Experts to share tips on PSLE preparation at ST forum

SINGAPORE - Will intensive maths tuition before the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) help?

Or is it too late for tuition?

Parents who have questions about their child's PSLE revision can get their queries answered at an upcoming forum organised by The Straits Times.

Mathematics expert Yeap Ban Har, one of the speakers at the forum, said having tuition once a week might help to improve grades slightly, but a more useful strategy would be to let the child have a routine of working on questions every day.

He said the questions could be from one topic or a mixed bag of sums from different topics.

Depending on the child's competency in maths, parents can scaffold the questions, starting with the easy ones before introducing the more difficult ones, he said.

The former National Institute of Education (NIE) lecturer and maths textbook author suggested that parents celebrate small successes when the child can do the questions confidently.

"Motivation comes when children see that their goals are achievable. This confidence is a catalyst for further successes in the subject," he said.

Another speaker, NIE senior education research scientist Ng Ee Lynn, will share with parents ideas on how they can get a child to be self-motivated and how to strike a good balance between work and play as the exam draws nearer so the child is not overly stressed.

Noting that extrinsic motivation can be a useful tool if used appropriately, Dr Ng said: "The key is to identify a reachable goal that challenges the child to go beyond his comfort zone and put in extra effort to attain it."

She suggested that parents decide on small rewards together with their children to motivate them.

"For example, the child may be rewarded with some hobby time or a favourite dessert after completing a revision session. Although small, these rewards ought to be enticing enough for the child," she added.

Dr Ng and Dr Yeap are among the five speakers who will provide tips on how parents can support their children in preparing for the PSLE at The Straits Times Smart Parenting Forum on PSLE Preparation on May 21.

Mr Sng Chern Wei, the Ministry of Education's (MOE) deputy director-general of education, will give parents an overview of the new PSLE scoring and Secondary 1 posting system that came into effect last year, and share how parents and their children can pick a suitable secondary school.

This will be followed by three concurrent sessions where experts will talk about the strategies children can use for revision and exams.

For instance, former educator Fynn Sor will talk about how parents can create a conducive home environment that minimises distractions for PSLE revision, while Ms Bozena Rupnik, a senior teacher at the British Council, will talk about how pupils can revise for the English oral and written examinations.

Parent Donna Tay, 43, whose eldest daughter Foo En Qi, 12, is sitting the PSLE this year, said she is keen to sign up for the forum to pick up tips from the experts.

Madam Tay said she left her job as a customer service executive in March to help En Qi with her revision as her results had dipped last year.

"I think the PSLE is important as it is her first national exam. As a parent, I can only give her all the support she needs in order to do well. She is the one who has to sit the exam," said Madam Tay, who has two younger daughters aged two and 10 with her civil servant husband.

She plans to balance En Qi's revision during the June holidays with some downtime, either a staycation or a short trip to Batam.

"We will try to juggle between play and revision so that she will not be too stressed," said Madam Tay.

The forum is free for parents who are ST subscribers. Parents who are not subscribers can subscribe if they want to attend the forum. 

Parents who sign up will attend the main session with MOE's Mr Sng and one of the three concurrent sessions.

To sign up for the event, visit here.

The deadline for registration is May 18.