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<?xml encoding="UTF-8"><html><body><div id="attachment_121763" style="width: 2570px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-121763" onerror="kspReplaceCdn(this)" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-121763 size-full" src="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/pexels-august-de-richelieu-4260475-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1708" srcset="https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/pexels-august-de-richelieu-4260475-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/pexels-august-de-richelieu-4260475-1-800x534.jpg 800w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/pexels-august-de-richelieu-4260475-1-320x214.jpg 320w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/pexels-august-de-richelieu-4260475-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/pexels-august-de-richelieu-4260475-1-2048x1367.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px">Image courtesy of <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/mother-helping-her-daughter-with-homework-4260475/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pexels</a></div>As parents who have been through the Primary School Leaving Examination or PSLE, we understand the frustration, anxiety, and sense of helplessness that parents may feel, leading up to the exams. We would like to reassure you that no matter what grades your child receives, there will be a path forward.&nbsp;
First of all, please know that it&rsquo;s quite difficult to &lsquo;fail&rsquo; the PSLE to the point where one is unable to progress to a secondary school. (Those of us who have tutored struggling children with little family support and spotty school attendance can vouch for this.) In fact, Singapore&rsquo;s Ministry of Education has said that the PSLE is a school placement exam, and there is no official passing or failing mark for each PSLE subject, or the PSLE as a whole. To be more specific, a student can<a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/schoolfinder?journey=Secondary%20school&amp;q=*&amp;fq=school_journey_ss%3A%22Secondary%20school%22&amp;fq=(cutoff_points_dr%3A%5B30%20TO%2030%5D%20OR%20(normal_technical_affiliation_upper_i%3A%5B30%20TO%20*%5D%20AND%20normal_technical_affiliation_lower_i%3A%5B*%20TO%2030%5D)%20OR%20(normal_technical_non_affiliation_upper_i%3A%5B30%20TO%20*%5D%20AND%20normal_technical_non_affiliation_lower_i%3A%5B*%20TO%2030%5D))%20AND%20is_has_psle_b%3Atrue&amp;sort=slug_s%20asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> score 30 points</a> for the PSLE and still progress to a secondary school, to take subjects at the less-demanding <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/microsites/psle-fsbb/full-subject-based-banding/secondary-school-experience.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">G1 level</a>. Only one condition applies &mdash; the student needs to have scored an AL 7 or better in both English and Maths, or an AL B at the Foundation level for these subjects. (For details on the PSLE scoring system, refer to the <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/microsites/psle-fsbb/resources/score-calculator.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">official guide</a>.)
For<a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/microsites/psle-fsbb/psle/faqs.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> PSLE scores beyond 30</a>, students may be offered the option to repeat the PSLE, or they can progress to<a href="https://www.nls.edu.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> NorthLight School</a> or<a href="https://www.aps.edu.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Assumption Pathway School</a> with their principal&rsquo;s endorsement. For reference, in <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/press-releases/20231122-release-of-2023-psle-results" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023</a>, about 600 children out of a cohort of 40,000 students would have considered these options.
We&rsquo;re also aware that for most of our readers, the concern is more likely to be whether or not their children can enter a &lsquo;good&rsquo; secondary school. In our community, we do have parents whose children have scored quite differently in the PSLE, despite having access to similar resources. One parent with an older child who qualified for the <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/secondary/courses/express/integrated-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Integrated Programme (IP)</a> and a younger child in a neighbourhood school shares this:&nbsp;
&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re used to a certain level of achievement and aspirations in your social network, it is disorienting to suddenly face a different reality. But by being open and visiting a few secondary schools that were previously not on our radar, we met many impressive teens who were articulate, attentive, and did their best to attend to our queries. We felt lucky and relieved when my younger child qualified for his first-choice neighbourhood school last year, and after half a year, we can see that he&rsquo;s happy in his new environment &mdash; he has supportive new friends, speaks up more in school, and even seems physically healthier.&rdquo;
With an optimistic mindset, things are likely to turn out fine eventually, or at the very least, better than you expect. Of course, with the benefit of hindsight, there are a few things that experienced PSLE parents wish they had known beforehand, and we&rsquo;d like to share these thoughts with you below.
<h2>Mistake #1: Being Close-Minded about Secondary Schools</h2>
As parents in Singapore, many of us can easily name a few &lsquo;top&rsquo; secondary schools. Most likely, these are the Integrated Programme or IP schools, where students will &lsquo;skip&rsquo; the O-Level exams that secondary school students typically take after four years of studies. Instead, IP students will only need to prepare for either the A-Level or International Baccalaureate exams in their sixth and final year of the programme.
However, in a typical cohort of about 40,000 Primary 6 students, only<a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/parliamentary-replies/20221130-students-who-dropped-out-of-the-integrated-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> about 10% (or almost 4,000 students)</a> will qualify for an IP secondary school. Most students will enter secondary school via the G3 (formerly Express) pathway, while<a href="https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/psle-results-984-cent-students-can-progress-secondary-school-2054256" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> around 30%</a> of students will take subjects at either the G2 (formerly Normal Academic) or G1 (formerly Normal Technical) levels.
There are no official statistics for what an &lsquo;average&rsquo; PSLE score is. However, those who have previously scored AL17 to 18 for the PSLE might have noticed that they were able to meet the entry requirements for about half the secondary schools in Singapore. This not only suggests that it&rsquo;s a score range that many students achieve, but it&rsquo;s also reassuring that there are still many schools to choose from.
Although schools that accept students with double-digit scores may not be on your mind now, it&rsquo;s useful to find out about them, especially while there&rsquo;s still time to do the research. Talk to those in your social network, look at what these schools are doing on their social media pages, and check discussion forums for insights. Not sure where to begin? Our guide to <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/hidden-gem-secondary-schools/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hidden-gem secondary schools</a> is a great starting point!
