2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Wed, 07 Jul 2021 13:22:07 GMT

gleansg — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 13:22:07 GMT

Do check out Glean's social initiative to help parents gauge their child's mastery of a subject against all other Singaporean students!

We are driven by a social goal so we are building advanced analytics to help all students taking the PSLE for free.

Find out more from the link below:

https://glean.sg/how

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Wed, 07 Jul 2021 06:27:29 GMT

zac's mum — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 06:27:29 GMT

Nebbermind\" post_id=\"2029546\" time=\"1625637459\" user_id=\"15571:

PSLE is basically about building this huge database of past year question-solution which you can retrieve the moment you see the actual exam questions. It's like fire fighting in the exam hall...there's hardly time to think, even for the smartest.

Anyway, PSLE should be renamed. It's not a 'Primary School Leaving Examination' but a 'Secondary School Posting Examination'.

Ya, when u put it that way, makes me think of Artificial Intelligence - essentially we could teach a computer by feeding it past year questions & answers, and over time it will be able to perfect its score by analyzing the FAQs and how SEAB likes to tweak the qns too. There’s no real intelligence required.

And I agree with the overdue name change, cos technically it is a posting exam / entrance exam for secondary school. Can’t really call it a leaving exam cos a kid can fail PSLE 2 times and still be allowed to leave primary school. It’s not like you’re forever trapped there till you pass…

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Wed, 07 Jul 2021 05:57:39 GMT

Nebbermind — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 05:57:39 GMT

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2029415\" time=\"1625560244\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2029415 time=1625560244 user_id=53606]
Thanks. Same to you too.

IMO the real academic content for PSLE starts in P5 (P1 to P4 are just basic grounding & very slow spiralling upwards that’s all). P5 is when the kids are suddenly introduced to the real PSLE exam format (which is quite different from lower primary exam format). If u Google you’ll find many parents lamenting that their kids suddenly started failing tests/exams in P5.

Many parents wait till P6 (too late) to panic. Should start end-P4 during November holidays, grab any private tutors you may need, since their time slots will be freed up after Oct when their P6s finish PSLE. Spreading out the prep over 2 whole years is way more manageable for the child too. PSLE is more about exam smarts, a different ball game from GEP.[/quote]

PSLE is basically about building this huge database of past year question-solution which you can retrieve the moment you see the actual exam questions. It's like fire fighting in the exam hall...there's hardly time to think, even for the smartest.

Anyway, PSLE should be renamed. It's not a 'Primary School Leaving Examination' but a 'Secondary School Posting Examination'.

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Tue, 06 Jul 2021 08:30:44 GMT

zac's mum — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 08:30:44 GMT

Thanks. Same to you too.

IMO the real academic content for PSLE starts in P5 (P1 to P4 are just basic grounding & very slow spiralling upwards that’s all). P5 is when the kids are suddenly introduced to the real PSLE exam format (which is quite different from lower primary exam format). If u Google you’ll find many parents lamenting that their kids suddenly started failing tests/exams in P5.

Many parents wait till P6 (too late) to panic. Should start end-P4 during November holidays, grab any private tutors you may need, since their time slots will be freed up after Oct when their P6s finish PSLE. Spreading out the prep over 2 whole years is way more manageable for the child too. PSLE is more about exam smarts, a different ball game from GEP.

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Tue, 06 Jul 2021 07:08:32 GMT

skii — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 07:08:32 GMT

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2029390\" time=\"1625550477\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2029390 time=1625550477 user_id=53606]
skii\" post_id=\"2029381\" time=\"1625544918\" user_id=\"82603:

PSLE Survival Guide for the Family by Ng Pan Wei. I just borrowed a copy from National Library but yet to read it though.
the English a bit too colloquial.... but overall, still a good read.

borrowed it from the Library. My P3 boy saw it and finished it within 1 hour.
started asking me:
Is PSLE important? something like GEP? What is gang fight and slashing? Do people really get 43 marks for PSLE?

I read it the following night.
super funny and gives me a good insight into what is to come in a few year's time.

I liked it too. P5 DS was laughing all the way, then turned around and quoted the wise Ah Pek’s advice right at me when it suited him.

