Hey buds :imanisland:


There are many things you can do with her, and they don't have to be expensive. The example of maps you talked about makes sense. I am trying to publish my book which I am currently having problem finishing because I simply have no time. I am also trying to develop some programs to develop children's memory skills not to make them super smart, but to help retain their in-born skills. Again, I have no time ... I am now sucked into programming a new application which I don't want to outsource because of IP protection.

So until I manage to get my act together, I can only ask you to try and do what you are already doing. Her needs are quite obvious to you. The most important thing is to listen carefully to what she wants to try. If it is smell and food, try all sorts of cooking. Taste different things and let her recreate the recipes. Don't give her a recipe book. See what I mean by people losing their gifts because of education now? Once you give her the recipe book, she will no longer rely on her gift to separate the ingredients through her senses and gut feel (which is not really gut feel, it is a gift). She will lose it one day. So, try that out. Give her simple food first. Say strawberries and chocolate and then get her to recreate the dessert.

Then go further and further. You will train a Gordon Ramsay if you go on forever. But if you are not interested in training a Gordon Ramsay, then maybe this is not your priority. For me, I just go with whatever my kids want to do.

Try that out? You will discover a genius while others won't because only those who believe they can nurture can do it. It has nothing to do with money.

Hope this helps.

Not all brilliant people have photographic memory. There is still another kind of memory called eidetic memory. The latter is more common, where people remembers by not just visual photographs, but by sounds, smell, and other senses.


If you realize your child is particularly good with numbers, sensitive to sounds or can hear and reproduce music or sounds, that is not photographic memory because that has nothing to do with visual intelligence. That is most probably eidetic memory.

Interestingly, most people are born with some kind of super memory, which will be gone in due time when not honed. Often, such abilities are left untouched and unpolished, because schools are not structured to nurture such skills. Eventually, most geniuses are ‘normalized’ into normal people through the current education system.

Not all brilliant people have photographic memory. There is still another kind of memory called eidetic memory. The latter is more common, where people remembers by not just visual photographs, but by sounds, smell, and other senses.


If you realize your child is particularly good with numbers, sensitive to sounds or can hear and reproduce music or sounds, that is not photographic memory because that has nothing to do with visual intelligence. That is most probably eidetic memory.

Interestingly, most people are born with some kind of super memory, which will be gone in due time when not honed. Often, such abilities are left untouched and unpolished, because schools are not structured to nurture such skills. Eventually, most geniuses are ‘normalized’ into normal people through the current education system.

All the dots will connect one day, PSLE has always been tiring for most parents. The great brighter side is that she did well for PSLE and now more doors are opened. It is never too late to pursue a passion. There are always opportunities and keep a lookout for them. Think of those dancers who existed before SOTA did. They did very well internationally. So SOTA cannot be the only path. Have a great weekend!

balletmum:

Sometimes I wonder to myself if I was the one taking the PSLE exam or my kid. I seem to be more anxious over it than my nonchalant kid.


As a parent, we want to provide the best for our kid. As a typical Singaporean parent we go through the routine such as ferrying them for enrichment lessons, provide conducive environment and be as encouraging as possible.

Long time ago, I have gathered from friends that top students are not produced overnight. They are being \"hot house\" and prep with tons of exam papers so as to achieve their maximum potential leading to the PSLE exam. I once believed in that too.

I had a great plan then starting from P1. I was a \"wannabe kiasu\" mum, setting the timetable and giving out the extra assessment and ensuring that kiddo completes her assignment on time. Now comes the hard part. Its easy to assign work but do they get completed? I often break into my unbecoming \"tiger mummy moments\" and end up threathening the child, \"Do this or else no TV!\". This went on for a couple of years with not much progress. Nothing seems to motivate my child.

My DD happens to belong to the group known as \"potential to excel if she puts in more hard work\" type. Some parents would know what I mean. Some kids just needs to be pushed academically, they are extremely bright but has a mind of their own. I remembered asking her around P4, \"don't you want to get into the top Secondary school, so and so is in RGS, don't you aspire to go there?\" Her answer at that time was deemed diplomatic, \" I don't know\".

