A better tomorrow:

Weird and scary ..

Next winning 4D number perhaps .
On a serious note .
Don't think so it's the right time to post this . Families are crying over the deaths of their next of kin and for those families whose next of kin have not been found , they are anxiously praying for hope and that their family members are safe .the planes and black boxes have not been found and a cloud of uncertainty hovers over the families of passengers from mh370 and qz8501 . It's a sensitive period and let's just pray for a closure and never lose that glimmer of hope no matter how small it is . The tragic deaths of the people on board mh17 should also never be forgotten. They will always be in our hearts and minds :xedfingers:

I agree with this.

Something awful has happened, and quite recently. We still haven't found enough wreckage to fully know what happened, and there are many people out there with missing relatives whose bodies they will probably never even get to mourn over.

It's pretty callous and inappropriate to treat this tragedy as an amusing numerological coincidence. Maybe talk about probabilities in general, but not about a specific event that has just occurred and over which people are still heartbroken.

Ender:

Kate1, there's no ambiguity in the questions. Monday and Tuesday are just nouns. Maybe replace them with John and Mary maybe will be easier to get it.

\"Mr Song sold 2/5 of the peanut to John and 4/15 of the peanut to Mary. \", No ambiguity here, easily meant he sold 2/3 altogether.

If I invest $100 in something, and it increases in value by 10% on Monday, and another 10% on Tuesday, how much do I now have? It first increases by 10%, so I have $110. Then it increases by 10% again, so I have $121.

If I first sell 1/3 of my property on Monday, and after that, I sell 1/2 of my property on Tuesday, how much did I sell? First I sold 1/3, leaving 2/3 of the original. Then I sold half of what remained, so I end up with 1/3 of the original.

The fact that the amount increases or decreases by a proportion over time is what makes this ambiguous. If something increases/decreases by a proportion of the original amount over time, rather than the actual amount, then in school mathematics outside Singapore, university mathematics everywhere, and real-life applications where being certain of something is important, then this definitely matters.

John Lim:

Kate1:

[quote=\"Sruthi\"]
very inexperienced!
don't know the keyword (singapore maths language)

[/quote]In Singapore, as I've stated, the first interpretation is likely the right one. The Singaporean maths keywords and curriculum etc. point to it being the desired one. But in the rest of the English speaking world, and indeed to a mathematician worth their salt, the second interpretation is most likely.

Mathematically, and linguistically, the second interpretation is best. But in Singapore only, the first one is used instead. If you want to teach a child to do well on tests without fully understanding the maths or language, then only teach the keywords and the 1st method. This will help them succeed in the short-term only. But if you want a child to actually be able to use maths outside school one day (shouldn't all educators want this?), then both methods need to be taught, as well as an understanding of where the ambiguity is so that they can ask for specification if possible.

I teach both, then teach the keywords and so on so the students can figure out which method is what the test writer wants but are still able to do the proper maths in a real situation if they ever need to (ie. at university or work later in life).

Sruthi:

http://i62.tinypic.com/2n8d69u.jpg\"> - please help me with this question.

The question is ambiguously worded. There are 2 interpretations which are equally valid, meaning that there are 2 answers depending on which interpretation you use.

In cases like this (poorly written questions) I always tell students to do both, making it clear which method uses which assumption. It's the least risky thing to do. After all, you don't want to write out a full answer for a question one way and then find that you were supposed to use the other interpretation, so you got zero marks!

The ambiguity is in the 2nd line, where it says he sold \"4/15 of the peanuts on Tuesday.\" It does not say whether this is 4/15 of the original total or 4/15 of what remained after he sold 2/5 on Monday.


Interpretation 1: Assume it means 4/15 of the original peanuts. This is the easiest method.

Sales from Monday + Tuesday: 2/5 + 4/15 = 2/3.
Therefore, 1/3 of the peanuts are left.
1/3 * 76 = 76/3 (or 25 and 1/3)
These peanuts are divided into bags of 5/11.
(76/3) / (5/11) = 76/3 * 11/5 = 836/15 = 55 and 11/15.
So he can get 55 full bags and will have 11/15 of a bag left over.
Left over mass: 11/15 of a 5/11 kg bag is 1/3 kg, or about 333g.

Therefore, Mr Song requires 55 bags for the peanuts. 1/3 of a kg, ~333g, will be left over.


Interpretation 2: Assume it means 4/15 of the peanuts left after Monday's sales. Based on language, this is the most likely interpretation, although based on the curriculum, it's the least likely interpretation. The question was not written carefully so we can't know which one is the intended one. Anyway...

On Monday: 2/5 of 76kg sold = 2/5 * 76 = 30.4kg.
So 76-30.4 = 45.6kg left after Monday's sales.
On Tuesday: 4/15 of 45.6kg sold = 4/15 * 45.6 = 12.16kg.
So 45.6-12.16 = 33.44kg left after Tuesday's sales.
Dividing into bags: 33.44 / (5/11) = 33.44 * 11/5 = 3344/100 * 11/5 = 9196/125 (after simplification) = 73 and 71/125. So he can get 73 full bags and will have 71/125 of a bag left over.

