I have the answer to myself by searching on \"School Readiness Test\".


Indeed, there is such a test: http://moeuxwp03.moe.gov.sg/corporate/contactprint/pdf/contact_apr06.pdf (page 17)
http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/2002/pr20092002_print.htm (annex A)

I am surprise abt this test bec so far I didn't hear from a single parent abt this test. And even I ask a few parents, they say no.

So, with such a test, I am not surprised that schools have the 'ability' to group the students - just make 'good use' of the test results.

Twins:

Hi non Kiasu


Can u share which SAP school is this?

Poi Ching. Btw, they just started the orientation test for the 1st time. Parent A has an elder one studying there and is grouped according alphetical name then.

Twins:

To be honest, this grouping in the hall (best sits in front)
is so disparaging, and I must say, so de-motivating for the kids
who are \"behind\".
In a school, no matter how top it is, or how bright and intelligent
the kids are, someone will have to be \"at the lower end\" of the
scale, and I wonder what the school is trying to achieve
with this blatant disparity right from the start. :x

Ya, totally agree! I think I need to go find out from Parent B whether her daughter (best class) gets to rotate to sit behind.

But is the P1 \"School Readiness Test\" given to ALL SCHOOL by MOE true?

san76:

How will I know if my son is the top 2 class? Now that he is newly entered the Top 10 Primary Sch. How the school segregate them? They are not tested in any way even during the orientation. How do we know I know if he is the top two class? Please advise further. Moving the house is definitely a no, I just moved to a new house. Hmm..... How ? Very confuse, very upset.

Hi, san76. My triplets are now in K1. I actually wanted them to study in a school that is nearest to my house only to realise that it is a SAP school (don't know lucky or unlucky bec I really worried that they can't get into top 2 classes after 'gossiping' with 2 parents whose kids started P1 in that school. In fact, I am panic.

'Gossip' with parent A in Nov last year: I was told that during orientation last year, the parents are being 'oriented' in the hall while they are told that the teachers will orientate the children by bring them to the classroom. Then guess what, the children are tested in the classroom! No parents are told that the children are tested. Subsequently, the children are spilt into classes according to their test result. Not by alpbetically order of names or birthdate anymore.

'Gossip' with parent B in Jan this year: Confirmed with her that her daughter is tested during orientation. She was placed in the best class. Guess what? In one of the lesson, all 10 P1 classes are in the hall. The best class sit in 1st row, 2nd best in 2nd row and so on. During the lesson, only those sitting in front need to raise hand for question!

After hearing all these, I panic. I wrote to MOE and that particular school principal called me to clarify. Now also can't remember much but lcuky take down notes that day. Below are my notes:

<start>
Oral Test on English and Chinese during orientation. No written.

\"School Readiness Test\"
All P1 in Singapore will need to sit a test called \"School Readiness Test\" set by MOE on 3rd week of Jan.
It is a written (maybe oral too) test and its only the English and Maths.
Test conducted by a team of dedicated school's teachers, 1 to 1.
Takes about 2 weeks to complete 300 students.
Score will be from 0 to 4.
Those scored 2 and below will be put into \"Learning for Support in English/Maths\" Programme - normally last 2 classes

Will normally group the class according to results of \"School Readiness Test\". So instead of change classes after wk 3, they conduct an Orientation test.

\"Mass lecture\"
Conducted in the hall bec classroom not ready.
Twice a week, 1 period (or 1 hr?) each. Once in English and once in Chinese. Teacher give a topic.
Students are sit according to class. Each class 1 row.
Each week, only 1 class is given a chance to answer questions - ie. by rotation. <need>

\"Learning for Support in English/Maths\"
Taught by school teachers who conducted \"School Readiness Test\".
Ratio is 1:12, best is 1:9
In Dec, these students will be tested again. If score 2 and below, continue the programme in P2

P3 has no more \"Learning for Support in English/Maths\"
But there is an \"Enable\" programme

P4 will have \"Subject-based banding\"
Those students with weak subjects will study \"Foundation\" subject (easier) instead of normal syallbus.
Example of banding will be 3+1 (3 normal subjects + 1 Foundation), 2+2.
<end>

I feel that I need to verify all the info given by the principal.
I wrote to MOE again to verify \"School Readiness Test\" but no reply. Ha, well, they have no one to arrow to call me this time.

Can anyone in this forum verify that there is indeed a \"School Readiness Test\"?

winth:

We usually start our work at 7pm, so I had to skip dinner (with some snacks beforehand)..

Hi, Winth. Wow, so organised. I am impressed too! Is this your daily schedule?

Altho I spend 1.5 hrs w each of my son each night, a lot of the time is spent on art-and-craft esp my elder one who likes drawing and colouring. All 3 like to cut. So when they are bore with my teaching or writing, they will get to do art-and-craft and back again. Own time own target, no time limit on any activities. Also, I will let them choose what they want to learn or write.
Once I uses the red and blue marker pen to emphaise the words, they wanted to use the marker to write too. I let them be and surprisely, they are so happily writing away - much longer duration than using pencil. Hopefully, there is no side-effect using marker to learn writing.

Hi, Vividlaurel and mmpiglet. Glad to have 'found' you!


I have a set of triplet boys who are in K1 now. They are borned prematurely in Nov (suppose to due in xmas week) and like mmpiglet's ones, mine are also slightly behind their peers.

