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Is your child struggling with Primary English or Secondary English? Are you tired of always seeing that C or D, but at your wits’ end figuring out how to help them? Rest assured, you are not alone. Many of our students have come to us asking for ways to improve their English. Aside from classroom exercises, we believe it is important for each student to practice good English in their daily lives to better reinforce the language. As such, we have compiled our best tips for keeping Primary English and Secondary English right at your child’s fingertips.

Speak Good English Daily

Although English has fast become the main spoken language in Singapore, not many people speak examination-level English. Instead, we are accustomed to speaking Singlish, a standard that sometimes leaks into students’ examination answers and costs them valuable marks. There is nothing wrong with speaking Singlish or our mother tongues, but if your child is intent on improving their English, it is key to focus on speaking good English at home. Start with making formal English the most-used language in the house – no colloquial speech, Singlish, or informal phrases. Watch English movies and listen to English radio stations. Even better, get everyone else in the household to participate as well! The more your child listens to the language, the better they will pick it up. Reinforcing spoken English has the added benefit of building up confidence and vocalisation for the oral examinations. Also, it strengthens your child’s listening skills for listening comprehension.

Read Widely

A very common recommendation for both primary and secondary English, the importance of reading widely cannot be overstated. Reading many different kinds of genres helps to reinforce one’s grasp of the English language, especially in higher-level material with the use of complex sentence structures and rich vocabulary. In addition, it also boosts general knowledge, which is especially helpful in both the PSLE and O-levels English examinations. Many of the examination passages are taken from real publications, and the essay questions may require the student to write on real-world topics. By immersing oneself in English books, academic journals, news articles, blogs, and encyclopedias, you can help your child work on their comprehension skills, making every cloze passage, exposition, and reading comprehension a breeze.

Revise Regularly

Revision should not be limited to the classroom. Even while at home after school, during the weekends, or during the holidays, it is important to keep practicing English. One good way to do this is to get some revision papers or books and drill your child on the exercises there. These materials are readily available at any bookstore, and you can even ask around for past-year examination papers from top schools! Working on assessment books helps to familiarise your child with the structure of examination questions and teaches them the techniques to answer each question effectively. A student could have all the knowledge in the world, but if they are unable to funnel that knowledge into an answer that satisfies the rigorous marking criteria, they will be no better off than any other student with less knowledge. Practicing on revision papers ensures that your child learns the proper answering techniques for each section. After they are done with each practice, be sure to let them have a look at the answer key so they can see where they have gone wrong and how they can improve.

Write Daily

Whether it is journaling, story-writing, or crafting social media posts, make it a point for you and your child to practice good English in every piece of writing. Even if everyone else is using text speech on social media or online messaging, strive to use the opportunity to craft good sentences with proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Encourage your child to start recording down the events of their day in a notebook or writing pad. This is not only a great way to begin writing, it also helps to release stress and allow quiet time to reflect. You can also use prompts to get your child to write, especially for younger kids. For instance, show them a set of four pictures and ask them to write a story that incorporates all four elements. Get creative! This is very similar to picture-based composition in lower primary English, and will definitely help your child think on their feet.

Attend Enrichment Classes

While incorporating English into one’s daily life is definitely helpful in reinforcing a strong concept of the language, every parent wants only the best for their child. Perhaps you are too busy to dedicate enough time to teach your child, or you may feel that you are too out of touch with the English syllabus. Maybe you believe that your child would learn better under the care of a professional. Fortunately, that is just what our enrichment classes are designed for. To give your child the best possible coaching in Primary and Secondary English, sign them up for our English classes, available for any age and any level! When you entrust your child to our tutors’ capable hands, you can rest assured that they will receive only the very best level of coaching. Our classes are conducted face-to-face in small groups, ensuring that every student receives the one-on-one tutoring they need, all while fostering close bonds with their group mates and picking up great interpersonal skills.