<h2>Mistake #2: Believing There is a Foolproof Method to PSLE Success</h2>
Around this time of the year, you will be seeing many sponsored social media posts, urging you and your child to sign up for classes that will teach students the right keywords, frameworks, and other tricks to ace the exams.&nbsp;
If you have the financial resources, it&rsquo;s tempting to think that you can assemble an &lsquo;all-star&rsquo; set of PSLE classes or tutors to get desired results. However, we&rsquo;ve seen enough bright children from supportive, well-to-do families, who are extensively tutored in multiple subjects and still receive scores like AL17 and up.&nbsp;
For some of us, if we had known the outcome, we would have devoted far less time and money to these PSLE preparatory efforts, in order to give our children more time for pure enjoyment, bonding with loved ones, as well as meaningful learning.
<h2>Mistake #3: Relying on Wishful Thinking</h2>
We do hear of children who defy the odds and wildly surpass expectations during the PSLE, and we may hope the same for our child. This explains why many parents try to ramp up the tutoring or increase the time spent on practice questions leading up to the exams.&nbsp;
But to be realistic, you should also be aware that many children simply match their school exam scores for the PSLE, and some may even do worse. To guard against wishful thinking, remember that the best estimate of your child&rsquo;s performance in the PSLE will be their current school performance, especially their grades in the P6 preliminary exams, which are typically held in August.&nbsp;
<h2>Mistake #4: Viewing PSLE Results Through a Short-Term Lens</h2>
Although it may seem like students who do well enough at the PSLE to enter the Integrated Programme or IP in secondary school are set for life, the truth is that today&rsquo;s fluid environment offers little assurance to anyone.&nbsp;
To spell it out: in a world marked by deep divides, rapid tech advancements, and an unpredictable international climate, we all need to recognise that the path ahead is uncertain, and be ready to face it with adaptability and resilience.&nbsp;
In other words, knowing how to score high marks for the PSLE English composition or the best way to frame an answer for the PSLE Science exam probably won&rsquo;t be too meaningful in the long run. Once we can acknowledge this, it will be easier to shift our focus away from teaching kids to be exam savvy &mdash; or judging them based on their results &mdash; and place a greater emphasis on helping them develop <a href="https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/digest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">skills for the future</a>.

Want to talk to other PSLE 2024 parents? Join the conversation on the <a href="https://kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=69&amp;t=94737" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KiasuParents forum</a>!
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PSLE 2024: 4 Parent Mistakes to Avoid

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For parents with Primary 6 children, you might be anxious about your child&rsquo;s performance at this year&rsquo;s Primary School Leaving Examination, better known as the PSLE. Or you may be wondering:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">When are the PSLE 2024 exam dates?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">What were the cut-off points for those who entered secondary school in 2024?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">How should my child prepare for the PSLE?</li>
</ul>
Below, we&rsquo;ll highlight essential information and provide insights drawn from our personal experience with our children, who have taken the PSLE under the <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/psle-scoring-system-what-is-a-good-psle-score-and-more-questions-answered/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">current scoring system</a> based on Achievement Levels. Your child has over six months to work towards a satisfactory result, so make good use of this time to boost their morale and set some healthy study habits!&nbsp;
<h2>When are the PSLE 2024 dates?</h2>
The <a href="https://www.seab.gov.sg/docs/default-source/examination-timetable/2024-psle-exam-timetable.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2024 PSLE exam timetable</a> has been released. Here&rsquo;s what parents should know: The oral exams are scheduled for mid-August, the listening comprehension exam will be held in mid-September, and the written exams will stretch from end-September to early October.&nbsp;
<h2>What were the cut-off points for those who entered secondary school in 2024?</h2>
The Ministry of Education has updated its <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/schoolfinder?journey=Secondary%20school" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Schoolfinder</a> website with the secondary school cut-off points or COPs for the 2024 intake. For easier viewing, you can also refer to <a href="https://www.aspirertutor.com/psle-cop-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unofficial guides</a> showing the <a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/evelyn.tan.rogers/viz/PSLECOPsDashboard/PSLECOPs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">movement in scores</a> through the years.
How does this information help your child? Prior to taking the exams, the COPs are useful as benchmarks, especially if there are certain secondary schools that your child really wants to get into, and they&rsquo;re not considering the <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/secondary/dsa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Direct School Admissions</a> as an alternative entry point.&nbsp;
Based on your child&rsquo;s P5 year-end exam performance, as well as any weighted assessments in P6, you can get a rough gauge of how your child might perform for the PSLE. Of course, the best indicator would be your child&rsquo;s performance in the P6 preliminary exams, typically held in August. We do hear of children who defy the odds and wildly surpass expectations during the PSLE. But to be realistic, you should also be aware that many children simply match their prelim scores for the PSLE, and some may even do worse.
After receiving the PSLE results, the COPs serve as a guide for your child to choose up to six secondary schools, in order of preference. Anecdotally, here are some scenarios faced by children who sat for the PSLE in 2023:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Scenario A: A child with a single-digit score decided to forgo affiliation and choose &lsquo;better&rsquo; schools, only to be assigned to a school with a COP of 12. The family decided to appeal to the affiliated school for a place.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Scenario B: A child scored 18 points, and selected four schools with a COP of 18 in 2023 as the first four choices. The child was placed in their first-choice school, but for context, out of their top four choices, two schools had a lower COP of 17 for the 2024 intake.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Scenario C: A child with 19 points had their sights set on a school with a COP of 18 in 2023, as it offered an activity that they were keen on. They considered giving up their affiliation advantage to &lsquo;try their luck,&rsquo; but decided against it. As it turned out, the desired school had a lower COP of 17 for the 2024 intake.</li>
</ul>
What are the takeaways from the above examples? First, luck does play a part in getting one&rsquo;s first-choice school, as you can&rsquo;t predict if COPs will fluctuate, and in which direction. Second, a single-digit or &lsquo;good&rsquo; score is no guarantee of getting one&rsquo;s top-choice school! This is why it&rsquo;s advisable to get to know more schools, so that you have more options. If your child&rsquo;s grades are not stellar, focus your attention on <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/hidden-gem-secondary-schools/">lesser-known</a> schools, which have plenty to offer in terms of confidence-building and well-rounded learning.
