As your child prepares for the PSLE at P5 or P6, you may find yourself asking some of these questions:
Does my child have the right skills to excel in the PSLE?
Is my child ready to manage revision?
Your child will need to meet the challenge of revising what's been learnt from Primary 3 to Primary 5 whilst continuing to build his or her knowledge in Primary 6 topics.
How can you adequately prepare him or her in this period leading up to the PSLE?
1. Get a Headstart in School
You can start preparing your child for their PSLE papers ahead of time.
It would also be a good idea to make a list of common mistakes that your child has made in his or her past exams to serve as a reminder on errors that he or she should be avoiding.
A comprehensive review of your child’s past performance in school with his or her teachers can be a good springboard and starting point for coming up with a PSLE preparation plan.
2. Set a Rhythm to Revision
When it comes to revision, avoid any last minute work. Trying to cram too much information on a given day only adds unnecessary stress to your child’s workload and may backfire, causing your child to blank out during an exam.
Encourage your child to take some time every day to revise his or her work in “batches”. For example, get your child to recall new topics he or she learnt the next day, then again a week after the first lesson.
Revision of these topics should be done a month and then six months after to ensure the information learnt is stored in his or her long-term memory.
As your child is taught more on different topics through the year, there will be more to recall. Constant regurgitation of topics will allow your child to better retain and recall knowledge and concepts.
This also cultivates good studying habits and teaches your child the importance of time management.
3. Draw Up a Study Plan
Instil independence by encouraging your child to be responsible for his or her academic progress.
Your child can come up with his or her own revision schedule to understand exactly what to expect and how much to revise for the big exam.
Having a study plan helps your child to prioritise tasks and allows him or her to see where his and her effort is going. For each subject, make a list of the topics covered in the exam. Broad topics in Mathematics and Science can be broken down into smaller subtopics.
When revising for specific language components like English Composition, your child should review writing techniques like Show-not-Tell and the use of slow-motion.
While going through his or her study plan, your child should identify areas or topics to devote more time and attention to. Encourage your child to consider what needs to be done in order to feel more confident about his or her knowledge of the various exam topics and components.
4. Anticipate What Lies Ahead
Encourage your child to look through past-year exam papers to familiarise himself or herself with the common questions tested. Weekends and school holidays are the best opportunity for your child to get as much revision done as possible.
Your child can also compile various concept maps, study guides and revision notes during the holidays.
5. Look Beyond the PSLE
What are your child’s aspirations? What is his or her desired secondary school, dream university or job? Perhaps he or she is an avid football fan and would like to get into a secondary school that has football as a CCA.
You can research the secondary schools that excel in football as a CCA, and shortlist options to give him or her a tangible goal to work towards.
Setting targets with your child will subtly reinforce the importance of studying hard and getting good grades to help achieve his or her goals.
Conquering the PSLE
The PSLE is a huge milestone in your child's academic life. Ensuring that your child has everything they need in the lead-up to the major exams will allow them to focus on effective, efficient and productive learning.
You provide the necessary emotional support and encouragement and we'll provide your child with the technical know-how in tackling PSLE challenges through our proprietary strategies and techniques.
Click here to find out more on how you can equip your child with the tools to ace the PSLE with our highly-trained teachers, targeted pedagogy and customised curriculum.
Resources for Your Child's PSLE Journey
The Learning Lab has a wealth of resources you and your child can benefit from. Read our other articles that break down each PSLE component in detail and impart strategic advice and study tips.
The complete overhaul of the PSLE scoring system from 2021 onward is doubtlessly daunting. But with our detailed breakdown in hand, you can ensure that both you and your child will be more than prepared for the challenges coming your way.
Find valuable tips on ways to help your child master the content covered in exams, hone key exam skills and how to exercise the right habits and attitudes to make this road towards the PSLE as rewarding as it is meaningful for your child.
An effective revision strategy is essential in this crucial exam year. From motivation to goal-setting, reflective learning to revision time-tabling, this e-book chapter will help you and your child put in place a game plan that leads to PSLE success.
Gear Up for the PSLE
The PSLE is a huge milestone in your child's academic life. Ensuring that your child has everything they need in the lead-up to the major exams will allow them to focus on effective, efficient and productive learning.
Click here to find out more about our proprietary game plan that will gear your child up for PSLE success.
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