There are many assessment books in the market. Most parents feedback they don't know which book to buy. They are very reasonable. They want to give their children suitable practices so that the children also have time for play. However, which one to buy? Or which one not to buy?
For pupils who are weak in foundation, they could explore getting a few books for practice. For a P4 pupil going to P5 next year, he could buy P3 or P4 books to practice during this school holiday.
However, for pupils who are getting 80s, these assessment books may not be suitable. I can
find many Chinese characters and contents that are beyond primary school
syllabus in these books. By spending time and effort on these books,
meaningful learning isn't enhanced.
It is for this reason that I am writing my own materials to plug the gaps.
Monday 23 November 2015
Chinese / Higher Chinese 华文 / 高级华文
What is the difference between Chinese and Higher Chinese (HCL)?
The expectations for HCL are much higher. This could be seen in many areas:
1) The number of Chinese characters to learn are more.
2) HCL exam is more difficult because there are no MCQs, no listening comprehension and no oral components, these are all areas most pupils tend to do well in.
3) The marks are the same for both papers - 40 marks, but the weightage in HCL is 40%, compared to CL's 20%.
4) The composition topics for HCL are more difficult to master, there is no picture-topic writing!
5) The comprehension answers are not so straightforward and lifting is not good enough.
More....
In short, pupils who are hardworking tend to do quite well for their Chinese papers. I even had pupils who got A* telling me they don't read any Chinese books. However, such pupils may not do so well for their HCL papers.
Most who find HCL easy, are those who read. There is no substitute for reading. Considering the vast amount of unsuitable materials out there, what to read?
The expectations for HCL are much higher. This could be seen in many areas:
1) The number of Chinese characters to learn are more.
2) HCL exam is more difficult because there are no MCQs, no listening comprehension and no oral components, these are all areas most pupils tend to do well in.
3) The marks are the same for both papers - 40 marks, but the weightage in HCL is 40%, compared to CL's 20%.
4) The composition topics for HCL are more difficult to master, there is no picture-topic writing!
5) The comprehension answers are not so straightforward and lifting is not good enough.
More....
In short, pupils who are hardworking tend to do quite well for their Chinese papers. I even had pupils who got A* telling me they don't read any Chinese books. However, such pupils may not do so well for their HCL papers.
Most who find HCL easy, are those who read. There is no substitute for reading. Considering the vast amount of unsuitable materials out there, what to read?
Class Schedule for 2016
This is the class schedule for 2016. Please call 8651-2887 for more information. Thank you!
孙老师 小学华文 / 高级华文Primary school Chinese / Higher Chinese
Saturday 25 April 2015
Friday 14 November 2014
Sengkang - Anchorvale
My new house at Sengkang is ready and I have shifted in! I will be conducting Chinese tuition classes from there w.e.f. 2015. To reach there, you have to take the west loop LRT and alight at Farmway station.
Tuesday 12 November 2013
Should I take up/opt-in Higher Chinese?
Some parents may be making this choice now...
The 2 areas that parents should consider are:
1) Is my child interested in the language?
2) Is my child able to cope with the language studied at a higher level?
The most common mistake most parents made was that they automatically opt-in without thinking through whether Higher Chinese is really good for the child.
For children going from P4 Chinese to P5 Higher Chinese, there is actually a 2-step jump (P4 to P5; Chinese to Higher Chinese). Initially, many children may find their marks dropping and some may even fail their Higher Chinese papers. This is not totally unexpected considering the 2-step jump. Some may struggle for a while and pick up slowly and eventually be able to do well in P6. However, some may continue to do badly and even drop Higher Chinese at the end of P5.
So parents, do consider this option carefully.
The 2 areas that parents should consider are:
1) Is my child interested in the language?
2) Is my child able to cope with the language studied at a higher level?
The most common mistake most parents made was that they automatically opt-in without thinking through whether Higher Chinese is really good for the child.
For children going from P4 Chinese to P5 Higher Chinese, there is actually a 2-step jump (P4 to P5; Chinese to Higher Chinese). Initially, many children may find their marks dropping and some may even fail their Higher Chinese papers. This is not totally unexpected considering the 2-step jump. Some may struggle for a while and pick up slowly and eventually be able to do well in P6. However, some may continue to do badly and even drop Higher Chinese at the end of P5.
So parents, do consider this option carefully.
Friday 28 June 2013
Leveraging on IT for more efficient learning
In my tuition class, I leveraged on IT for different purposes. One of which is to assess for pupils' understanding of vocabulary (attached is a screenshot). The questions are modeled along PSLE format and is also a good tool to reinforce understanding. Once you click your answer, the response is immediate. Great!
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