<h2>How should my child prepare for the PSLE in 2024?</h2>
In Term 2 of the school year (March to May), your child should focus on keeping up with their learning in school. This is a good time to read about the <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/psle-2023-good-vs-useless-revision-strategies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most effective study strategies</a>, so that you can guide your child to start revising regularly using these methods.&nbsp;
You should also reach out to your child&rsquo;s teachers and tutors &mdash;&nbsp;you don&rsquo;t have to wait for an official parent-teacher meeting. Some <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/how-to-prepare-for-psle-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">questions</a> that you can ask are:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">What&rsquo;s the top priority revision activity for my child at this point?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">For this subject, what topic or exam component is my child the weakest in?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">When will you finish covering everything that my child needs to know for the PSLE?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">What&rsquo;s a guidebook or assessment book that you think will be really useful for my child?</li>
</ul>
Term 3 (July to September) is when things will get fairly hectic for your child. In July, your child will need plenty of practice for the oral exams, and much of August and September will be spent working on practice papers in school.
If you are thinking of enrolling your child in a PSLE prep class or hiring a tutor, it&rsquo;s best to sort this out as soon as possible.&nbsp;Many classes are full, and popular tutors likely have packed schedules, so you may need to approach several sources for recommendations.&nbsp;
When interviewing prospective tutors or enrichment teachers, be sure to ask the following:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Can you provide an example of how you&rsquo;ve recently helped students overcome academic challenges?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">If my child is unable to understand your explanation or repeats mistakes, what will you do?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">If my child finds a task daunting, such as completing a homework assignment or memorising a passage, what advice will you give?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">In the event that my child&rsquo;s grades do not improve, what would be your course of action?</li>
</ul>
To reduce stress on your child and yourself, remember that you don&rsquo;t have to play the role of a teacher. Rather, think of yourself as a fellow learner, working alongside your child. For instance, instead of marking your child&rsquo;s work, you can get your child to read their answer aloud, followed by the recommended answer. Then ask your child, &ldquo;Is there any difference between your answer and the model answer?&rdquo; This removes the burden of knowledge from you, and places responsibility on your child to find ways to improve their work.
If your child has answered many practice or test questions inadequately, you can ask reflection questions such as, &ldquo;How did you revise for this topic?&rdquo; or &ldquo;This fact is in your revision notes. Did you read this section? How did you check if you remembered the information?&rdquo; This helps your child to assess if their revision efforts were sufficient, and they can create a new plan to relearn the material with a different approach.
What if your child feels overwhelmed by everything that they need to remember? Remind your child that information retention improves with repeated exposure. Try again, and they will remember more the next time &mdash; it&rsquo;s all part of the learning process.

Want to chat with other parents about preparing for the PSLE? Join the conversation on the<a href="https://kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=69&amp;t=94737" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> KiasuParents forum</a>!
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PSLE 2024: What You Need to Know

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<?xml encoding="UTF-8"><html><body><div id="attachment_112371" style="width: 1610px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-112371" onerror="kspReplaceCdn(this)" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-112371 size-full" src="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/ethnic-girl-with-laptop-and-notepad-5905893.jpg" alt="" width="1600" height="1066" srcset="https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/ethnic-girl-with-laptop-and-notepad-5905893.jpg 1600w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/ethnic-girl-with-laptop-and-notepad-5905893-800x533.jpg 800w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/ethnic-girl-with-laptop-and-notepad-5905893-320x213.jpg 320w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/ethnic-girl-with-laptop-and-notepad-5905893-1536x1023.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px">Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/ethnic-girl-with-laptop-and-notepad-5905893/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pexels</a></div>Is your Primary 6 child stepping up preparations for the Primary School Leaving Examination, or PSLE?
Prior to the June holidays, some Primary 6 teachers might have given their classes a holiday revision plan, to suggest which topics could be covered on each day. Although this is a thoughtful gesture, it&rsquo;s not uncommon to find that students are still unsure about what it means to &ldquo;revise&rdquo; for a topic.
With <a href="https://www.seab.gov.sg/docs/default-source/examination-timetable/2023psleexamtimetable.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">months to go before the exams</a>, it&rsquo;s important to help your child gain clarity about what needs to be done. To minimise stress for the whole family, we recommend keeping things simple, and working with what you have. Now is not the time to be purchasing new guidebooks or assessment books, unless you&rsquo;re looking to replace existing materials that you&rsquo;ve found ineffective.
Starting to feel jittery about the preparation process? Do try your best not to transmit your anxiety to your child. Instead, ask yourself if there are any actions that you can take to support your child&rsquo;s revision efforts. In fact, one of the most constructive things that you can do at this point is to approach your child&rsquo;s teachers and tutors for revision advice.&nbsp;
If your child&rsquo;s school teachers have given the go-ahead to contact them during the school holidays, please don&rsquo;t hesitate to do so. If not, you can wait till school reopens, or consult your child&rsquo;s enrichment teachers or tutors instead.
Not sure what questions to ask your child&rsquo;s teachers and tutors? Use our list below!
