With the new scoring system using Achievement Levels (AL) instead of the old T-Score, it is crucial to sit down with your child and discuss realistic goals that he or she can achieve.

It is always good to be prepared, particularly so for an examination. During each term break, rest is necessary, but so is sufficient preparation.

Use the June holidays wisely by revising and going over concepts that are tested in each examination. Past year examination papers are a good place to start. Doing so will also draw your child’s attention to the question types and sections that he/she often makes mistakes in. Sometimes, it could even be as simple as not using exam strategies—such as crossing out wrong options for multiple choice questions, culminating in many senseless, careless mistakes.

In short, what is your child doing or NOT doing which is resulting in these errors? Here are examples of common errors that my students have made on English examinations over the past few years:

EXAM TECHNIQUES

• Not using the “cross-out” method for MCQ questions
  (Eliminating the 2 options which are definitely wrong; using clues in the question to select the correct answer)
• Not annotating, underlining, or circling clues
• Rushing to complete the various sections
• Leaving blanks in the examination paper
• Not writing in complete sentences for Reading Comprehension
• Not managing time well (dwelling too long on a difficult question and ending up losing track of time)

LANGUAGE ERRORS

• Not having a good understanding of tenses (resulting in errors in Grammar MCQ, Grammar Cloze, Comprehension Cloze, Synthesis and Transformation, as well as Composition Writing)
• Having a poor grasp of the parts of speech (noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, adjective, preposition, conjunction, article)

Once your child has identified areas of weakness, it’s time to bring out the dedicated revision material. Figure out why particular mistakes are being made. Then, zero in on the identified sections/question types with a specific strategy. (If you’re not sure what strategy might work, speak to your child’s teacher.)

With constant application and reinforcement of the right strategy, your child can turn these weaknesses into strengths.

Stamina and focus are two key factors which come into play during an examination. Many children who have sufficient background knowledge can still stumble if they lose focus or have not been trained in building up their stamina.

Time management is of the essence and it is important to teach your child not to spend too long thinking about how to solve a question. When faced with a very difficult question, a good rule of thumb is to skip the question, finish the others after it, and then to go back to this question later.

So, what can you do?

As your child attempts the practice papers that you assign at home, try to simulate examination conditions.

Time your child according to the examination schedule and provide a quiet environment free from distractions—especially electronic devices. Make sure that family members are not talking on the phone, watching the television, or playing video games. If you are able to, assume the role of an examination invigilator to make sure your child is on task and not mindlessly staring into space or being distracted by others or objects in the room (at this point, even staring at a pen is sometimes considered interesting to them).

Doing regular timed practices will help children learn to pace themselves and develop stamina for long-running examinations. Repeated practices also help them retain information better.

When completed, try to mark the examination paper yourself so that your child does not get a look at the answers. Then, have your child analyse the examination paper to figure out what went wrong or why certain questions were answered incorrectly. Being able to spot one’s own errors is a way to revise and reinforce learnt concepts. If in doubt, consult your child’s teacher who will be more than happy to help.

Power Up for the PSLE with LiteracyPlus

We believe that scoring well on the PSLE is dependent on a steady plan which focuses on the necessary skills while maintaining focus and building stamina for the examination.

So how can we help your P6 child?

1. Our Enhancing English Language Skills (EELS) Programme

Our termly English programme boasts a skills-focused curriculum to prepare your child for the PSLE. From now till the examination period, our Primary 6 EELS programme allows our students to consolidate their knowledge and apply the relevant strategies to various sections and question types. With this, our students are better prepared to sit for the major national exam. To find out more about our EELS programme, click here.

*Under Phase 2 (Heightened Alert), our EELS lessons are moving online to ensure the safety of our children and staff. If you are interested, Whatsapp us for more information.