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What’s the best way to get your primary school children ready for the new school year? 
There are no shortcuts to success — students need the motivation to do well, a positive mindset, actionable goals, and good habits. These are life skills that take time to develop, which is why parents should provide guidance during the primary school years.
Not sure where to start? Read on for tips from experts at The Learning Lab (TLL) on preparing for the next level, so that your child will be all set and ready to shine in the new year.
<h2>Developing Skills for Primary 1 and 2</h2>
For a strong start to primary school, help your child hone key academic and learning skills in literacy and numeracy, says Sue Lynn Lee, TLL’s academic director for the Early Years and Lower Primary programmes. Such skills include being able to read and understand simple text, and knowing how to count real objects, as well as match, sort, compare, and order items.
Though there are no tests or exams in Primary 1 and 2, you should enable your child to grow into a responsible learner, says Sue Lynn.
Below are five goals Sue Lynn recommends you set with your preschooler to develop their independence and sense of personal responsibility as they transition to primary school:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Sleeping early and waking up on time to get ready for school</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Looking after their belongings, and knowing what to do if they lose an item</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Knowing how to handle money and buy food from the canteen</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Knowing where the important places in school are, e.g. the classroom, the toilets, and where to wait for the school bus or car</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Following the school rules</li>
</ol>
And here are five goals that can help your Primary 1 child foster a good learning attitude in the classroom as he or she moves to Primary 2:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Paying attention in class — you can ask your child to give you daily school updates, e.g. three new things that he or she learned, or three interesting things that a teacher said</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Taking down notes so they know what homework to complete</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ensuring they complete their homework for the day</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Checking on marked assignments and learning from mistakes</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Knowing how to ask for help if they don’t understand a concept</li>
</ol>
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<h2>Preparing for New Changes in Primary 3</h2>
Two big changes are ahead for your child in Primary 3 — the introduction of Science as a subject, as well as your child’s first exposure to year-end exams. 
To help your child adjust to these changes, Hong Jiayi, Academic Director at TLL for JEM and Choa Chu Kang shares some tips below:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Many students are excited to start learning Science in Primary 3. Take advantage of their excitement and curiosity, and help them develop a love of learning. Start exploring the world of science by conducting DIY home experiments. Apart from being a fun activity, such experiments have observable results that help illustrate basic science concepts for your child’s understanding. To begin, you can download TLL’s <a href="https://www.thelearninglab.com.sg/info/science-experiment-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quick-and-easy Science experiments</a> to try with your child at home. All you will need are common household items and a healthy dose of curiosity!
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Understand that exam preparation involves more than just memorising content and knowing how to answer questions. Strong study habits — such as setting aside time to regularly revise and understand past material — are essential for building a solid foundation in the long run. Set up a regular and consistent study routine with your child, in a workspace that is free from distractions.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Managing the Jump from Primary 4 to Primary 5</h2>
This new year will demand of your child the mastery of tougher concepts, higher order skills and stronger learning dispositions. It is not uncommon for students’ grades to fall significantly in Primary 5 as there is a steep increase in marks and components. To tackle the demands of the next academic level, provide your child with the support critical to tackling this transition.
Here are Jiayi’s tips to keep in mind during this period:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Be your child’s cheerleader. Help them to continue to enjoy learning and not be too overwhelmed by the thought of examinations.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Do not panic. Reassure your child that he or she has gone through many transitions before and they will continue to grow, just like they did previously. They do not need to get it right away. Do not lose sight of the goal of growing and learning. This learning disposition &#8211; not giving up &#8211; is important if we think about how Primary 5 to Primary 6 is a marathon.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">While the work and questions that they face might be tougher, their ability to tackle these challenges falls back on the important foundational skills and concepts they have learnt from Primary 1 to Primary 4. If a new topic seems too challenging, advise your child to first tackle the easy questions before working up the different levels of difficulty. Being able to see how to apply the basics first is most important. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Don’t berate your child for the drop in marks. Understand the areas that require improvement and work on a plan on how to improve.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Primary 5 to Primary 6: </h2>
If your child’s Primary 5 results have been less than satisfactory, don’t feel discouraged, as there is still time to brush up his or her knowledge and skills before the PSLE.