<h2>What&rsquo;s the top priority revision activity for my child? What topic or exam component does he or she need the most practice in? Does he or she need to memorise anything for this topic or exam component?&nbsp;</h2>
The answers to these questions depend on how your child is currently performing in school. For average-to-high performers, teachers will usually recommend two self-testing methods:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Reading notes from a school-endorsed guidebook, and using the guidebook&rsquo;s review questions to check that information has been retained.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Working on topical review questions or a sample practice paper &mdash;&nbsp;better still, make this a timed practice (where your child aims to finish all the questions within a given time).</li>
</ul>
If the feedback from teachers is that your child is weak in several areas, you may want to get an assessment book that offers practice questions arranged by topic or exam component.. To speed up the process, ask the teachers to recommend an assessment book that would suit your child&rsquo;s ability.
<h2>Would you recommend just doing P6 practice papers, or is there a need to get a PSLE guidebook with notes?</h2>
Again, this boils down to how your child is currently performing in each subject.&nbsp;
In families where English is the primary language spoken at home, many parents don&rsquo;t see the need to purchase any assessment books at all. Here are some alternatives that you can consider:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Purchase just one guidebook that will tell you everything you need to know about the PSLE English papers, from letter writing formats and composition tips to common grammar mistakes. (<a href="https://www.stbooks.sg/products/excel-in-psle-english-a-smart-study-guide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Here&rsquo;s an example</a>.)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Get an older teen or trusted adult to practise conversations with your child, in a fun way.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Send your child for short &lsquo;bootcamps&rsquo; to pick up oral or composition writing tips.</li>
</ul>
In contrast, the Mother Tongue Language (MTL) is often trickier for children, and chances are, your child already has additional support in the form of a weekly enrichment class or tuition. Practice papers are considered essential for MTL revision, and some parents also find ways to increase language exposure leading up to the exams, by:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Increasing the frequency of tuition to twice a week</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Watching videos and listening to podcasts and audiobooks in Mandarin</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Hiring a teen who is fluent in Mandarin to chat with their children once or twice a week (this can be done remotely)</li>
</ul>
For maths, most teachers will say that children need a lot of practice. You can buy a book of PSLE formulas (<a href="https://www.casco.com.sg/psle-maths-tutor-f-a-n-revised" target="_blank" rel="noopener">such as this</a>) for reference, but the main focus should be to complete as many sample papers as possible before the actual exams.&nbsp;
And finally, science is where your child may need a guidebook with notes. Chances are, your child&rsquo;s school is already using a guidebook (<a href="https://www.lazada.sg/products/science-revision-guide-primary-5-6-2nd-edn-by-teo-gwan-wai-lan-us-edition-paperback-i2587348679-s16387619471.html?c=&amp;channelLpJumpArgs=&amp;clickTrackInfo=query%253Ascience%252Brevision%252Bguide%253Bnid%253A2587348679%253Bsrc%253ALazadaMainSrp%253Brn%253A33a9c561a72f390d88ecfc1ad3869531%253Bregion%253Asg%253Bsku%253A2587348679_SGAMZ%253Bprice%253A12.59%253Bclient%253Adesktop%253Bsupplier_id%253A1145451017%253Bpromotion_biz%253A%253Basc_category_id%253A3441%253Bitem_id%253A2587348679%253Bsku_id%253A16387619471%253Bshop_id%253A1282900&amp;fastshipping=0&amp;freeshipping=0&amp;fs_ab=2&amp;fuse_fs=0&amp;lang=en&amp;location=Singapore&amp;price=12.59&amp;priceCompare=&amp;ratingscore=0&amp;request_id=33a9c561a72f390d88ecfc1ad3869531&amp;review=&amp;sale=6&amp;search=1&amp;source=search&amp;spm=a2o42.searchlist.list.i40.492473bc0kqgdJ&amp;stock=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">such as this</a>), or supplying their own notes &mdash; your best bet is to stick with what your child&rsquo;s school recommends.&nbsp;
Many science guides include lists of review questions, so if you&rsquo;re following a revision plan to cover one or two science topics a day, you can test your child using the review questions to see what information he or she has retained. If your child can&rsquo;t answer the review questions, they should then read the relevant notes, and you can retest them after. When they are familiar with most of the science concepts that will be tested in the PSLE Science paper, they can proceed to work on practice papers.
<h2>What questions would you like me to reprint for retesting?</h2>
If your child has tutors, a great way to support them is by helping with retesting.&nbsp;
Typically, when a child answers a practice question incorrectly, they copy down a solution and move on to attempt new questions. Often, they may not have fully understood the solution, and it is only through retesting that this will be revealed.
You can set up a routine with your child&rsquo;s tutors where they will send you questions for retesting, and you can reprint these for your child to complete before the next lesson.&nbsp;
Depending on how your child has fared in a practice paper, your child&rsquo;s tutor may recommend:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Redoing the entire paper again</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Redoing selected questions, after a specific period such as two weeks</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Redoing selected questions as soon as possible</li>
</ul>
<h2>Can you look at our PSLE guidebooks and assessment books, and let us know which ones are most useful?</h2>
If your child feels overwhelmed by the piles of PSLE guidebooks, assessment books, and practice papers at home, it may be time to declutter. With only several months left for exam preparation, your child can&rsquo;t possibly use everything, and your tutor may have a better sense of the materials that are most useful for your child at this stage.&nbsp;
Don&rsquo;t feel bad about trimming your PSLE collection before the exams &mdash;&nbsp;your child&rsquo;s peace of mind comes first. You can always place good-condition books at the National Library&rsquo;s Book Exchange corner, to benefit other families who may need these resources.
<h2>Will you be covering everything that my child needs to know for the PSLE by July or August?</h2>
Although one would assume that all school teachers as well as tutors would do this, it never hurts to ask. While some tutors focus on covering topics in advance, others may take extra time to focus on your child&rsquo;s weak spots, leaving them with insufficient time to cover all topics. By knowing this in advance, you can help to fill the gaps.

Want more revision strategies for PSLE 2023? <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=69&amp;t=92232" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Join the conversation on our KiasuParents forum</a>!
