Primary ONE English Assignment

[SAHM_TAN]

I think that it’s important for pre-school education to be made compulsory. This is in view that primary education standard is getting higher.

[cherryc]

If a student is not guided in class or simply don’t understand the wordy instructions and the parents too busy/ not highly educated enough to comprehend the bombastic words, then he/she will underperform in front of his/her privileged classmates who can put in a "professionally-guided" piece of work. Bottomline is whether they are guided in school. Your kids are lucky to have an educated, supportive SAHM like you who protects their self-esteem.


I agree totally with your second post.

[SAHM_TAN]

You make me feel ashamed. I do not always protect my kids’ self-esteem. It’s true, I’m not being modest. My dd1 will convey the instructions from her teachers to me, from what I observe, her teachers do guide her. Sometimes I doubt my dd1’s conveyed msg and I asked the teacher and she will tell me the same thing too. LOL.

[Lilac66]

oxyleo:

Lilac66:

As mentioned in my last post, the last thing I want is for the std to be brought down artificially to accommodate the weaker ones. By all means go ahead and expose the kids, this is the time for them to be exposed to diff fun things and pick up skills that were not taught before. But this is also a period that they are adjusting to formal school life, quite unlike presch, esp some montessori programs which are much more child-centred. Now they have to adhere to more rules, learn to be more indep like buying their own food, having diff teachers for diff subjects...



The grading , which is my peeve, need not come at this time. In time to come (P3), they'll be segregated based on their academic abilities, no worries about that.


As for LSP, frankly I don't know that much about it to comment on whether it is a sufficient prog to help the kids. But if remedial and supplementary classes are indeed useful, I would be inclined to believe that not many weak struggling kids will still need to external coaching (Ah, I hear some parents already yawning :snooze: , but pls bear with me ). I feel if a teacher is not very efficient in her teaching in class, or kids don't really take well to her, remedial lessons by the same teacher may not be effective. As for tuition, we can go on a hunt, if this tutor isn't yielding results, just move on to the next.


Thanks for hearing me out.. I'm also holding my vote in my handing wwwwaiting (for the record, it was cherryc who talked about the all-impt vote)


btw, on a last note.MOE/teachers/parents must really have the heart to want to hear one another out. Working together will be like a 3-legged race, we may be wobbling at first, but with more time , practice and coordination, we can all seek to finish the race nicely and confidently.

:hugs: love your gentle, nurturing and encouraging nature.

Just to share ok.

My son's school has LJs. I actually see the benefit of them and like them. The child likes them too actually. But I must say I too wonder if I'm not here for him if he can manage on his own. No doubt, he will probably 误闯误撞and get it finished eventually with teacher's help in class when school reopens, but I suppose that will have an effect on the enjoyment factor a kid derives from the process then. In P1 it was Boat Making, P2 Chinese Tea appreciation. Both very well thought out, well planned. Last year's LJ assignment even had rubrics attached.

But you see the school's intention IS for parents to get involved because it is supposed to be a school holiday assignment. The teachers don't have much time to go into such detail, although I believe they really do try keeping the task completed in school if possible.

So in P2 this year, my son had a good time with his LJ. Did some research during school hols on the net and using books from the library, which I think is accessible enough for most. Then in school, the teacher split them into Groups for teamwork to design a brochure. Everything was done in school. I was very impressed, not so much by how outstanding the result of the brochure was, but by the fact that these small, opinionated, argumentative 8 yr olds managed to agree on the different roles to play, and the tasks to complete. I didn't think it was possible, but it was.

The P1 assignment was actually more difficult. It involved making a toy boat prototype during the school hols. Understanding the parts of a boat and drawing it was possible, again from the Internet and library books, but building the boat involved looking at YouTube videos etc. sure we both learnt, but those without parental help would be quite lost. No prizes again for guessing whose boats generally looked nicer, and got chosen for display in school lah. One parent who was browsing the display actually asked me,\"So nice, P1 boy make one meh?\" I shared, cos I was aware, (not my son's though) that, \" No lah, this one was done with the boy's daddy's help.\" the lady said,\"Like that also can ah?\" and walked off. She didn't speak as eloquently, so one can guess how she felt.