No matter how your child performed during the exams, it’s important to affirm your child’s efforts, says Jiayi. If your child didn’t meet a target that you had agreed upon, find out how he or she feels, and what challenges cropped up during the exam preparation process.
Jiayi advises, “Often, your child will feel that he or she has done his or her best. He or she might even feel as though he or she has disappointed you. Do not leave it as that. Do these instead:
<ol>
<li> Acknowledge his or her past efforts &#8211; &#8220;I saw how you tried your best and studied before your exam.&#8221;</li>
<li> Focus on the learning &#8211; &#8220;It&#8217;s okay to make mistakes and do corrections. It&#8217;s all about learning and growing!&#8221;</li>
<li> Figure out the next step together! &#8211; &#8220;Let&#8217;s see what we can do to take the next step.&#8221;</li>
</ol>
More often than not, if a child has not fared well in the exams, it is due to a poor understanding of foundational concepts, which should be addressed early, says TLL’s academic director Sue Lynn. “Identify specific concepts or topics that require improvement and revisit them,” she advises.
While children should relax during the year-end holidays, it is also an opportune time to brush up on ‘weaker’ subjects. Sit down with your child to go through his or her schoolwork, and for each subject, identify the questions or topics that your child might need help with. Recognising these problem areas early will help you decide on the next steps for your child. 
TLL develops its own curriculum materials in accordance with the MOE syllabus, and its curriculum is specially crafted with a variety of hands-on activities to help students enjoy learning. Their class sizes are capped at 12 to ensure an optimal learning environment &#8211; students get opportunities to work with their peers and learn from one another’s mistakes while receiving individual attention from their teacher.
<h2>Gearing Up for the PSLE in Primary 6</h2>
The PSLE year is a milestone year for your child — it is the final year of your child’s primary school journey, culminating in a national exam. 
During this momentous year, your child will have to:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Learn new Primary 6 topics to complete the PSLE syllabus</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Revise and apply concepts learned from Primary 3 to 5</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Refine exam skills and techniques</li>
</ul>
It’s a lot to handle, so it’s no wonder that some children find the PSLE year overwhelming. Do check in regularly on your child’s emotional health — a child should have enough downtime to relax, bond with the family, and pursue a hobby. 
As the saying goes ‘work hard and play hard’. It&#8217;s important for children to have pockets of calm and to be able to relax fully in a day. This helps them to manage their anxiety levels and calm their racing minds, so that they can be at their best when they tackle new challenges ahead!
Above all, know that with the right guidance and resources, your child can achieve his or her desired grades. TLL provides a structured plan that prioritises each child’s individual learning needs, and guides him or her along the optimal path towards achieving success at the PSLE. Their programmes for English, Maths, and Science will help your child to:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Consolidate knowledge and apply exam skills</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Apply key exam strategies and answering techniques</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Gain ample practice through mock papers</li>
</ul>
To stay ahead, one must plan ahead. Secure a spot in The Learning Lab’s 2023 classes and enjoy exclusive fee waivers when you enrol during<a href="https://www.thelearninglab.com.sg/priority-registration/?utm_source=partnerships_tll_22lgprereg_website_ksp_sepadv" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Priority Registration</a> today.

How You Can Prepare Your Primary School Child for The Next Level

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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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PSLE Preparation Begins In Primary 5

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There&rsquo;s not much left to do in the last days before the PSLE, or is there? Can any effort at this point make a significant difference? What do scientists feel are the most effective study methods?
To help you resolve your last-minute revision dilemmas, we&rsquo;ve turned to the book Make It Stick: The Science Of Successful Learning (<a href="https://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/ENQ/WPAC/BIBENQ?SETLVL=1&amp;BRN=200303433" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">available at the NLB</a>) for some evidence-based advice.