Our kids will be under the AL system (no longer T score) but I guess the general advice on how the whole family can “prepare” for PSLE still stands.[/quote]AL or T score - doesn't hurt to prepare early.

All the best to your child's preparation!

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Tue, 06 Jul 2021 05:47:57 GMT

zac's mum — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 05:47:57 GMT

skii\" post_id=\"2029381\" time=\"1625544918\" user_id=\"82603:

8228\" post_id=\"515129\" time=\"1311905351\" user_id=\"20487:
[quote=\"kaka\"]
Can share the name of the book?
PSLE Survival Guide for the Family by Ng Pan Wei. I just borrowed a copy from National Library but yet to read it though.

the English a bit too colloquial.... but overall, still a good read.

borrowed it from the Library. My P3 boy saw it and finished it within 1 hour.
started asking me:
Is PSLE important? something like GEP? What is gang fight and slashing? Do people really get 43 marks for PSLE?

I read it the following night.
super funny and gives me a good insight into what is to come in a few year's time.[/quote]I liked it too. P5 DS was laughing all the way, then turned around and quoted the wise Ah Pek’s advice right at me when it suited him.

Our kids will be under the AL system (no longer T score) but I guess the general advice on how the whole family can “prepare” for PSLE still stands.

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Tue, 06 Jul 2021 04:15:18 GMT

skii — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 04:15:18 GMT

8228\" post_id=\"515129\" time=\"1311905351\" user_id=\"20487:

kaka:
[quote=\"2DMommy\"]Oh yes, I read that book too. My boy find the book amusing maybe he finds some similarity between him and the boy.
Same here, my DS1 is so busy with his school work that we also find it difficult to do revision. We have came to an agreement to start PSLE preparation this year end holidays.
Can share the name of the book?

PSLE Survival Guide for the Family by Ng Pan Wei. I just borrowed a copy from National Library but yet to read it though.[/quote]the English a bit too colloquial.... but overall, still a good read.

borrowed it from the Library. My P3 boy saw it and finished it within 1 hour.
started asking me:
Is PSLE important? something like GEP? What is gang fight and slashing? Do people really get 43 marks for PSLE?

I read it the following night.
super funny and gives me a good insight into what is to come in a few year's time.

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Wed, 06 Jan 2016 07:43:43 GMT

doratheexplorer — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 07:43:43 GMT

Hi found this link with many useful pointers and personal experience shared abt psle. My Son is sitting for his psle this year and I oils be grateful if some can share / show me your kids revision timetable with details right down to topics to be covered within high timeframe and pages to be done. Anyone care to show me so I can draw up a timetable for my Son. Thank you

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Thu, 09 Oct 2014 08:13:24 GMT

Spot-The-Catfish — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 08:13:24 GMT

A good and rigorous practice for P5/P6 level students is imperative to prepare them well for PSLE later on, eg in the new Casco 5A book, page 340, Q. 59 shows a commonly tested question type on ratio topic. I estimate that at most, fewer than 1 in 3 PSLE students can solve this type of Maths question even though they have learnt it in school, from books or elsewhere.

Sandra had some red and pink beads in the ratio 3:2. After she bought another 9 red beads and 36 pink beads, the ratio became 6:7. How many beads did Sandra have altogether at first?

is the ans 585?

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Mon, 03 Jun 2013 08:20:57 GMT

kiasuparentsirock — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 08:20:57 GMT

Top PSLE Scorer’s Steady Route to Success

Friday, November 28, 2008
Wee Yen Jean, top PSLE student 2008

No school work after dinner!

Such a piece of advice would stun many parents. But for Mrs Wee Pei Fong, the idea of burning the midnight oil every day for months is out of the question. Despite this unconventional practice, her daughter, Yen Jean, topped her cohort in this year’s PSLE results.

So what’s their secret?

Yen Jean, who studied at Nanyang Primary School, lives by the golden rule that consistent work to laying a good foundation is the path to academic success. According to Mrs Wee, steady progress in studying and revising not only helps Yen Jean to remember, it also gives more opportunities for her to clarify doubts and improve her understanding of difficult topics.