For most children, studying begins in the classroom, in tuition class, and when they are doing their homework or revising at home. Once their studying time is over, they simply move on to relax without thinking about the concepts they have learned.

What if there was a way to keep children on the lookout for Maths in their everyday lives? When revising Maths with your child, whether at the Primary, Secondary, or JC level, it always helps to relate the concepts they learn to real-life applications. This helps to reinforce each subject and how it can be used in one’s everyday life, making it easier for the child to absorb content and apply it effectively. What are some common Maths topics that we often come across in our daily lives, and how can we use these applications to teach children JC Maths?

Money and Finance

With the advent of credit cards and digital payment methods, we may not need to spend so much time counting money or calculating the cost of items any longer. However, money is still one of the common examinable topics in Primary Maths word problems. To help your child get a stronger grasp on the technicalities of money, encourage them to immerse themselves in real-world applications of money. For example, going on grocery shopping trips together can be a great bonding experience as well as an effective way to teach children to count and save money.

Take this primary school Maths question as an example:

Jenny has 30 50-cent and 20-cent coins. She has a total of $9. How many 20-cent coins does she have?

HINT: Use the Assumption Method or Guess & Check

Answer: 20

Even at higher levels of Maths, finance is still an important topic. Students will be introduced to the concepts of interest, investments, and installments, to name a few. Understanding these concepts is not only imperative to scoring well in Secondary and Junior College Maths, but it also improves one’s financial literacy and better equips one to face the adult world.

Geometry

Geometry is all around the world we live in, from the architecture of buildings to the layout of the land. However, when students are learning about theories such as Pythagoras’ Theorem, they may find the content dry and wonder how these concepts can be relatable to their lives.

One of the most obvious applications of geometry and angles is in architecture. In Singapore, we can find all sorts of angles and shapes in the various buildings around us, from HDB flats to shopping malls and office buildings. Prompt your child to note down interesting angles they observe and whether these are acute, obtuse, or right angles. What do they notice about the shapes of most buildings? Here is a question for your child to try.

A tall tree AB and a building CD are standing opposite to each other. A portion of the tree breaks off and falls on top of the building making an angle of 30^°. After a while it falls again to the ground in front of the building, 4 m away from the foot of the building, making an angle of 45^°. The height of the building is 6 m. Find the total height of the tree in meters before it broke.

Source: CAT Trigonometry Exam

HINT: Use Sin and Tan of Angles

Answer: +21

Speed, Time and Distance

This key topic is first introduced to students in upper primary and later follows them through most of their school years. Even for those who have long graduated from school, speed, time and distance are still concepts we use all the time, be it while traveling to another country or simply walking to another spot in our homes. In secondary school, especially in Physics, students will learn about the vector velocity to replace speed, making it important to grasp the basics of speed, time, and distance as early as possible.

In addition to sharpening their Math skills, teaching children to be conscious of these values helps them to improve their time management. When they have a better idea of how long they will take to travel to a certain location, how fast they need to travel to get there, or even how much time they need to finish a task, they will become more aware of time and how to use it efficiently.

Probability and Statistics

A topic most only learns in higher level Maths, probability and statistics may seem simple at first, but soon branch into more complex territory especially for Junior College Mathematics.

For example, what is the probability of getting the same number on 2 dice 6 times only if I roll both of them together 12 times?

Ans: (924)

Fortunately, probability and statistics are very common problems in real life and children should be exposed to how concepts are applied in these situations. Of course, gambling and betting are obvious examples of how probability can be applied, but it may be best not to use these as teaching tools for young children. Sporting events can be another way to teach children about these concepts. Whether they are participating in the events or simply watching, ask your child if they can tell you what the mean, mode, and median scores are. What are the interquartile ranges for each round? Is the standard deviation large or small, and what does this say about the consistency of each player? These concepts are commonly tested in Maths papers and using real-world events to teach children can help them to internalize the terms better.

