Finally, the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) is over! It’s time for a breather.
Your child has probably told you (with no hesitation) that he or she would never want to touch another assessment book or practice paper again. Well, at least not in the near future.
As a parent, you too, heave a huge sigh of relief that your child has successfully finished the first major exam in his or her academic life. A break from academics is definitely in order for both you and your child.
That being said, it’s crucial that your child readies himself or herself for secondary school. And we don’t mean only from the academic point of view.
Our Secondary 1 teachers often find that students who are not continually engaged during their term break before secondary school take a longer time to get back into the full swing of things in lessons.
Their first couple of weeks back in the classroom can be quite a struggle as they try to get used to prolonged periods of written work that will require a higher level of thinking. This can be particularly painful if they’re not prepared for the more challenging secondary school curriculum as well.
So how can you help your child maintain the level of mental engagement they need to avoid facing these problems?
The great thing about completing a major school-leaving exam is that your child now has the luxury of time to indulge in his or her interests before enrolling in secondary school.
Encourage your child to try out new hobbies or give a new skill a shot – like penny boarding! These activities can develop both soft and hard skills that will help your child when he or she enters school next year.
The post-PSLE holiday is actually the best time for your child to continue learning at his or her own pace.
Due to the intensive preparation for the PSLE, your child would already be accustomed to studying for longer periods of time each day. He or she would also be better at focusing on tasks that require his or her full attention.
Keeping him or her mentally engaged during this long holiday will make for an easier transition into secondary school, where the curriculum is significantly more challenging.
This mental stimulation does not necessarily have to come in the form of assessment books or written exercises. You can give your child brain teasers to promote critical thinking and analytical skills, or take your child out on the weekends to try activities for hands-on learning opportunities.
We understand that all Primary 6 students would like a break from rigorous studying. For this very reason, we specially tailored our Secondary 1 Discovery Camp to include a good mix of exciting hands-on components, experiential education and relatable learning.
Designed around food and sustainability, students enrolled in the Discover Camp will learn how to use statistics and percentages to make sense of data and make financial decisions, explore how meat can be grown in the laboratory and learn the art of communicating in a world of changing tastes and values.
At The Learning Lab, we believe that honing real-world skills goes hand in hand with excelling academically. This is why we create and curate curriculum materials that can impart life skills through critical thinking components.
The Learning Lab is now at locations. Find a location that suits your needs.
If you have any questions about our programmes, please email us at enquiry@thelearninglab.com.sg or call us at 6733 8711 and we will be happy to assist you.