No surprise, therefore, that Yen Jean credits this approach for her success. “It was the consistency that helped me achieve the good results, not cramming at the last minute,” she says.
Wee Yen Jean, top PSLE student 2008

On their part, how can parents best support their children in the nerve-wrecking months leading up to the PSLE? Mrs Wee gives full credit to Yen Jean’s teachers for their hard work in preparing the pupils. In turn, she sought to complement the school’s efforts by ensuring that Yen Jean lacked for nothing at home.

Tips from the parent of the top PSLE student? Mrs Wee sees an intangible but nonetheless real value in basic acts such as ensuring that Yen Jean maintains a good balance between schoolwork, play and rest; and eats a healthy diet. It also means giving Yen Jean steady moral support, especially when she feels discouraged or down. Mrs Wee believes parents should always be available as a sounding board for their children to talk about issues that affect them.
Adjusting to a new stream

Mrs Wee, who quit her job eight years ago to become a homemaker, puts a premium on having a close relationship with her daughter. “I try to always be around,” she remarks. “If Yen Jean has a problem, we address it quickly rather than letting it fester. At this age, she faces many growing up issues that we discuss about.”

Yen Jean was formerly a pupil at CHIJ Kellock, but switched to Nanyang Primary School at Pri 4 after qualifying for the Gifted Education Programme (GEP). Initially, she found it a bumpy ride trying to adapt to the new school. “I was a little apprehensive at first as I would be leaving CHIJ Kellock for a completely new environment, one in which there was a lot of emphasis on Chinese which was my weakest subject then,” Yen Jean recalls. But her fears soon dissipated when her paternal grandmother offered to coach her in the language. And rather than relying on tuition, Mrs Wee herself helps Yen Jean in her English, Mathematics and Science.
Wee Yen Jean, top PSLE student 2008

Yen Jean (second from right) seems perfectly at ease during an Interschool Debate.

Transfering to the GEP stream also threw up other concerns. Mrs Wee was not worried about Yen Jean’s self-motivation and desire to excel, but she saw a need to manage her daughter’s high expectations.

“It’s not uncommon for a child to falter under stress,” observes Mrs Wee. “Yen Jean did not do well in her Science Practical Test in Pri 5 despite trying her best, and naturally she was very disappointed”. In this instance, Mrs Wee sought to reassure Yen Jean that it was ok to stumble on occasion. “I told her that we are human beings” she recounts, “and the important thing is to learn from failure and mistakes and continue to persevere.”
Not all work and no play

Hitting the books takes up nearly 70 percent of Yen Jean’s waking hours. But she makes it a point to immerse herself regulaly in a whole gamut of activities. Taking after her mother, who was a lawyer, Yen Jean loves to debate. She also enjoys the thrill of thinking up creative solutions to problems and has joined her schoolmates in a trip all the way to Perth, Australia to learn about Future Problem Solving from international coaches.

With this range of experiences and the emotional support of her parents, Yen Jean is no stranger to new challenges and environments. Now about to enter Raffles Girls' School, she is looking forward to future adventures in learning. “I hope that I will be able to maintain a good academic performance,” she laughs, adding lest you think that’s all that matters, “And at the same time, have lots of fun!”

http://www.schoolbag.sg/archives/2008/11/top_psle_scorers_steady_route.php

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 07:46:19 GMT

smartmummy — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 07:46:19 GMT

hi jedamum

i bit confused with the title. booket a,&b…paper1&2
hmmmm…today only i cleared.
we haven’t yet set time. but most of the qns he didn’t know how to do.so i have to explain.now seems to pick up.

regarding onsponge.last yr he used at school…we never practice at home from the book.i did past papers only.some qns from assessment books here and there.
for onsponge they do few sums for specific technique.btw he will bring the book for doing hw or sat. so i can refer the methods.

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 06:32:18 GMT

jedamum — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 06:32:18 GMT

Pixiedust and mummysokiasu for sharing.

Guess I am a bit gan cheong. Will monitor him closely.::

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 06:21:02 GMT

pixiedust — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 06:21:02 GMT

jedamum:
Dear psle 2012 and earlier parents.

