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=340

Part 2
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1399

There is a big difference between these 2 threads. I will answer your questions in \"Any parents of gifted children here ? Part 2\".

[sleepy]

deminc


Ideally no one sees the style of GEP questions beforehand.

However, some of the kids had already seen the GEP style of questions through their GEP tuition and had ample practice.

So might as well let everyone has a sample set. At least level the playing field slightly for those who couldn't afford GEP tuition?

[winth]

Hi insider,


What a share!
It’s really interesting to hear about your nephew.

How old is your nephew now and what happened to him after his primary school? Is he still doing so well without much revision/study?

I once heard from from my tutor from uni that he used to have a genius college-mate. This college-mate is so weird and doesn’t have much friends. During lectures, he would just sit right behind the lecture hall and close his eyes - look like sleeping, while the lecturer speaks. He would suddenly open his eyes and ask a very ‘chim’ question or stop the lecturer after a certain remark made. He fared very well and has skipped a few levels while he was in primary school, so he’s actually younger than the co-hort. But many times smarter.

Actually, deep down, I know my boys are not ‘geniuses’ but I’m just doing my best to train them to be well-prepared for the rigourous system this MOE has set for them. Maybe I’m kiasu for preparing/training them well-ahead, but it’s still better than getting filtered off by the ‘stew pig’ system. GEP or not, if the child is a genius, you don’t need to be MOE-labelled ‘GEP’ to know that your child is a genius.

[csc]

I’ve heard similar comments too. They are termed "weirdos" by the "normal" children. The reason given is a very simple one. It’s juz these kids do not "play" or do not know how to "play" in the activities the normal children are involved in.


Those I know are "loners". Perhaps,they do have friends of the same kind but I think this is clearly not a "healthy" sign.

I’m sorry for all these labelling. But it’s a real world out there. Perhaps, the parents of such children should focus on their social development as well.

[winth]

I'm so excited yet worried to see how my 'secret-training' will turn out for my boy when he reaches P1.


I hope the training receipe that I've customised for my boy will be academically accepted in the MOE system and he gets termed as 'smart boy' in his class. I'm all against rigorous pre-preparation for GEP, but I'll be secretly very :lol: if he does get into GEP, even selected for 2nd round, I'll be like :D.