Left over mass: 71/125 of a 5/11 bag is 71/275 kg, or about 258g.

Therefore, Mr Song requires 73 bags for the peanuts. 71/125 of a kg, ~258g, will be left over.

Many people have said some good things here. If your son says the teacher was "naughty", that could mean one of several things. Maybe the teacher did something you don’t allow at home but is common practice in the classroom. It’s also possible the teacher just did something he doesn’t like. A lot of children will describe actions as "naughty", "rude", or "bad" because they lack the vocabulary and/or understanding to realise that a better phrase would be "undesirable to me". I’ve known children who, when I ask them to pack up their belongings at the end of class, call me "naughty". A friend’s son used to call her "rude" when she (nicely) asked him to eat carrots, which he disliked. Children don’t always use the correct word for things.


If you can, find out from your son a little more about what the teacher did. Did the teacher say something naughty? Or do something naughty? etc. and try to narrow down the options. But whatever the case is, you then still should follow up with explaining to your son how he should respond (NOT by leaving the classroom!)

Role-playing with him would be best, as this will help him practise for the next time the situation occurs, and he’ll be much more likely to remember what to do. Let’s say the teacher said something sternly, or didn’t sit down when you would have to at home, or whatever the "naughtiness" actually is. You can take it in turns with your son being the teacher and being him, and showing him that he should sit quietly (or whatever is appropriate) when this happens.

It might also help to role-play what he should do when he wants to leave the classroom for any other reason (say, to use the toilet). Things like raising his hand and waiting until the teacher calls on him will be good.

And, of course, speak with the teacher when you get a chance to find out what sorts of things are causing him to wander out of the classroom, since your son is obviously not the best source of information in this case. The teacher will also appreciate you helping solve this issue from home, I’m sure.

FantasyLandDreams:

Hi kate1

May I know how much is the A4 self laminating pockets at popular and daiso?

The Daiso ones are $2 (of course!) and the number of pockets you get depends on the size you choose. I saw 3 pockets in A4 size, 4 pockets in B5 size, 6 pockets in A5 size, and 8 pockets in B6 size. There might be more sizes, but I didn't look, since I stopped searching when I found the B6.
For reference:
A4 = 28cm x 21 cm
B5 = 25cm x 17.6 cm
A5 = 21cm x 14.8cm
B6 = 17.6cm x 12.5cm
The actual pockets are a little bigger than the paper dimensions above so you can easily fit the maximum-sized paper inside (although for most of mine I used smaller, irregularly-shaped paper and cut them down to size). For even smaller paper (like flashcards), you could probably cut each pocket in half or something and use them that way.

The Popular ones I saw were a little more expensive, and had fewer pockets. I didn't look at them as closely, so I only remember a bit. There were 5 pockets of 7.1cm x 11.5cm, 5 pockets of 7.62cm x 12.7cm, and 5 pockets of 15.24cm x 10.16cm. They also had A4 ones, which I think came in packs of 3 pockets. I don't recall exactly how much they cost, but they were all around $2.50 or so. I just remember I calculated the cost per pocket and Daiso came out cheaper, so I bought theirs.

I took a photo of the Popular ones which might help you more easily spot them in the store. Next to that photo is a picture of the Daiso ones (with the Japanese label).
http://i61.tinypic.com/2wp81h2.jpg\"> http://i60.tinypic.com/5x5vky.jpg\">

I couldn't find the corner rounder at Popular (checked 4 stores) or the recent Book Fest, unfortunately. I ended up getting one at Stationery Superstore in Funan Digitalife Mall. It has 3 sizes which are suitable for multiple paper sizes, e.g. the smallest is best for business cards and flash cards, the medium for A5, and the biggest for A4. It cost more than I wanted ($19), but considering it's really 3 corner cutters in one, I'm not too unhappy.


http://i62.tinypic.com/v74jv4.jpg\">

I also found these fantastic self-laminating pockets from Daiso a while ago. No lamination machine is needed! Actually I find they take less work than a machine anyway, and they come in many sizes (A5, A4, etc.) which is useful. They sell them at Popular also, but Daiso is slightly cheaper. Together with the corner rounder, they are very useful for teaching-related things (durable flashcards, preserving work, certificates, and so on).

http://nao-yoshi.up.seesaa.net/image/CA240543_LAMICOAT.JPG\">

I agree with so many people here–it is not a healthy mindset that chooses to get cosmetic surgery for a child to enhance the child’s beauty. It’s bad for the child, too. Either they grow up with a similar mindset (very judgemental of others and too focussed on appearances instead of character), or they get the message that they are only valued to their parents in terms of appearance, which is pretty heart-breaking for a young child.


However, there can be similar situations where it may be warranted.