Would like to seek your suggestions
My p5 boy is facing difficulties completing his math papers on time even for paper 1, no time to check depending on difficulty of the paper. He is able to get above 80 if we give him additionall time to finish, meaning, he spends too much time thinking Ann lacks practice. He only has so much time for math revision per week and we try to squeeze in one paper a week, timed and recording his time to see how long he needs to complete the paper. What else should I do to improve his speed and accuracy?

We are prepared to make him drop hcl end of the year to free up more time to practice math if situation does not improve by then- will it be too late? Thanks.

jedamum,

As mentioned by others, P5 CA1 Maths, most pupils will see a drop in marks as this is the first paper they encounter which follows the PSLE format. I personally think it is a little earlier to make the decision of whether to drop hcl or not.

For Paper 1, 50 mins, 30 questions.
There will be some easier question and some thougher ones but on average, if 1.5mins is used for each question, there will be 5 minutes left to check. In the book by See Jaik Yong (which she describes her experience in helping her daughter with PSLE), she listed some important things which can be \"memorised\" or rather drilled for maths to ensure faster computation. eg. 20%=3/10=1/5=2.0. Your boy has good foundation in Maths, so he can look through these and with practise, it will become 2nd nature (also known as \"Maths sense\").

For Paper 2,
I feel that it is continous practise to gain exposure to the different types of questions. For many questions, I myself took a long long time when I first try to solve them. I am often \"mentally exhausted\" before I reach the end of the paper so I can \"understand\" what the kids are going through. Try a timed paper yourself, it is a good way to understand what the kids face. For my son, the biggest problem is remaining focused as this is a 100min paper.

Keep up the hard work, you will see improvements in the long run.

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 04:23:09 GMT

mummy so kiasu — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 04:23:09 GMT

jedamum:
Thanks again mummy soks for the ballpark figure.

I currently told him to move on when stuck. Guess he needs to get familiar with how long is too long as sometimes when he felt too long, time to move on, 20min already past!

I think you already got the answer. That is where he lost his time & unable to complete the paper. Time management is very important. Do proceed if he can't solve the question & get back later. He will end up losing marks on those easy questions that he did not have time to do.

Btw, don't have to panic so soon. P4 to P5 is a big jump. P5 & P6 standard is similar. School starts preparing the kids for PSLE in P5. Quite a no. of my boy's classmates did badly in CA 1 & they picked up in SA 1. Your boy will be fine. Give yourself & him some time.

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 02:45:45 GMT

ruohoo97 — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 02:45:45 GMT

fifiyeo:
janet_lee88:
[quote=\"isetan\"]Have your DC collected their PSLE certificate? Any deadline to collect from school?

Collected already...Dec 10.

Me too! That's why we are KSP!!! :evil:[/quote]OMG, I haven't collect my dd's.

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:56:49 GMT

jedamum — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:56:49 GMT

Thanks again mummy soks for the ballpark figure.

I currently told him to move on when stuck. Guess he needs to get familiar with how long is too long as sometimes when he felt too long, time to move on, 20min already past!

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:38:44 GMT

mummy so kiasu — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:38:44 GMT

jedamum:
Thanks peony.

How to identify weaker question? Get him to sieve out questions he spends saymore than 5 min on? Sorry, I am new to this, what is the average speed required to complete a typical 4 mark problem sum?

I had told him to identify questions that he spends too much time on, but at this point, we still can't gauge how long is too long per question. Should we timed each question?

Did your boy spend too much time on one or two questions? Is he able to proceed to the rest of the easier ones then go back to the one or two challenging ones? 4 or 5 marks questions are usually more challenging. Sometimes such questions could only be solved by the high ability students. How much time should be allocated to each question will depend on the marks allocated & the level of difficulty. Usually take less than 10 mins for a 4 to 5 marks question.

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:33:37 GMT

jedamum — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:33:37 GMT

Thanks, mummy so ks for your note.

So far, there is only one timed paper done in school. Not much comparison for this gan chiong mum who freakdd out when he flung his paper two that I tested him at home when time ran out before he could complete the paper. He was half hour short.