The Importance of English

Language is undeniably an essential part of our everyday lives. Being able to read and write good English goes a long way in improving a child’s education and employment prospects later on in life, especially if you are looking at overseas opportunities. Many universities and employment opportunities in other English-speaking countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, will require proven English proficiency via a verified test.

Even if one does not want to venture abroad, being able to communicate fluently in English sets the great apart from the good in Singapore. It is the extra touch to a resume, personal essay, online profile, and even daily communication with friends. Additionally, a pass in O-levels English is required to pursue tertiary education in junior colleges or polytechnics.

English is best taught from young. The earlier a child is exposed to the language, the more likely they will develop proficiency easily and appreciate it. They will also be ahead of their peers as early as kindergarten age, where most children start picking up books for the first time.

Furthermore, students in Primary One may be pulled out of class if their reading skills are not up to standard yet. By ensuring that your child is able to read beyond school standards, they will not have to miss valuable class time for other subjects to catch up on their language skills.

Ways to Expose Children to English

Although our children are exposed to the English language from K2 English through Primary school, the material taught in class is not enough to prepare them for the PSLE English examinations, which can be very demanding. Parents and caregivers will have to take the extra step in introducing children to English material to cultivate a better grasp of the language. Fortunately, this can be done in a few simple ways.

Introduce Fiction Books

To encourage reading in young children, it helps to make books readily available at home and on the go. Instead of picking up that iPad or video game, children can spend their free time reading stories. Starting them early with easy picture books can also help to spark their interest in progressing to more advanced reading materials when they are older. Additionally, avid reading is often the precursor to writing, increasing the chances that the child will grow to love literature and begin to write some of their own as well.

Our teachers can recommend a list of books suitable for your child at his/her age and ability level. Reading never fails to broaden one’s mind and expose children to new vocabulary words every single time. Some of our favorites for lower primary-school-age children include classics by Ronald Dahl, Charles Dickens, and Lewis Carroll. Upper primary school children can look at creative works written by popular Asian authors to understand fiction from an Asian context such as those written by Minfong Ho and fiction with dynamic historical contexts such as Friedrich.

Read the News

Another great way to encourage children to hone their language skills is to get them to read the news regularly, be it online articles, magazines, or the newspaper. On top of getting children to add more complex sentences and vocabulary to their repertoire, reading the news also helps them to be up to date with recent world events.

Reading through news articles together with your child can be a great way to impart knowledge and bond with them. After reading each news story, follow up with questions that prompt comprehension and reflection, such as “What do you think was done well?” or “What do you think could have been done better?”. This inspires the child to consider the event in-depth and put their thoughts into words, which is an excellent start for their writing skills.

Over here at Global Education Hub, we make it a point to expose your children early on to current affairs by introducing them to different cultures, famous people, and landmark events through news articles from established sources in our comprehension and cloze passages. It is our pride and joy to see our students speak confidently of their general knowledge and opinion on current events alongside improving their English.

At the Secondary School and Junior College levels, there is a strong emphasis on expository essays and business writing. By giving your child a head start from a young age, they will be able to benefit from life as they can incorporate their strong vocabulary prowess into their written scripts and be able to handle the toughest English language comprehension and summary papers with relative ease as compared to their peers.

Speech & Drama, Encourage Them to Narrate and Vocalise

Make it a point to catch up with the little one every day or so. Ask them about the events that are going on in their lives and prompt them to narrate notable incidents in detail. The earlier children begin to master the art of narration and storytelling, the easier it will be for them to pick up creative writing – especially composition and essay writing, which is a key component of the PSLE English examinations.

Moreover, bringing them to watch English plays and musicals and sending them to Speech & Drama enrichment classes like those offered at our centre can bring out the storytellers in them. Not only will they be fascinated by the English language from a young age, but they will also soon be able to write their own stories and tales in fluent English.