<h4>Should my child review notes or work on practice questions?</h4>
There&rsquo;s no doubt about this one: you should skip the re-reading, note taking, and highlighting, and focus all remaining study time on quizzing oneself or attempting more practice questions! Why? Well, answering a question requires one to put effort into retrieving information from one&rsquo;s memory &mdash; research has found that the very act of doing this will change the memory and make it easier to retrieve again later.
Does rereading one&rsquo;s notes or model answers not help at all? According to Make It Stick, research has indicated that compared to reading, testing &ldquo;can facilitate better transfer of knowledge to new contexts and problems, and&hellip; improves one&rsquo;s ability to retain and retrieve material that is related but not tested.&rdquo; Given that this is the eleventh hour, it&rsquo;s better to pick the science-backed option, rather than one that may only give the illusion of knowledge.
<h4>Should my child skip MCQs entirely and focus on practising open-ended questions?</h4>
Empirical evidence from studies has suggested that working harder to retrieve information results in greater retention of that information. This means that practising open-ended questions or more challenging questions should result in greater brain gains than merely answering MCQs or True/False questions.
That said, you will also need to consider other factors such as your child&rsquo;s morale and motivation levels. Working on easier questions such as MCQs can still help your child to retain information. If you sense your child may be losing steam at this stage, it&rsquo;s wiser to keep things light so that your child doesn&rsquo;t feel burned out and demoralised.
<h4>Should my child work on topical exercises or exam papers?</h4>
Unless your child is struggling with basic concepts, you should go with exam papers. Working on exam papers would count as &ldquo;interleaved practice,&rdquo; involving the mastery of two or more skills at a time. Research has found that being tasked to solve problems in a mixed sequence &mdash; as opposed to working on sets of similar problems &mdash; results in improved performance over time. Why? The <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-interleaving-effect-mixing-it-up-boosts-learning/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">main justification</a> for interleaved practice is that it improves the brain&rsquo;s ability to distinguish between concepts, because one isn&rsquo;t relying on a rote response. The other explanation is that interleaved practice continually engages your brain into making connections, and this enhances learning.&nbsp;
At home, your child can attempt interleaved practice by working on exam papers or even switching between subjects, e.g. 15 minutes of math practice, followed by 15 minutes of science revision.
<h4>Should my child work extra hard during this last week?</h4>
You may not like this answer, but it&rsquo;s a firm &ldquo;no.&rdquo; Here&rsquo;s what Making It Stick has to say:
&ldquo;Cramming, a form of massed practice, has been likened to binge-and-purge eating. A lot goes in, but most of it comes right back out in short order. The simple act of spacing out study and practice in installments and allowing time to elapse between them makes both the learning and the memory stronger, in effect building habit strength.&rdquo;
If your child is already working on practice papers in school, you may want to keep home revision sessions short and sweet &mdash; one strategy for the final week could be to look at your child&rsquo;s work from a week or even a month ago, and pick out a few questions each day for your child to reattempt. Giving a child an old problem to solve requires him or her to work harder to retrieve the necessary information, and as mentioned previously, the harder you work, the better it is for future retention.
But above all, your priority in this final week should be on making sure that your child is well-rested &mdash; it <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/exam-strategy-fix-your-sleep/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">can boost your child&rsquo;s grades</a>! In fact, if your child is not getting an average of 10 to 11 hours of sleep each night, do see how you can tweak his or her routine to incorporate more time for rest.
<h4>What if there&rsquo;s crucial information that my child keeps forgetting?</h4>
The first and easiest thing you can do is have your child <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/news/news/study-finds-reading-information-aloud-yourself-improves" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">read the information out loud</a> &mdash; the dual action of speaking and reading makes the information more memorable for the brain and increases the likelihood of retention.
Another common memory hack for students is the use of <a href="https://www.learningassistance.com/2006/january/mnemonics.html">mnemonics</a>, such as the name &ldquo;ROY G. BIV&rdquo; to represent the colour spectrum, or &ldquo;My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles&rdquo; for the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/20/science/a-new-planet-mnemonic-pluto-dwarf-planets.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">order of the planets</a>.