I too don't know what is best to do, but it did help that my son's school did not allocate marks to the school hol projects. Took some pressure off I suppose.Not that I'm against pressure and testing. I thought the kids were just as serious about them. And I personally preferred the Group work, cos the kids learnt so much more other than the subject matter itself. They learnt how to organize themselves, improvise, negotiate. Loved it.

:hugs: tks for your sharing, kids in P1 now learn alot, don't they. Maybe I'm not up with the times. But hor w/o grading will be lagi good la.

[limlim]

Busymom:

limlim:

One thing I had to mention is, the school expects parents to be involved. This is explicit.


Just in case someone may say that I did not present the whole truth.

However, we have to consider that not all parents are capable or available to teach the kids.

In this case, it is fair to give an assignment where external help is \"mandatory\"?

Can't the school just test what they teach or can teach..?

Also, even if I am expected to help.. how do I explain the concept of introduction and conclusion to the young kids.... I am also quite stuck as to how to complete the field report..

Actually, for P1, it can be just a simple one liner or two per section.

Intro
I went to the Botanic Gardens with my class on xxx. It was a field trip to see xxx.

Body
2 sentences to describe what they saw or did. Doesn't have to be fanciful. I'm sure we do ask our kids to describe what they saw or did when out on such school trip. Only difference is, here, they need to write it down.

Conclusion
I had a good time at the Botanic Gardens.

If this is the intend, I would appreciate if the school give a sample report instead of leaving parents shocked or puzzled????

[limlim]

Busymom:

Limlim


As for your question whether a P1 is able to write a field report, my answer is yes, some would be able to do it even without enrichment, especially if they are good in the language or have been reading widely.

You mentioned \"some\".

Should school cater to \"some\" or the masses? did they raised the bar too far?

[Lilac66]

FQW:

Lilac66,


I've a confession to make. I'm totally with you on not grading P1's. :hi5: In fact, I do one better. I don't even want P2's to be graded, serious [son's in P2 currentlly]. However I was advised by many other parents that it's better grading starts earlier so that there's ample time to react, and I accepted my fate as the sacrificial party.


A perfect illustration to show the practical difficulties faced by schs.

Glad you are with me on the grading bit, but ya la , guess 身不由己. Yes, it's a tough balancing act for the schools.

[limlim]

FQW:

limlim,
If this is a show-and-tell rather than a graded CW exercise, I'm afraid your survey is not valid liao [bcos some early voters may mistakenly assumed that it's CW assignment]. So I guess I should refrain from voting until you confirm.

Let's say it is a show and tell.

Now, the content of the show and tell, is done by student or parent?

As I mentioned, parental help is expected. So, nowadays, it is the \"in\" thing to give parents homework?

What about kids whose parents are unable to guide?

Engage tuition or enrichment?

Again, my question. Was the bar raised too far?

Should the school cater to the masses or some privileged individuals?

What fuelled the tuition phenomenon?

[Funz]

limlim:

If this is the intend, I would appreciate if the school give a sample report instead of leaving parents shocked or puzzled????

So it all boils down to what you thought the school expected out of the kid? Before you became shocked or puzzled, was your kid stressed or lost over this assignment?

Many a times, when I look at DS or DD's assignment, I panic and have no idea how they are to approach them as they seem too difficult. But upon checking with them again, I realise the teachers have already told them what is expected and it is not too difficult afterall.

When in primary school, intructions and all are conveyed to the kids, not to the parents, which was the norm in preschool. Something that I had to get use to when DD started P1.

[limlim]

Lynn2010:

FQW, then i think it is possible since the teacher already covered. It will be like what busymom said, simple sentences - 1 sentence for the intro and conclusion and 2 sentences for the main/body.

If the kids stared at the worksheet and not write a single thing.. Then I am not sure if it is covered in school.

I asked, \"Did the teacher tell you how to write? What are you supposed to write?\"

The reply was \"The teacher say can bring pictures\", and, \"I don't know what to do/write\", in a rather incoherent manner.

So, now, again, the question is.

Assuming, If the teacher had done an exercise in class. Give example etc.., is a Primary ONE kid (not the \"some\" privileged ones) expected to remember what the teacher say, then, go home and apply?

Are primary one expect to do that? really?