XK:

Thanks quikymum & hquek for highlighting the classroom focus. I glanced through one of their grammar and synthesis for upper pri. The grammar questions are pretty tough. Are the classroom exercises of the same std?

Yes they are for upper pri..best to go for trial or ask to see their materials..

Yes I find compre and grammar and synthesis important. That is why I send my kids to their regular classes. If they do not master these segments, it will be hard to do well overall in PSLE also.

They are v structured in their teaching of these components and you can also get the answer booklet which comes with the answers and rules and explanations. It is v useful.

For compo, my eldest used to be in a centre where they will encourage the kids to come up with their own plot and phrases first and then they will mark and then give out the model compo. It may work for some but not for my kids.They do not have the phrases, or even if they do, they do not use them aptly and their plots do not really make sense all the time or the plots are not fleshed out well. So always a lot of re-writing to do. For TAS, they will guide with the plot and phrases esp when they first start or in lower p (as I can see from my second one’s case). They will use the model compo to teach and then from there expand the learning. In this way, I see they learn the phrases and also the ways to flesh out the plot and then eventually they are taught how to apply them to other topics. There is no one way to learn I guess, have to see which way suits your child.

Yes, my kids have been at TAS for a while and their methods are always being tweaked and refined. I recently talked to one of the tas teachers after my kid’s class and she said they will go through model compos and dissect them to teach the learning points but beyond that, they teach them to go onto what she terms as level 2-4 type of compos. Level 2 is something like application to similar themes, level 3 to themes where they can still apply the story arc but the phrases required might be different and level 4 is totally different compo themes. I think that is the gist of it. I do see my kids being able to apply to a wider range of topics now which is very necessary for the new syllabus.

yk2366:

divineparadise:

Hi! Anyone here enrolling their kids to Pre-Nursery in 2017 January?

I am. Is there a forum or fb group to those mom's starting their kids for pre-nursery 2017? would love to be added to it.

Hi

I would also like to find out:) My niece who is staying with us is also going to Nanyang pre-nursery 2017..any fb group?

Is Parkway the place above Macs? My niece have been on your waiting list for east for very long so this is good news.

I had to wait almost a year before my youngest got a space in TH. Previously older one went to Berries. But I like TH’s programme for older ones more.

sean wife:

Anyone knows the environment at the serangoon branch?

Nice, quiet, spacious. But I am still at AMK. We are following the teacher. But I know the serangoon branch does have good teachers as well like teacher Joy, Fung Qi.

Thanks N.Lo,


I know this issue will not be easily resolved but thank you for helping to suggest help for him…am now trying to get him to mix more with other friends

iLoveChubby:

Shan:

Yes, I agreed that kids of similar abilities should be put together.

It does not work to have weak & high ability students together.

But I dun agreed....that centres/tutors are good cos they have high percentage of A & A*, especially when they select/accept mostly high ability students.

Peace

I am with you on this.
Probably tracking the improvement of grades will be a more realistic measure on the effectiveness of the centre/tutor.... although there are many out there who are in enrichment classes not to improve but to maintain their A*s.

Yup, so true..I know of friends who used to go to centres who only take good students, after a while they realise while their kids still do well, there is no value add..good centres are those who bring an improvement, not just a maintenance.

Granted, for those getting A*s, it might be hard to see the value add but one of my friend started the migration from these centres which allow only the better students in and joined a lesser known one for Maths and English, for Science, she got a personal tutor. And her daughter not only improved in her A* grade but for Science, started to really love the subject, for English, she begin to really enjoy the process of writing and write in a less manufactured way. Then, the rest of my friends followed.

So to me, I am not so taken in by a centre's advertising of its good grades, I look more at their programmes, and the way they teach and the extra value add.

But to be fair, I do have a friend who stayed at one of the top centres which takes in the best and she finds it beneficial. So who knows..But, to me, it is better to thoroughly look through what you are signing up for before just focusing on the results advertised.

Thank you happyheart,


I have tried to talk to him and I also asked him to bring that friend back to our place to study instead so I could know him more. However he is a little reluctant. He is close to us but I do not know how to break down that wall that still exists, It is as though he feels this is temporary, my sister would come back and take him back.

So he feels he does not really need to open up and try. My husband and I are thinking of taking a holiday with him and our kids to get to know him more. Really scared that he would go astray while under our care…