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:26:13 GMT

jedamum — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:26:13 GMT

Thanks peony.

How to identify weaker question? Get him to sieve out questions he spends saymore than 5 min on? Sorry, I am new to this, what is the average speed required to complete a typical 4 mark problem sum?

I had told him to identify questions that he spends too much time on, but at this point, we still can’t gauge how long is too long per question. Should we timed each question?

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:17:49 GMT

mummy so kiasu — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:17:49 GMT

jedamum:
Dear psle 2012 and earlier parents.

Would like to seek your suggestions
My p5 boy is facing difficulties completing his math papers on time even for paper 1, no time to check depending on difficulty of the paper. He is able to get above 80 if we give him additionall time to finish, meaning, he spends too much time thinking Ann lacks practice. He only has so much time for math revision per week and we try to squeeze in one paper a week, timed and recording his time to see how long he needs to complete the paper. What else should I do to improve his speed and accuracy?

We are prepared to make him drop hcl end of the year to free up more time to practice math if situation does not improve by then- will it be too late? Thanks.

Hi Jedamum,
Your boy's Maths foundation should be OK since he could get above 80 marks. You don't have to give him extra worksheets if the school has given him sufficient to practice. If he can complete the test papers in school on time & still have sufficient time for checking then he should be fine. He will need extra practice if he could not complete his school test papers within the time frame given.

My boy also took his own sweet time to do his Maths homework at home & I did not bother to time him. No extra worksheets except those given by the school. He did well for his Maths & he has been getting A* in school as well as PSLE. The school will advice parents to drop HCL if the kids did not perform up to expectation at the end of the year. My boy did not take HCL as he did not like to read Chinese books. It is his weakest subject. I am already happy that he got A for Chinese in PSLE.

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:04:35 GMT

Peony — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:04:35 GMT

jedamum:
Dear psle 2012 and earlier parents.

Would like to seek your suggestions
My p5 boy is facing difficulties completing his math papers on time even for paper 1, no time to check depending on difficulty of the paper. He is able to get above 80 if we give him additionall time to finish, meaning, he spends too much time thinking Ann lacks practice. He only has so much time for math revision per week and we try to squeeze in one paper a week, timed and recording his time to see how long he needs to complete the paper. What else should I do to improve his speed and accuracy?

We are prepared to make him drop hcl end of the year to free up more time to practice math if situation does not improve by then- will it be too late? Thanks.

Personally, at this stage - early Feb in P5 - that would not be the way I would tackle this. I would instead dissect it into which types of qns is he spending too much time with? Then, I'd select such qns for him to practise and gain confidence (hence speed) in.

When time is limited, we have to be more strategic. Always identify weakness and stem that first. Overall marks will always improve when weakness is identified and conquered.

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 22:49:41 GMT

jedamum — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 22:49:41 GMT

Dear psle 2012 and earlier parents.

Would like to seek your suggestions
My p5 boy is facing difficulties completing his math papers on time even for paper 1, no time to check depending on difficulty of the paper. He is able to get above 80 if we give him additionall time to finish, meaning, he spends too much time thinking Ann lacks practice. He only has so much time for math revision per week and we try to squeeze in one paper a week, timed and recording his time to see how long he needs to complete the paper. What else should I do to improve his speed and accuracy?

We are prepared to make him drop hcl end of the year to free up more time to practice math if situation does not improve by then- will it be too late? Thanks.

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:39:23 GMT

mdmlow — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:39:23 GMT

Rational_Parent:
I'm extremely delighted and humbled to have DOE feature my post re issues with taking up the 3rd language on their website in such a finely edited and eloquent manner.

It'll not do you any harm to read it once more on their website.

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=85&t=45293

Reply to 2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy on Tue, 01 Jan 2013 14:14:17 GMT

janet88 — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 14:14:17 GMT

fifiyeo:
janet_lee88:
[quote=\"isetan\"]Have your DC collected their PSLE certificate? Any deadline to collect from school?

Collected already...Dec 10.

Me too! That's why we are KSP!!! :evil:[/quote]Erm...we were told to collect the cert by Dec 19.