I knew a boy with a very large nose when he was young. It was enormous. He was (physically and verbally) bullied relentlessly. His parents moved schools for him 3 times, but everywhere it continued. He had no friends, because anyone who spent time with him would be bullied also, so even the nice children kept their distance out of fear for their own safety. His parents realised that unless the bullying stopped, their son would be mentally scarred for life, causing all sorts of unnecessary problems for the poor boy. So, at the age of 8 or 9, they sat down with him and discussed the option of getting surgery to change his nose. He jumped at the chance. They were careful (a counsellor helped them with this a lot, I later found out) to make it clear that the surgery wouldn’t make him a better person or the bullies less nasty, but that bad people treat others based on appearances, after all, and it is necessary to survive when things get as bad as they were.

It was a horrible situation to be in, really. But I think they made the best decision for their son, and they were very careful that he understood the reasons behind it. I remember he had a counsellor of his own (to deal with the issues from bullying) for quite a while, and that helped, too.

So… yeah. Unless a child is in a similar extreme situation (i.e. one that requires a professional psychologist etc.) then I feel it isn’t necessary, and it on the whole damaging to the child in one way or another. Subtly encouraging, pressuring, or manipulating a child to get surgery for unnecessary reasons is possibly worse than forcing, because it only works by training the child to think in the same horrible, appearance-centred, judgemental way as the parent. Otherwise they’d never make that sort of decision on their own.

http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/faculty_sites/rainbow/html/facts_molestation.html


If you don't like reading long lists of studies, jump to the short conclusion at the bottom of the linked page above.

Basically, scientific research has made it outstandingly clear that there is no connection between whether one is a predator of children and one's sexual orientation. A gay person is just as likely to be a predator as a straight person, and no more likely.

The notion to the contrary is both outdated and incorrect, going completely against facts and reality.

I agree that parents need to be careful and keep their children safe, but that has absolutely nothing at all to do with teachers who are gay. To think otherwise is objectively incorrect, and takes time and effort away from the real problem. I care deeply about the safety of children, which is why this sort of wild-goose chase is so worrying for me, as it actually harms children. Using time and resources on this sort of non-problem means there is less time and less resources left over to use on the real problem, so the children get less help.

By focussing on whether the MOE should hire gay teachers, as pointed out, would go against the fair employment practices guidelines, which are there precisely to prevent this sort of thing. It would also mean that we would be spending our efforts on something that does not help our children at all instead of actually discussing ways to benefit the children, such as stricter or more carefully-executed background checks, etc. By putting time and effort into something pointless like this, we (and the MOE) have less time and effort to put into things that would actually help.

To wrongly agree with the disproved notion that gay teachers are more of a danger to our students than straight teachers prevents children actually being helped or identifying real predators. Let's not waste the MOE's time and disadvantage our children by believing in this sort of nonsense that has already been disproved by numerous studies. Our children deserve to be as safe as they can be, which cannot happen if the people who keep them safe waste time on things that have been shown to have no connection to the real problem here.

The Robin and Ladybird books are very good. For other books, it depends on her age and reading level. Here are some books I've seen many children enjoy.


There are a lot of books by Ruth Heller which are very good (and very educational). They are short and have lots of bright pictures, and cover basic biology. For example, Chickens Aren't The Only Ones is about animals other than chickens that lay eggs (birds, lizards, dinosaurs, fish, frogs, platypus, octopuses, snails, etc.). The pictures are all scientifically accurate.

A book that's fun for girls is The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch. It's about a princess whose castle is attacked by a dragon, and all her clothes are burnt so she has to wear a paper bag. She defeats the dragon using cleverness. It's nice and easy to read for children aged about 5-6.

Enid Blyton is probably the best bet for an author for children aged 6+. The reading is relatively easy (she uses a fairly small, repetitive vocabulary), but these are proper novels, not easy picture books. It's probably best to start with the books which are collections of short stories, as a whole big book can be overwhelming for a younger child. The good thing about Enid Blyton is that she wrote over 700 books, so you'll never run out.

Roald Dahl has a lot of good books for children. Most are for 7 years and older, but an advanced younger reader could enjoy them. Some are quite long; the shorter ones (The Minpins, The Enormous Crocodile, The Twits, etc.) are probably better for younger children. His writing is a bit harder than Enid Blyton's--he uses a bigger vocabulary and often includes nonsense words that can only be read by a child who knows some phonics.

There are a lot of other good books, but it really depends on your daughter, how good her reading is, and what her interests are. It's a good idea to take her to a bookshop and just let her look at the books on her own without any input or pressure from you, and make a mental note of what sorts of books she seems most interested in (e.g. does she mostly pick up books about superheroes? books about animals? etc.). If she gets books she's interested in, she'll enjoy them and want to read more (her reading will also improve). If she only is given books she dislikes, she won't read them much unless forced to, and she will develop a bad attitude towards reading. So, especially at this young age, let her read fun books that she likes!