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How to Prepare for PSLE 2023? Questions to Ask Your Child’s Teachers and Tutors

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<?xml encoding="UTF-8"><html><body><div id="attachment_111317" style="width: 710px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-111317" onerror="kspReplaceCdn(this)" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-111317" src="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/pexels-abhilash-sahoo-4360353.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="525" srcset="https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/pexels-abhilash-sahoo-4360353.jpg 1280w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/pexels-abhilash-sahoo-4360353-800x600.jpg 800w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/pexels-abhilash-sahoo-4360353-320x240.jpg 320w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px">Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/workplace-with-notebook-and-laptop-near-apple-4360353/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pexels</a></div>For parents in Singapore, preparing a 12-year-old child for the Primary School Leaving Examination or PSLE is no small matter. In many ways, parents are tested during the <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/national-exams-dates#psle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lead-up to these national exams</a>, as we deal with our own anxieties about our children&rsquo;s future.
In this guide, we hope to provide you with answers to some of your burning PSLE questions. At the same time, we would like to encourage you to reflect on your expectations for your child. It&rsquo;s time to focus less on grades, and more on finding a school where your child can thrive after the PSLE.
<h2>What is a good PSLE score?</h2>
Still learning about the PSLE scoring system, which is based on achievement levels (ALs)? <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/psle-scoring-system-what-is-a-good-psle-score-and-more-questions-answered/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read our guide</a>, where we&rsquo;ll show you how to calculate your child&rsquo;s PSLE score.
For those familiar with the local education system, do note that Singapore is doing away with the labels &ldquo;Express&rdquo; and &ldquo;Normal&rdquo; &mdash; instead, students will now take subjects at different difficulty levels known as G1, G2, and G3, according to their abilities. G1 subjects are the easiest to grasp, whereas G3 would be the most challenging level.
The best PSLE score that a student can achieve is 4 points. This would mean that the student has scored 90 marks and above (also known as AL1) for all four subjects tested in the PSLE. If the goal is to enter an <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/schoolfinder?journey=Secondary%20school&amp;q=*&amp;fq=school_journey_ss%3A%22Secondary%20school%22&amp;fq=%7B!tag%3DotherProgramme%7Dschool_other_programme_ss%3A(%22Integrated%20Programme%22)&amp;sort=slug_s%20asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Integrated Programme school</a>, one would generally need a single-digit PSLE score (i.e. 4 to 9) to secure a place. Read more about Integrated Programme schools <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/integrated-programme-ip-schools-in-singapore-how-do-i-choose-wisely-with-the-new-psle-scoring-system/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
However, please remember that most children will not be scoring 4 to 9 points at the PSLE. As a country, we are trying to move away from a narrow view of exam performance, and every parent needs to pitch in to make this change happen. We don&rsquo;t want our kids to be unduly stressed, trying to get the highest possible score so that they can make it to &lsquo;top&rsquo; schools, or feeling demoralised if their grades are deemed mediocre.&nbsp;
Going by <a href="https://mothership.sg/2022/11/psle-results-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last year&rsquo;s PSLE results</a>, almost 70% of students who sit for the PSLE should qualify to take their secondary school subjects at the G3 level. About 20% of students will be assigned mostly G2 subjects, and around 10% of students will take mostly G1 subjects. You can <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/psle-scoring-system-what-is-a-good-psle-score-and-more-questions-answered/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read all about this in our PSLE scoring guide</a>.
If your child wishes to take subjects at the G3 level, he or she should ideally have a total PSLE score between 4 and 20.&nbsp;
<h2>How to score well for the PSLE?</h2>
A school&rsquo;s weighted assessments are generally an accurate gauge of how your child will perform at the PSLE. Although you may have heard stories of students who dramatically improved their grades during the PSLE, this is not the norm, especially for struggling learners.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s healthier to look at how your child is currently faring in school, and set a realistic PSLE target from there. For instance, if your child scored 22 points for his or her most recent exam, you could see if it&rsquo;s possible to aim for 20 points at the PSLE. This would mean that your child needs to score between 65 and 74 marks for each subject. If your child is already averaging 60 marks per subject, a jump to 65 marks is not out of reach.
As for what a child needs to do to get those extra marks, your child&rsquo;s teachers would be the best people to consult. For instance, some teachers may recommend that students focus on scoring well in the Multiple Choice Questions section, while others may have specific tips for gaining marks in other &lsquo;easy-scoring&rsquo; exam components. If you haven&rsquo;t already done so, now is a good time to get in touch with your child&rsquo;s teachers for advice.
However, don&rsquo;t fret if your child can only take secondary school subjects at G2 or G1 levels. This simply means that he or she needs more time to absorb concepts and build on knowledge. Children today have many more education options than their parents did &mdash;&nbsp;the best way to support your child is to remain open minded and positive about the future.
<h2>How to prepare for the PSLE?</h2>
Now is the best time to start! But it&rsquo;s also important to start small. If you need help to create a PSLE revision plan and turn it into action, we have <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/psle-2023-how-to-coach-your-child-at-home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a step-by-step guide</a> that you can use. You should also be aware of the <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/psle-2023-good-vs-useless-revision-strategies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study strategies that work</a>, and those that don&rsquo;t. In general, revision methods that involve some form of self-testing are much more effective than passive reading, or copying information from one place to another.