Promote Journaling

Encouraging children to keep a diary or journal of their daily lives is also an excellent K2 English method to get them to hone their writing skills. Other than promoting regular writing, it also gets children to define their own sense of self-expression and serves as an outlet for any troubles they may face. Keep in mind that children value their privacy – promise not to read their entries unless they explicitly allow it!

Sign Them Up for English Enrichment Classes

Not everyone has the time or the means to read with their children every day. For parents who are busy or simply want their children to blossom in the best hands possible, sending the little ones for English enrichment classes at a trusted centre is an option that provides children with a solid foundation for any level, from K2 to PSLE English.

In addition to ensuring that a child receives optimal coaching, sending them for group enrichment classes has its unique benefits. It provides children with an avenue to develop their interpersonal skills while interacting with their peers in class. They can also hone their public speaking skills through classroom discussions and peer-to-peer activities.

Secondary Maths can be a huge jump from the primary school syllabus. For one, students are required to learn a wider range of topics and they are also introduced to the three sciences – Biology, Chemistry and Physics – all of whichrequire some level of proficiency in Maths.

Lower secondary students are still studying Maths under one subject, but in upper secondary, Maths is split into Elementary and Additional. While it is compulsory for most students to take Elementary Maths, not all will take Additional Maths, usually depending on their stream and past Maths results. However, Additional Maths is a requirement for many JC paths and future careers, and missing out on it will put a student at a disadvantage. Additionally, some topics in Additional Maths overlap with Elementary Maths, reducing the total content for each syllabus.

Contrary to what it may sound like, Additional Maths is not necessarily more demanding than Elementary Maths. In fact, from some anecdotal experiences, students may actually find Additional Maths concepts easier to grasp than Elementary Maths – although this is typically up to each individual student. It is not possible to take Additional Maths without taking Elementary Maths as well.

Higher-level JC Maths includes H1, H2 and H3 Maths, where H1 is similar to an elective in secondary school, H2 is a full subject and H3 goes further in depth. To take H2 and H3 Maths in JC, students will typically be required to score a certain grade in Additional Maths in secondary school.

Some students who have been struggling with Maths may choose to opt for the Elementary level subject, as well as drop any Sciences that require knowledge of advanced Maths concepts. However, this is definitely a decision that needs to be considered carefully before dropping any subjects as it can have adverse impacts on one’s future career options.

Is Higher-level Maths Required for Careers?

Secondary and JC Maths are not necessary requirements for every career path. However, Secondary Maths is required to advance to JC Maths, and JC Maths is a huge advantagein university courses related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) areas.

Even for those who do not go through the JC track, Additional Maths proves to be a fundamental for many University courses that involve Math of some sort. While not strictly a requirement for admittance into every STEM-related course, it is definitely useful to have built up some basic knowledge of higher-level Maths concepts when pursuing further education.

Past university education, Maths and its related problem-solving skills are useful in many industry jobs, from the technology sector to research and even entertainment. In Singapore, these are also the jobs that typically command a high salary and reputation. Furthermore, being proficient in Maths and problem solving helps to boost one’s mental aptitude and flexibility. They may be better able to adapt to different work environments, challenging scenarios and new tasks. Although it is true that people have excelled in many career fields without a knowledge of higher-level Maths, it is one of the things that will hardly ever hurt one’s resume when it comes to job hunting.

The Advantage of Scoring in Secondary and JC Maths

In addition to being a sought-after skill in later education and the job industry, Maths is also known for being one of the easiest subjects to score in. It is one of the few subjects where there is one correct answer, without subjectivity, and that students can score full marks in. As long as a student has a full understanding of the topics examined, they should have no problem scoring the top grade in any paper.

This is especially important in our scoring system. With the way that the ‘O’ and ‘A’ level points are calculated, Maths – regardless of level – is almost always one of the key subjects counted in a student’s final points. Imagine how wasted an opportunity would be if a student could not make the cut for their desired JC simply because their highest Maths score was a C6. Maths is a subject where it is possible to achieve the highest point possible, and every student looking to clinch a spot in their desired institution should be working towards this goal.

