2017 PSLE Discussions and Strategies

[Estéema]

BePersevere:

Thank you Esteema, myteapot and those who dropped me PM. Greatly appreciate your sharing in this critical period.


PSLE science is not easy at all. What the students are being taught in school versus what they are eventually tested and expected in PSLE is a whole lot of difference. Math and Science are the only 2 subjects that my son feel he is able to get an A as he is weak in languages. With the recent prelim results, it appears to be a dream now.

I am not blaming the school but honestly I do not much confidence in our science teachers in general. Otherwise, why after studying 4 years of science, many are still unable to answer OEQ to the level of PSLE standard or requirement?! Story for ranting but I could not help feeling disappointed with the outcome.

For the next 10 days or so, we will just go through those topics that he made mistakes in. No more doing of top school papers as the model answers are not reliable. Some parents shared it is better to use Ultimate science guide and we will use that for the final lap.

Too much stress from PSLE and this is definitely not a fun journey but no choice for parents, we need to be there to support our little ones.

Jia You and may god bless all our 2005 babies!

Yes! That's the way to go. Don't press too much last minute. Be supportive to your DS. Keep the positive spirit. Be his best Encourager & Supporter! He'll feel your care & love. :love:

Boys are generally weaker with language but you can let him brush up after PSLE as he'll need a good foundation moving fwd. sec sch projects & presentations will need strong language skills. If you're near Sin Min, try let him learn fr Mr Sherman Tseng of Academia. If u're near Clementi or Bt Timah, let DS learn fr Ms Agnes fr Writers@Work, essay writing skills.

All the very very best to you mummy & DS. Persevere!

[mommyNg]

zeemimi:

The problem with marking science papers is the markers are given model answers for reference. How do they mark? 1 teacher marks the same question only. They try to match answers to keywords found in their answer sheet, or words expressing the keywords / concepts. That's the whole problem with PSLE science. Any answers not resembling those found in the answer sheet are deem wrong.
If the markers find some of these answers to be plausible solutions, they'll have to go through some deliberation before deciding if such answers are acceptable.
Now the shocker, if they decide to accept these answers, scripts with similar answers that have been marked wrong earlier will not be revisited.
I talked to a science marker before.

:yikes:

[mommyNg]

BePersevere:

For me, not just mental health, physically too. Everyday reading up science guide and no mood to eat, I have lost 2kg in just 2 weeks!!

:snuggles:

Mine is uncountable amount of white hair... feel like I'm turning into 白发魔女 soon.... :scared:

[mummyscopio]

mommyNg:

BePersevere:

For me, not just mental health, physically too. Everyday reading up science guide and no mood to eat, I have lost 2kg in just 2 weeks!!

:snuggles:

Mine is uncountable amount of white hair... feel like I'm turning into 白发魔女 soon.... :scared:

Yes white hair...
Used to boast about not having white hair to dh and bff...

But just this round of psle (and a new helper that drives me mad Everyday)... my white hair sprouted like nobody's business!!

Another round coming in 2 years and then next round in 6 years...
By then no need to bleach hair liao

[MarcusLutrell]

Hi does anyone know what was the std deviation for last year’s cohort? And will it be a stark difference for 2017? Or its really hard to say?

[phtthp]

MarcusLutrell:

Hi does anyone know what was the std deviation for last year's cohort? And will it be a stark difference for 2017? Or its really hard to say?

Every psle cohort batch (thousands of p6 students) performance quality is different, due to

A) the students sitting for Psle : are from different cohort,

B) the questions set are different, across all 4 subjects.

In some years, P6xers overall performed very well, in other years not so good. Hence, can't compare, across batches. (Eg : this batch, ?)

[janet88]

mommyNg:

ShevW:

[quote=\"xn_mummy\"]I noticed this year marking is quite strict for Science OEQ. I have asked the school teacher and was told

a. correct keyword required
b. sequence of answering is required, which they said use Claim Evidence Reason (CER)
c. any conflicts concept will get marks deducted.
I guess this partly why is not easily even to get 1/2 marks now.

yes the sc teacher told us for 1 mark question, only 1 mark or Zero given, definitely no 1/2 mark will be given according to PSLE marking

I wonder why there is a need to be so strict in marking, especially for 11-12 year olds!! Now you know why many Singaporeans do well in those Pisa tests, but very few (if any) make it to become successful scientists? Talk about encouraging creativity, nurturing talents and interests ... you identify science talents based on correct keywords? I bet Einstein will fail very miserably if he were to take PSLE!

Sorry I'm ranting, but I think this Psle has been taking a toll on my mental health.... :faint:[/quote]teachers often tell students KEYWORD...but they forget to tell students KEYWORD in SEQUENCE is required to get the mark for OE.

PSLE took a toll on my mental and physical health twice. so i understand how you are feeling.
daughter wasn't working well with her science tutor and continuing would be a waste of money. after discussing with hubby, we decided to let her go in March after her CA1. it was risky but if daughter is so unhappy + tutor's tone towards her and using mobile phone during lessons (i could hear though the door was closed), it's pointless continuing. her prelim results were so depressing (she could only go to NT)...but we told her it's ok, just continue to work hard because prelims are usually much tougher. when her psle results were released, i wept with joy because she passed all her subjects and was one of the most improved student.

:snuggles: 加油 mummies. you have gone a long way.

[mommyNg]

janet88:

PSLE took a toll on my mental and physical health twice. so i understand how you are feeling.
daughter wasn't working well with her science tutor and continuing would be a waste of money. after discussing with hubby, we decided to let her go in March after her CA1. it was risky but if daughter is so unhappy + tutor's tone towards her and using mobile phone during lessons (i could hear though the door was closed), it's pointless continuing. her prelim results were so depressing (she could only go to NT)...but we told her it's ok, just continue to work hard because prelims are usually much tougher. when her psle results were released, i wept with joy because she passed all her subjects and was one of the most improved student.

:snuggles: 加油 mummies. you have gone a long way.

Thanks janet88! It's great to know there is support out there, and many mummies going through the same ordeal (not all go through the same emotional turmoil due to various reasons though, e.g., bochup, diligent and academically bright kids, kids with DSA CO of their school choice, financially constrained or not financially constrained, etc. etc.)

And it's great to know the world is much bigger out there - e.g., one does not need to know how to spell well or to come from a top elite school to become a president of a country, big or small,

[janet88]

hi mommyNg,

for the kids who do not have DSA, academically slower, bochap etc etc…these kids fall into the common pool.
the only tuition daughter had was for English until her PSLE. had to drop math & science due to financial constraints.

i do not understand why psle is such a high stakes exam. we did past year exam papers and it was so demoralizing because some were impossibly difficult. i think 3 weeks before psle, i decided to switch to more realistic questions in the assessment book and go through notes for science and math. it was good exposure for her.

she did well enough to qualify for NA in her affiliated secondary school…and she is on the right path because express would have been too tough.

[kiasume]

Don’t worry mummies and daddies out there. PSLE is just one of the hurdles. There are more to come. Miss one hurdle does not mean "The End". Along the way, there are students who suddenly pick up and be great. During my time, I have primary school friends having loads of supports - "Mummy does all the teachings" or "rich enough to have tuition" and through that they have gotten fantastic result.


But when it comes to Secondary School, it is a load of different story. Surprisingly, those who did not have any support at all and did not have fantastic score in PSLE did well or not too bad in "O" level. I was one of them, got into NT and now I am holding a doctorate. I am a late bloomer and did not have any support system in Primary School. So…don’t despair.