You don&rsquo;t want to introduce overly complicated memory techniques at this point, so a final memory hack that your child could try is visualisation, or linking an image to a word or concept &mdash; using creativity to make it distinctive. For instance, when trying to remember the meaning of the word &ldquo;ameliorate,&rdquo; one could imagine a nurse named Amelia who always makes others feel better.
Need more last-minute PSLE advice? Read <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/last-minute-psle-prep-tips-primary-school-teacher/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">what a local primary school teacher would do</a>, or find out about the <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/avoid-these-15-mistakes-during-the-psle/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">15 PSLE mistakes that your child should avoid at all costs</a>!
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What’s Truly Useful In The Final Week Of PSLE Prep? Answers To Your Last-Minute Revision FAQs!

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With about a week left till the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) begin for this year’s Primary 6 students, what are parents most concerned about? Here’s a quick overview of what our KSP community has been discussing.
<h2>The Dreaded Haze</h2>
Topmost on our KSP community’s minds is the current haze situation, as haze levels crossed the “<a href="https://www.haze.gov.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">unhealthy</a>” mark last week. High-quality masks that can protect against dangerous airborne particles (such as the N95 masks) have already <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/masks-sold-out-across-stores-in-singapore-as-haze-worsens" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sold out</a> at some Guardian pharmacy outlets, but restocking plans are said to be in place.
Some parents with a stockpile of old masks are wondering if the masks can be used beyond their expiry dates, and sadly, the answer is no. The components of a disposable respirator will <a href="https://safetytownsquare.3mcanada.ca/articles/why-do-disposable-respirators-have-a-defined-shelf-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">degrade over time</a>, and it cannot be expected to provide the same level of protection indefinitely.
The local Ministry of Education (MOE) has reminded parents to ensure that children, especially those with respiratory conditions, carry their medications with them at all times. They’ve also <a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/school-closure-haze-moe-air-quality-hazardous-11907922" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced</a> that if haze-related school closures should coincide with national examinations such as the PSLE, the affected papers will be rescheduled.
<h2>The Final Push</h2>
In the final days of preparation, many parents are focused on helping their children to allay their anxieties leading up to the exam. For some parents, a readthrough of notes during this period is sufficient, while others may still want their children to redo papers or attempt questions from schools known for their exacting standards, such as Raffles Girls’ Primary School or Nanyang Primary School. 
According to one experienced primary school teacher (and a mother herself), the priority should be on ensuring that children get ample sleep and rest in these crucial days. Read <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/last-minute-psle-prep-tips-primary-school-teacher/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">her post</a> for some last-minute study strategies that she would use with her own children, such as going over sample questions orally to save time. However, do be mindful about not inducing more stress in your child at this point.
<h2>Secondary School Cut-Off Points</h2>
Every year, the MOE distributes booklets to parents and students, containing essential information on the Secondary 1 Posting Exercise in Singapore, including:
<ul>
<li>Procedures and key dates relating to the posting exercise</li>
<li>Different pathways for secondary school students</li>
<li>Sample forms that you will need to fill</li>
<li>Key information on schools, including the range of qualifying PSLE scores for each school in the previous year. </li>
</ul>
The booklet for the 2018 PSLE cohort is still <a href="https://beta.moe.gov.sg/secondary/s1-posting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">available for download</a> in four languages: English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil. The updated booklet for the 2019 PSLE cohort will be available in October 2019.
<h2>Results Day</h2>
Some parents are already feeling jittery about <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/education/national-examinations/national-exams-timetable#psle" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Results Day</a>, which, for this year, will tentatively be between 21 November and 25 November. No matter what the results may be, remember to celebrate your child, and to praise the effort that he or she has put in! As many have said before, don’t let this exam be a defining moment in your child’s life — there is still a long journey ahead, and it is one that is filled with possibility. Read our articles on <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/psle-results-tears-or-cheers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">dealing with PSLE results</a>, and helping your child to <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/surviving-the-big-leap-from-primary-to-secondary-school/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">settle into secondary school</a>.