In Secondary and JC Maths, knowledge of the material is the best way to go about scoring as high as possible, but knowing the best way to answer the paper is a close second. This often comes with hours of practice each week and is often referred to as “studying smart”. With the exception of a rare few, it is expected that most students wanting to do well in  JC or Secondary Maths will have to put in more than the required effort to maintain a good score across all their Maths papers.

Fortunately, no student has to walk this road alone. We understand that higher-level Maths can be off-putting to many students, especially if they have not been doing well in their Maths subjects – not to mention that many of today’s well-paying jobs tend to be gated behind a solid Maths foundation. That is why we have formulated our special enrichment courses designed to boost a student’s Maths capacity and capability to score well in any examination.

Maths is a key foundational subject. As one of the three core subjects students are introduced to from the beginning of their Primary school journey, mathematical skills are essential for child in our education system.

Struggling with Maths?

However, not every student has a natural aptitude for primary Maths. Some may find it tedious or stressful, especially if they have difficulty grasping the concepts early on. Rote and rigorous methods of teaching Maths serve only to dull an appreciation for the subject, not to mention that the concepts taught are mostly theoretical – failing to provide real-life applications.

For those who are more linguistically inclined, the fact that Maths is such an important part of primary education may feel unfair. For example, every child has the opportunity to take a screening test to be offered a spot in the Gifted Education Programme (GEP). The test assesses a student’s proficiency in English, Maths and logical thinking, requiring them to score exceptionally well in all three areas to be accepted into the programme. Students who struggle with Maths but excel in languages will be screened out of the Gifted Programme. The requirement for strong mathematical skills only increases further up the education system.

Therefore, it is in every student’s best interests to secure a solid foundation of the topics in Primary Maths as early as possible. Fortunately, with the right guidance and practice, it is not difficult to score in examinations, no matter mainstream, GEP or the PSLE. There are ample resources available to aid a student’s study of Maths, including revision tools, textbooks, past-year papers and question banks, to name a few.

Maths Enrichment

Most students in Primary school will be familiar with Math Olympiad, an annual local competition designed to challenge students with unconventional question types. Math Olympiad is typically on an opt-in basis, where interested students can apply for the training classes and then choose to attend the competition. Some schools may restrict the eligible applicants to only those in certain streams or those who are already doing well in Maths, leaving many without a chance to experience Math Olympiad questions at all.

Lately, teachers and parents have noted that the questions in Maths Olympiad have actually been making their way into upper primary Maths papers, especially the PSLE. In recent years, questions leaked from PSLE Maths papers have gone viral, where parents complained that the papers were becoming too difficult and that even a higher-level student would have difficulties answering the questions correctly.

Based on the way scoring works in the PSLE, it is normal to expect a number of exceptionally difficult questions designed to sieve out the crème de la crème. However, the concerns raised are that most students do not have the adequate exposure to give them even a chance to answer these questions in their mainstream papers.That is where external Maths enrichment comes into play. Even if it may be unfair to some students, it is no longer enough to simply rely on the topics taught in the classroom. To truly excel in upper primary and PSLE Maths, students must seek out Maths enrichment on their own accord.

What can be Done to Inspire Interest in Primary Maths?

The ideal scenario would be to inspire every child to have a thirst for knowledge and a desire to understand Maths in their everyday lives. Many parents and teachers may be thinking that this is easier said than done.

One great way to spark an interest in Maths is to introduce students to applications of Maths. This is especially easy with Primary Maths as the topics taught are relatively elementary and visible in our daily lives, such as money, fractions, speed and time. By helping students to establish the connection between Maths concepts and their real-life applications, they will find it easier to internalise the ideas and apply them with their own understanding.

Making learning fun can also be a useful method to get students interested in Maths. Instead of drilling them with practice questions all the time, try introducing some Maths puzzles or games that make use of the concepts they are learning. Additionally, strategic or logical puzzles can also make for great learning tools. Not all games have to be directly related to the topics taught in Maths, as even developing basic problem-solving skills will go a long way in boosting a child’s attitude towards Maths and logical thinking.