A good PSLE revision plan is one that is customised for your child. So don&rsquo;t worry about googling for sample study plans &mdash; just because another child is completing one practice exam paper a day, doesn&rsquo;t mean that this will be the ideal revision routine for your child. To help your child at home, focus on tackling one area for improvement at a time. This helps to prevent overwhelm for the whole family.&nbsp;
If there are multiple areas that your child needs to address, see if the school can help ease the load with remedial lessons. Alternatively, you can still look for enrichment classes or tutors for your child. Although&nbsp;popular tutors and classes are probably fully booked, one can always think out of the box. For instance, you could check with your class WhatsApp group if anyone currently has private tuition and is willing to &lsquo;share&rsquo; the session and split the costs leading up to the PSLE. Or if you are open to hiring &lsquo;fresh&rsquo; tutors, tuition agencies can typically assign you a tutor quite quickly. It&rsquo;s not essential to hire a tutor who has taught in schools before &mdash; what&rsquo;s more important is that a tutor has a good attitude towards learning and can build rapport with your child. Also, a tutor should know how to react if your child is unwilling to pay attention or unable to grasp a concept.
Above all, make sure that your child has enough rest. Whether your child is doing well or struggling in school, he or she should still have at least two hours to decompress and relax every day. Some parents have a &ldquo;no work after 6PM&rdquo; rule, while others plan physical activities such as sports or walks in the park to ensure that a child has an outlet for stress release.
<h2>How do Foundation subjects affect the PSLE score?</h2>
Students who take Foundation-level subjects will also sit for the PSLE, but they will take a different paper from standard-level students, and receive the letter grades A, B, or C. These letter grades will then be converted to an &lsquo;AL-equivalent&rsquo; score for school admissions &mdash; after the conversion, the best AL score that a student can attain for a Foundation subject is 6 points.
However, as long as a student&rsquo;s total PSLE score is 20 and below, they will still be able to take most of their secondary school subjects at the G3 level. For more information, <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/answered-how-foundation-subjects-affect-the-psle-secondary-school-choice-and-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read about Foundation Subjects here</a>.
<h2>What happens if you fail the PSLE?</h2>
Singapore&rsquo;s Ministry of Education has said that the PSLE is a school placement exam, and there is no passing or failing mark for each PSLE subject, or the PSLE as a whole. A student can <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/schoolfinder?journey=Secondary%20school&amp;q=*&amp;fq=school_journey_ss%3A%22Secondary%20school%22&amp;fq=(cutoff_points_dr%3A%5B30%20TO%2030%5D%20OR%20(normal_technical_affiliation_upper_i%3A%5B30%20TO%20*%5D%20AND%20normal_technical_affiliation_lower_i%3A%5B*%20TO%2030%5D)%20OR%20(normal_technical_non_affiliation_upper_i%3A%5B30%20TO%20*%5D%20AND%20normal_technical_non_affiliation_lower_i%3A%5B*%20TO%2030%5D))%20AND%20is_has_psle_b%3Atrue&amp;sort=slug_s%20asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">score 30 points</a> for the PSLE and still progress to a secondary school, to take subjects at the G1 level. But one condition applies &mdash; the student needs to have scored an AL 7 or better in both English and Maths, or an AL B at the Foundation level for these subjects.
For <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/microsites/psle-fsbb/psle/faqs.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PSLE scores beyond 30</a>, students may be offered the option to repeat the PSLE, or they can progress to <a href="https://www.nls.edu.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NorthLight School</a> or <a href="https://www.aps.edu.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Assumption Pathway School</a> with their principal&rsquo;s endorsement.
<h2>Can you make an appeal if you are dissatisfied with your child&rsquo;s PSLE results?</h2>
Yes you can. This is done through your child&rsquo;s school, to the <a href="https://www.seab.gov.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board</a>, and there will be an appeal fee. The review usually takes about two weeks from the appeals deadline, and news about the outcome will be released through the school.
For details about appeals, refer to the FAQs <a href="https://www.seab.gov.sg/home/seab-web/faqs/faq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. As for whether appeals are common, in 2022, 1.5% of the PSLE cohort submitted an appeal request for the PSLE maths paper &mdash;&nbsp;that&rsquo;s slightly over 550 students, from a cohort of over 37,000 students. <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/parliamentary-replies/20230110-appeals-for-2022-math-psle-results" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Only one student</a> eventually received a grade change for the maths paper.

Want to share your PSLE thoughts, or need advice from other parents? Join the KiasuParents conversation on PSLE 2023<a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=69&amp;t=92232&amp;start=300" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> here</a>!
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What Parents Really Want to Know About the PSLE: Can You Fail, Can You Appeal, How to Prepare?

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Wondering what&rsquo;s the best way to help your Primary 6 child prepare for the Primary School Leaving Examination, or PSLE?
Chances are, your child is <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/tuition-has-become-an-educational-arms-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already being tutored</a> in one or more subjects, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean that parents don&rsquo;t have a role to play too. Instead of giving your child homework help, you can take on the role of a coach, to help your child to:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">prioritise the most important revision tasks for PSLE preparation&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">set up revision plans that serve a clear purpose, and are realistic</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">identify obstacles standing in the way of effective revision</li>
</ul>
If you&rsquo;ve never played the role of a coach before, it may be useful to schedule a few sessions with a coach yourself, just to see how coaching works, and whether you feel it can be effective in your home. In fact, that&rsquo;s what one of our KiasuParents members recently did &mdash;&nbsp;she booked a coaching session with a trainee coach, as she had found it difficult to implement a consistent revision routine at home with her Primary 6 son. With a single session, she was able to stop procrastinating, and carry out a series of small steps to create a routine that her son was willing to follow.
Although coaching can be pricey, you can look for alternatives that will be easier on your wallet, such as <a href="https://www.collectivechangeinstitute.com/initiatives/coaching-for-change/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donation-based coaching programmes</a>, or volunteering to help your trainee coach friends clock their certification hours. 
Prefer to try this on your own? Reflect on the questions below to get started!