Well, to give some credit to DD, she gets into the top class with minimal effort. There are alot of smart and hardworking kids in her class who are way ahead of her academically. These are the kids that will end up in the mainstream top schools. But DD is on a different track. She is a talented dancer and sometime around P5, she has quietly decided that she wants to go to SOTA, like some of her seniors in dance school. She broke this decision to me in one of those heart to heart talk between mother and daughter and told me that she has over the years put in so much hardwork building up her dance portfolio and that its time to put into good use. At that moment, my dream of her getting into RGS crushed right in front of me. Why SOTA? I had no knowledge of SOTA other than its an Arts School smack in Orchard Road. Being worried kiasu parents, my immediate reaction was , \"aiyoh, die lah, everyday go Orchard Road jalan jalan how?\"

I refused to give in or talk about it for the next few months. Everytime she mentions SOTA, I just ask her not to waste time talking about it as she is not going there. Dancing is just CCA, just focus on PSLE and everything else will be fine. After many months of praying and speaking with parents who have kids going to SOTA, it just dawned upon me one day that I was being really selfish. I shut my girl off for pursuing her dream, her passion and all these years of dancing and winning dance competitions all came down to this harsh reality.... am I going to deny her of a DSA chance to get into SOTA?

My heart started to soften and I began to search the SOTA website for information. I attended the symposium talk and open house and even allowed her to join its Junior Academy. By now, I am convinced that SOTA is really for the artistically gifted child who wants to pursue their passion on top of being academically focus. Not every child's destiny is to go to the top schools even if their results qualify them to.

My DD has finished her SOTA auditions and we will know the outcome in early August. In any case, my advice to all \"kiasu wannabe\" parents, don't typecast your child too early. Every child is different and they respond to the carrot differently. Some will bite, some just won't.

For myself, I am just going to chill and wait for the DSA outcome and continue to be encouraging and supportive. I have come a long way and I know many parents are just as anxious about the school choices to pick. Sometimes, it may be good to ask the child about their choice. Some parents may wonder how do they decide at age 12? Well, you might be surprised what goes on in their young minds. After all, they are ones taking the PSLE, not you.

For some reason, I stopped getting notice from this thread. I actually forgot about this thread until I did a search on google today on something else.

So how did the PSLE/DSA go? I hope everything worked out fine. Sometimes we are over anxious over such processes, and ten years from now, we will look back and wonder what it would have been had we chosen to take an easier/harder stand.

Someone once told me that the most successful people are not those who are the brightest or the ones with the best educations, but the ones who know what they want to do the youngest. Kudos to the little ones who have a passion from young, and IMO, it doesn't even matter if they choose to pursue the same passion to the end.

Bye bye!

And, in addition, if from next year onwards, there won’t be T-scores. This list will last and last and last (worse if it is hearsay). People will come back time and again whenever they want to choose their primary schools, especially the kiasu ones, the educated ones. Don’t underestimate the power of this website guys. Really. Have a thought.

ChiefKiasu:

2ppaamm:

Curious how the parents know the top scorer if the teachers (MOE employees) did not reveal. Did they just guess and ask around... heheh, how resourceful can people get?


See the above post? Clearly some MOE employee did not obey the rules, I guess.

It is mostly guess-work. But you'd be amazed at how resourceful parents can be . Think of this as Wikipedia. People can put in junk, but others can read and correct the mistakes in the entries too. It's collective wisdom... if you call being \"kaypo\" as wisdom

Yeah, but many will take this as gospel truth, man. There is a reason why this list shouldn't exist. The government is trying to make every school a good school, which we know is an effort that many don't believe can succeed. But imagine how good it will be for the citizens if it happens.

A list like this basically sabotages the effort directly or indirectly. Sure it is guess work and many should not even believe it. But we know how powerful media is. Short of a better list, this could well be a guide to many parents who want to choose good schools for their children.

I don't have any more kids in the Singapore system, and this is not for me. This is for you, Singaporeans. We should really try to make all schools great for YOUR future children. This list is not helping. Think about it.

ChiefKiasu:

2ppaamm:

I thought the education minister gave strict instructions not to do this. Are you going against the law? :siam:

The results are neither official nor confidential. MOE merely instructed its employees to not reveal results. We are not MOE employees. Nor do we guarantee that the results are accurate.

Curious how the parents know the top scorer if the teachers (MOE employees) did not reveal. Did they just guess and ask around... heheh, how resourceful can people get?

See the above post? Clearly some MOE employee did not obey the rules, I guess.