Additionally, students should be introduced to as many different methods as possible when it comes to solving a problem. If they are forced to complete a problem in just one specific way, this greatly limits their perspective and harms their ability to think out of the box when they face future problems. However, when students are shown multiple methods of arriving at the same conclusion, they will be better able to understand that there is always more than one way to solve a problem, which is an especially crucial concept in their later education.

No matter where you travel around the globe, it would appear that most people seemingly know very little about secondary maths or mathematics as a whole. Whilst this may be the case, the importance of mathematics is more important in modern society than ever before in history.

Mathematics is at the heart of modern culture and is often confused with philosophy, which is often given credit for modern innovation. Theorems of mathematical logic have allowed society to develop much of what we see around us and have revealed limitations on past beliefs and theories. Mathematics is in everything we do every day. From loading up a computer for school to art lessons, we see maths in everything. Since Pythagoras, arguably the most famous mathematician of all time, discovered numerical reasons in musical harmony, the relationship between mathematics and art has been unbreakable. Such aspects of mathematics create a bridge between the humanities and the natural sciences, and therefore between the two cultures.

Application Of Maths

Mathematics has a wide number of useful benefits to our mind once it is studied, all of which can be applied to our daily life. It allows us to develop reasoning, helps us to think from an analytical standpoint, improves our ability to make a decision, and also generates practicality, allowing us to make decisions during our day to day lives.

Unfortunately, the mathematics presented in school can appear boring, abstract, and lacking in creativity for many students. It can be complex and difficult to understand which is why many individuals believe they are ‘not a numbers person’. However, we teach students the fun side of maths. The ways in which it can be practical, the ways in which it can help them as well as how constant practice can benefit them.

If you believe that your child is struggling with secondary maths, then lessons from one of our tutors may be the right solution. We can provide your child with professional knowledge, making use of methodological procedures to transfer knowledge to your child.

Problems Associated With Maths

When it comes to modern education, one of the biggest problems today is that schools do not express the importance of mathematics. Students are not interested in the subject even though it has many benefits from science applications, as well as well-paid jobs in engineering, statistics, education, and technology. Students see maths as a topic that is boring and somewhat irrelevant rather than looking at the benefits it can bring them throughout their futures. Here are some of the key benefits that maths can have for your children.

How Can Maths Help Students?

Maths enables us to think from an analytical standpoint. It can be defined as the thought directed to understand the arguments in its premises or the many expressions that compose an argument. It can be used to see the different relations that exist between them and a conclusion or in order to judge the reliability of one answer compared to another. When completing maths, we collect all of the data available, break it down to its very basics, observe the relationships between each part of the data, and solve it in a rational manner. This allows us to arrive at logical solutions that can be applied to nearly every real-world problem. We can take a look at the most logical standpoint, look at possible data, and use it to reach an informed conclusion.

Another benefit of secondary and JC Maths are that it quickens our minds and helps us to engage in deep thought. This can be extremely useful when facing complex problems. Our life is composed of various decisions, the ways in which we approach these decisions, and the reasons as to why we make them. Maths can help your child to open their mind and understand the best way to solve something.

Maths can lead to high-paying and successful careers. It is important to remember that all children are talented in their own way. Not every child is predestined to become the next top actor, singer, or dancer. Working on maths from an early age can really set your child ahead of the competition when it comes to both education and career paths. Provide them with enough support and they will be able to secure a job that can bring a stable income and bright future.

Maths is very important in a world of constant change. The influx of technology in modern society is always changing the ways in which we work and live. Teaching your child maths can enable them to better understand these technologies and get the very best out of them. It is ideal for learning how things work and why they work the way they do. This can be learned at the Secondary Maths level all the way to JC Maths, informing your child of how to think and the benefits of thinking analytically.