<h2>What&rsquo;s one issue relating to your child&rsquo;s PSLE prep that you would like to fix?</h2>
Parents are not schoolteachers, and it&rsquo;s not our responsibility to replace them. But we know it&rsquo;s so easy to become overwhelmed if you feel that your child needs to boost their grade in two or more subjects. If this is your predicament, consider the following:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Is there anyone else that can help my child?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">If finances are an issue, is there a cost-friendly solution?</li>
</ul>
Picture this common scenario: A child is scoring AL5 (65 to 74 marks) or AL6 (45 to 64 marks) in the mother tongue language, despite having weekly tutoring. On closer inspection, the child is able to manage multiple choice questions fairly well, but struggles with open-ended questions, as well as composition writing and oral tests. If yours is a family that does not speak the language at home, it will be an uphill task to create more exposure to the language on your own.&nbsp;
What can you do? Start small and never try to cover all bases. Instead, choose just one thing to focus on, such as the conversation component of the oral exam. Get a clear framework from your child&rsquo;s teacher for conversation practice, which could be:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">State observations about a situation (&ldquo;I see two girls scribbling on a table in a park&rdquo;)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Give opinions or talk about feelings (&ldquo;I think that&rsquo;s wrong, because&hellip;&rdquo;)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Give suggestions for positive change (&ldquo;In future, they should bring a sketchbook out instead&hellip;&rdquo;)</li>
</ul>
If you are not familiar with the language, or prefer not to tutor your own child, you can then look to hire someone as a conversation partner for your child. This doesn&rsquo;t have to be a star tutor, but simply someone who is comfortable speaking the language, such as a teen student looking for a weekend job. In this way, your role will instantly shift to guiding the teen tutor on how to better help your child.
<h2>How can you create a PSLE revision routine for your child that is targeted and effective, and doesn&rsquo;t lead to more stress at home?</h2>
Let&rsquo;s say that your child is already very responsible, in terms of completing homework assigned by schoolteachers and tutors. However, you feel there are still pockets of free time that can be spent on revision. The question to ask is: What&rsquo;s a useful revision activity to carry out?
Some teachers recommend that parents help with retesting at home. This is extremely useful, because typically when a child makes a mistake on an assignment or a test, they copy down solutions as &ldquo;corrections&rdquo; and move on to attempt new questions. Often, they may not have fully understood the solution, and it is only through retesting that this will be revealed to you.
The way to carry out retesting is to reprint questions that children have made mistakes on, so that they can reattempt these questions. Again, as there are many questions to choose from, you can settle on five questions to retest every week, for selected subjects. If a child works on five retested questions each week for Maths and Science, this could already take up to two hours, which is enough for a day.
One thing&rsquo;s for sure &mdash; supporting your child in retesting is a lot less stressful than trying to be their home tutor. You can compare their answers against the model solutions, and highlight discrepancies for your child&rsquo;s teacher or tutor to address.
<h2>How can you turn a PSLE revision plan into concrete action?</h2>
Plans can be fun to make, but very often, the biggest hurdle is the lack of follow-through. To boost your chances of success, you should be very specific about your plan. For example, here are some questions that you can ask yourself:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">When would you like this revision routine to take place? (&ldquo;every Saturday, from 9 to 11AM&rdquo;)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">What exactly would you like your child to achieve during this session? (&ldquo;do five Maths retest questions, and five Science retest questions&rdquo;)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">In order for this to happen, what do you need to do? (&ldquo;select and reprint questions by Friday every week&rdquo;)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Is there anything getting in the way of this plan happening? (&ldquo;my child feels sleepy or wants to rest on Saturday mornings&rdquo;)&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">How can this be resolved? (&ldquo;sleep earlier on Friday nights or choose a different timing for revision&rdquo;)</li>
</ul>
Once you have a clear plan in your head, present it to your child to seek their opinion, and only proceed if they are agreeable. If not, let them tell you what they are willing to do instead.&nbsp;
To avoid disagreements over revision, do your best to remain calm and objective &mdash;&nbsp;for instance, if your child is retested and gets most of the questions wrong, don&rsquo;t panic. Instead, alert the teacher or tutor and get them to pitch in and help with explanations.&nbsp;
Most importantly, make the experience positive for your child, with small rewards such as heading out for ice cream after work is completed. Once a plan is firmly in place and you&rsquo;ve ironed out all the kinks, you can then look at addressing a new issue with a new plan.
Want to share your own PSLE strategies or need advice from other parents? Join the KiasuParents discussion about PSLE 2023 <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=69&amp;t=92232&amp;start=300">here</a>.
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PSLE 2023: How to Coach Your Child at Home

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Is your child in Primary 5 this year? It&rsquo;s not too early to start thinking about the Primary School Leaving Examination, or PSLE. In fact, did you know that our <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=69&amp;t=92232" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 PSLE</a> discussion thread was already set up in 2018? We certainly have a group of forward-thinking parents here in our KSP community!
Apart from hiring tutors, enrolling in enrichment classes, and buying assessment books and exam papers, what else does it mean to &ldquo;prepare for the PSLE?&rdquo; Well, here at KSP, we believe in working smarter, but not necessarily harder. Read on to find out what we mean.
<h2>#1 Start talking about school choices</h2>
In the aftermath of school postings under the new PSLE scoring system in 2021, it was <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/parenting-education/over-80-per-cent-of-psle-cohort-posted-to-school-within-first-three-choices-moe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that more than 80% of pupils were posted to their first three choices of schools, and that no school had a cut-off point of four or five points. (Four points would be considered a &ldquo;perfect&rdquo; score under the new scoring system.)
Similar to previous years, students who wanted to appeal for a school transfer would&rsquo;ve had to meet the cut-off point of the school for the year. (More FAQs on the 2021 Secondary One posting results can be found <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/-/media/files/news/press/2021/annex-s1-posting-outcomes-under-the-new-achievement-level-system.pdf?la=en&amp;hash=5A9AB5D6C71102D706DA7B3CF353BF1D685FD734" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.)