Need support, or simply want to chat with other parents during the PSLE? Join our discussion group for the 2019 PSLE <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=69&amp;t=81235&amp;start=4560" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>!

Countdown To PSLE 2019: What Parents Need To Know

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Seeking inspiration to fine-tune your child’s PSLE study strategy? Our community has tips and tricks that may be useful. Below are edited excerpts from the ongoing conversations in the 2017 PSLE Discussions and Strategies <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=69&amp;t=80834" target="_blank">thread</a>. You may also wish to look at a KSP parent’s <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/psle-a-sample-study-plan/" target="_blank">sample study plan</a>, and a teacher’s <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/last-minute-psle-prep-tips-primary-school-teacher/" target="_blank">advice</a> for last-minute revision.
<h2>#1 Eat right to learn well.</h2>
Adults often label kids as “lazy” or having a “poor attitude” or “low motivation.” I think they just can’t find the energy to get going, so you need to get them exercising, resting, and eating a lot of nutritious food, while cutting out junk and sugars. Try banana drinks (for energy) and honey ginseng. I also believe in consuming chicken soup and Chinese herbs in moderation. The boost of energy provided by good foods is obvious and immediate. 
When children have energy, they will have the ability to think more clearly, make better decisions, and control their behaviour. — mylulaoshi
Now that the PSLE orals are near, please hold back on chocolates, durians, and “heaty” or deep fried foods. Vitamin C and rest are important. — janet88
<h2>#2 Identify areas for improvement.</h2>
My child and I only went through mistakes from the Continual Assessment, in preparation for the Semestral Assessment 1. Then we targeted to complete a few past year papers, and went over the mistakes from there. If time is running out, only work on past-year papers with questions that your child is struggling with. — xn_mummy
<h2>#3 Shortlist practise papers.</h2>
When it comes to practise papers, parents have their own preferences, but for English, you may try papers from girls’ schools like MGS and SCGS. For Maths, I recommend Catholic High papers. Sometimes my daughter finds the St. Nicholas paper challenging; you can also try Nanyang papers.  
 For Science, I don’t know of any extremely difficult or extremely easy school papers. The main objective is to gain exposure to the different types of questions. — lee_yl
<h2>#4 When writing: less is more.</h2>
To improve writing: 
<ol>
<li> Avoid long, run-on sentences. Keep sentences short and sweet. This may be useful especially if there is an issue with expression.</li>
<li> Have a good grasp of grammar and punctuation. </li>
<li> Use adverbs prudently. </li>
<li> Focus on the theme at hand and elaborate on it. For compositions, highlight the main character&#8217;s feelings throughout the beginning, middle, and end, by describing his/her thoughts or actions.</li>
<li> Use big words sparingly; I’ve been reading sample compositions and I find that some of them end up sounding verbose or comical with their choice of words.</li>
<li> Read good books often. I cannot emphasise this enough. Personally, I find many kids are reading books that are either too mature for them, or too childish. </li>
<li> Where possible, be creative. Since the PSLE composition mainly dwells in narrative, I think it&#8217;s best for students to come up with a plot that is exciting and fresh and seizes the attention of the examiner, rather than regurgitate a plot that has been well memorised. — apollonia</li>
</ol>
<h2>#5 Maintain a balanced lifestyle.</h2>
The workload this year is a little heavier, but more than that, my son is definitely feeling the stress from school and the teachers. To me it’s a balancing game. I encourage him to work and try his best to not make careless mistakes (without making him feel I&#8217;m expecting perfection from him). I give him space, but keep an eye on things so that I know where he stands and can intervene if required before things spiral out of control. 
 I’ve let him continue to do his sports, music, and reading while trying to manage his routine so he can get enough sleep. We&#8217;ve made some compromises: my son is continuing with music lessons but I&#8217;m ready to skip the exams this year. I sit down with him daily (as much as I&#8217;m able to), help him plan the afternoon, then leave him to work on his own. And as regularly as possible, I institute compulsory time off where he&#8217;s ordered to go listen to SoundHound, read a book, play chess, or do something that is not school related. — fable