Mine hasn't attended any enrichment course until I found this website last month. After reading so much in this forum, I also get scared. I started them with Chinese at Berries last month bec the primary next to my house is a SAP school (sign, don't know is this lucky or unlucky). Planning to send them for phonics in Mar. Mine in childcare and so whole day play a lot there. I think their teacher are not even trained in phonics!

mmpiglet, which centre did you go for the enrichment course? For us, everything times 3 is really very xiong. So hope that can find centres that are good and cheap.

Vividlaurel, i think it is still not too late to start them enrichment course this year. You still have 1 whole year to prep. I think K2 can pick up things faster than those younger than K2.

I started to teach my triplets at home starting this year. I have to do 1-to-1 too as they are different. I need to use different approach. So, with only 5 weekdays, there isn't enough! Given that each of them spend only 2 nights with me, I have to teach from Mon to Sat! Worst, I sometime lost track of who are taught what because of different approached used, things are progressing differently. You see, I teach everything - phonics, chinese, maths, reading, writing... somethings all in 1 session bec say, my son is bored with chinese, then we start counting. Count until bored, we do sentence writing, etc. If he is ok, then we can continue the same subject for whole night.

Good if you can share how you teach your twins at home as well.

jedamum:

I had the same concern .... (ie no matter how i tried teaching the word eg by repetitive writing, my boy still can't remember the word,

Hi, jedamum. Thanks for your advise! Then I will channel my energy to what they are currently being taught instead.
Btw, which centre are you in? Since yours includes readers, I wonder if the course fee the same? Mine is $391.10 for a term. Do you still want to keep your readers? If not, will be glad to borrow from you.

jedamum:

heyhoe:

My colleague has a compilation of 1 Year Nursery programme, which include:-
1) 48 readers

Just to note, N1 and N2 is different.

Hi, jedamum. Again, thanks for pointing this out.

heyhoe:

Does N2 starts at 4 years old?

Hi, heyhoe. N2 is those borned in 2005. Altho mine are 4.2 years old, they are born in 2004. So, K1 instead.
Btw, I will not be interested to purchase your colleague's material. Thanks for sourcing out.

jedamum:

New policy maybe? or different branch...
My boy joined when he was in K1 mid year. No need to purchase anything. I wanted to purchase earlier readers but the admin people said its not necessary as the kid should be able to catch up and that they will monitor.
I thought the fees should include all the materials used in class...

Purchasing N2 is my own wish bec I found that they have covered 我,的,妈妈,爸爸, etc which my triplets still can't recongised. I am not sure what else have they covered and I called them. They said they can let me take a look at the books this sat but I don't think I can remember all the 12 lessons. I hope to at least explose my sons on the N2 staff at home so that they wouldn't be blur blur.

Yes, the course fee includes the assignment book but we need to purchase the textbook separately. Is this different from your centre? I went to the tampines mart one.

Hi everyone. Thanks for all the sharing. I really find this forum very informative. Glad to have found all of u


My triplets (K1) went to Berries for 1st trial lesson last Sat. After the lesson, I can see they enjoyed the class very much. I asked them whether they want to come again, all 3 replied with a loud YES. My elder one even say: \"Mummy, I want to go to the new school. I don't want the old school (childcare) anymore.\" Luckily, come Monday, he still happily go to childcare.

As we missed out the N2 classes and need to buy 3 sets of 'textbook' for K1 this Sat, may I know any of you want to get rid of Berries books? If yes, pls give them to me. Berries does not allow me to buy N2 books without attending classes. Getting hand down K1 'textbook' can also help to me to save some $. Many thanks.

Imp75:

Hi Nonkiasu


I have a 4.5 yr old toddler and a pair of 2.5 yr old twins.
Like yourself, I am too busy with my 3 girls and full-time job to spend time doing enrichment with any of my girls. So, I really pay kudos to mamas like Tamarind and Emelyn....
My girls are happy just attending preschools and playing their dolls and make-beliefs at home and weekend escapades with us.

Glad to find someone with mulitples in this forum...
I always think there is a different girls and boys. Boys are slower in development in their early age. So if there is 'academic classification' in P1, boys will be at a losing end. See the top students in PSLE every year. Most of the time are girls.

Yeah, I also kudos to Tamarind, Emelyn and many other parents in this forum.

Mine also, just go to childcare and play (or fight) among themselves at home during weekdays + family outing during weekends.

Where did your children go for preschools? Does your 4.5 yr know how to write her name now? Mine still can't.

ChiefKiasu:

Agree with all your points except your observation that parents staying in the West are more kiasu. Actually, all parents in Singapore are kiasu. Perhaps those in the East would rather keep their kiasu techniques more to themselves :evil:

Sorry, I didn't mean those staying in the West are more kiasu. I mean they are more ACTIVE ie. more willing to share in the forum. Hardly any kiasu parents in the East participated in this forum.

ChiefKiasu:

Also, there are quite a number of parents here with more than 1 child.

I am not saying that most parents have single child only. In fact, I think majority has more than 1.
The \"multiples\" I refer to are twin, triplet, quad, ....
The way to manage multiples and few children with age gaps are different. It will be nice to learn from kiasu parents with multiples children e.g. do they put just 1 of the multiples in the enrichment course, get the course material and teach the rest themselves? Or enrol 1 to try out first? etc.
It is even more challenging for 1st time parent who has multiples bec we are always learning and trying. By the time we realised our mistake, it's game over. Things that we learnt wouldnt apply to 2nd and 3rd child i.e either we get it right or wrong the 1st and last time.