If you didn&rsquo;t follow KSP&rsquo;s 2021 PSLE discussions, you can get a quick recap of the (unofficial) 2021 cut-off scores for popular schools <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=69&amp;t=92230&amp;start=2440" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on our thread</a>, or refer to <a href="https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/singapore/story20211223-1225684" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lianhe Zaobao</a> if you can read Chinese. You could also wait for the Ministry of Education (MOE) to update the cut-off points on its <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/schoolfinder?journey=Secondary%20school" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SchoolFinder</a> pages later this year.
Why start discussing secondary school choice with your child now? Part of the reason would be to give your child the opportunity to participate in this significant decision, and understand what he or she is working towards. <a href="https://www.alfiekohn.org/article/choices-children/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Research</a> has shown that students who have a greater sense of autonomy tend to score higher on standardised tests, and are more likely to persevere with schoolwork that they might consider mundane.
Using the MOE&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/microsites/psle-fsbb/resources/score-calculator.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">score calculator</a>, you can estimate where your child currently stands, so that you can compile a list of schools that might be within reach for your child. Take this time to get to know more secondary schools apart from the popular ones, as it is always better to have a spread of options to consider.
<h2>#2 Good habits are more important than goals</h2>
Motivational gurus usually recommend setting habits and goals, but there are <a href="https://fs.blog/habits-vs-goals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clear differences</a> between the two &mdash; unlike habits, goals have an end point, and the ability to achieve a goal such as high exam marks may not always be within one&rsquo;s control.
That&rsquo;s why some productivity experts suggest focusing on good habits instead, because having good habits in place would pave the way to achieve good outcomes, even if one hadn&rsquo;t set those goals. For instance, it might be more effective to establish a small habit of working on two math problems a day, rather than a lofty goal of scoring above 90 percent for a math test. The satisfaction then comes from sticking with a positive habit, where benefits accrue over time, increasing the likelihood of a good outcome.
<h2>#3 Master effective revision techniques</h2>
As part of habit formation, you would also want to look at your child&rsquo;s study methods. For instance, is your Primary 5 child using these study techniques?
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Highlighting or underlining</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Summarising</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Keyword mnemonics</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Using imagery</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Rereading</li>
</ul>
The above study methods are commonly used because they feel productive and comforting to us, but<a href="https://pcl.sitehost.iu.edu/rgoldsto/courses/dunloskyimprovinglearning.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> research has shown</a> that they are less effective, compared to the following active learning methods:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Self-explanation: Explaining learning materials to oneself</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Elaborative interrogation: Asking &ldquo;how&rdquo; and &ldquo;why&rdquo; questions to deepen understanding</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Practice testing</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Distributed practice: Studying a topic with breaks in between. The length of the breaks could vary between hours and weeks, or longer</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Interleaved practice: Covering different subjects or topics in one study session</li>
</ul>
Instead of spending hours creating summary notes and rereading textbooks, your child is likely to see better gains from active learning methods. These methods will continue to be useful in the secondary school and tertiary years, so why not get an early start? Your child may already be putting some of these methods into practice. For example, working on a test paper is an easy way to combine the &ldquo;practice testing&rdquo; and &ldquo;interleaved practice&rdquo; methods, while &ldquo;self-explanation&rdquo; could be your child explaining what he or she has learned over the dinner table.
<h2>#4 Rethink time management</h2>
To give your child a more concrete picture of time management, say to your child: Did you know that we have <a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2016/10/100-blocks-day.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1,000 minutes</a> to spend in a day, not counting the time that we sleep? This is equivalent to 100 blocks of 10 minutes each!
This is an interesting way to begin a conversation on time management. You can discuss the difference between meaningful and less beneficial activities, and decide how much time should be allocated to everything that your child hopes to do in a day. As an exercise, you can assign colour codes to various activity types &mdash; such as time spent in school &mdash; and fill in a <a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/100-blocks-pdf.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">time management grid</a> to get a visual representation of your child&rsquo;s day. It might also help you to see that your child is actually being overloaded with activities, and needs more downtime.
<h2>#5 Break down complex tasks</h2>
The idea of &ldquo;preparing for the PSLE&rdquo; can seem very daunting to a child. Even as an adult, surely you can relate to being intimidated by large-scale projects, or feeling overwhelmed by a barrage of new information.
To manage stress and anxiety over schoolwork (or during an exam), teach your child to use the &ldquo;4-7-8&rdquo; breathing technique. This involves breathing in for four seconds, holding one&rsquo;s breath for seven seconds, and breathing out over eight seconds. Repeated over several cycles, this relaxation technique helps to regulate breathing, and prevents one from entering into &ldquo;fight-or-flight&rdquo; mode, where the body will begin to show physical signs of stress.
Apart from managing anxiety, your child also needs to learn the essential skill of breaking tasks down into smaller parts.
A common scenario is that a child might find it difficult to sit down and complete a page of math problems. One solution is to place a blank sheet of paper over the problems that your child is not working on, so that your child is only looking at one problem at a time.
In another example, your child might need to memorise a paragraph of text. Again, this process can be broken down into smaller tasks, such as:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Read the paragraph and see if you can identify every word</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Check if you know the meanings of all the words</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Look up meanings for unfamiliar words</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Examine the paragraph to count the number of sentences.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">For each sentence, count the number of parts (separated by commas).</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Begin by memorising the first sentence, in parts, then move on accordingly.</li>
</ul>
If your child is able to stay calm under pressure, and break a complex task into smaller and more manageable parts, he or she will be less likely to feel a sense of inertia when faced with a task, which often leads to procrastination. This skill of taking mini steps is also known as &ldquo;<a href="https://blog.trello.com/microproductivity-break-tasks-into-smaller-steps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">micro productivity</a>,&rdquo; and it will serve your child well at the workplace in future.
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