Math Heuristic: Systematic Listing

Hi all,

Another Math Video this week. In this video, I will be touching on Systematic Listing. The key method here is 'branching'. Have fun!

If-If Heuristic: Solving It In Pictures

Hi!

The video below shows how to solve 'If-If' type of questions in Math. Many children still struggle at solving this type of questions in P6. I hope your child can benefit from the video.

Have fun!

The Hidden Trap: 3 Stages Of Giving Up On Your Child

Recently, a parent told me that she tutors her own child and saves a lot of money on engaging a private tutor. Her child is in Primary 2 and her SA1 results are:

English: 81%
Math: 84%
Chinese: 72%

I know the child personally and she is seriously underperforming. She is bright and mature for her age. She likes challenges and is strong in her Math thinking skills.

You heard it in my blog before and I will say it again: Proper foundation in P1 and P2 is crucial for your child. Do not fall into the trap of taking it easy in these two years.

It might be shocking to you but many parents actually go through three stages before giving up on their children.


Stage 1: She is Band 2 in Primary 1 and 2. It should be fine.

At this stage, the parent feels that the child is coping well and very limited guidance is given to the child. The parent feels that the child should have 'some childhood' and resists to enrol the child in extra lessons.

The child scores well and most of his/her time is squandered away.

Primary 1 and 2 syllabuses are easy to MASTER and should be mastered before the child goes to Primary 3. The child should at least score high 80s for all subjects at these levels.


Stage 2: My child is struggling! I must enrol her in more enrichment programs!

This usually happens in Primary 3. At this level, there is an additional subject (Science). English and Math have also become SIGNIFICANTLY harder.

I pity the child at this stage. The parent goes into panic mode and starts to enrol the child in various enrichment programs. The intention of the parent is good. However, this is also the point where most of the interest in learning was destroyed.

The child is already overloaded with a new subject and the increased difficulty of the other subjects. On top of this, the parent still loads the child with more classes.

The child is a child and will not think like an adult. She will go for the enrichment classes and secretly resents them. In addition, it was the parent who first instil the concept of 'It's okay' into the child. The child is confused and does not understand the change in the attitude of the parent.

At this point, the child's results drops because she is experiencing burnout. With the drop in results, the parent enrols the child in even more tuition classes. Thus, a vicious cycle ensues.


Stage 3: My child is not the 'studious type'. No amount of tuition can help her.

This is the stage where the parent gives up on the child. The child is not improving even though she is going for multiple enrichment classes.

Both the child and the parent are tired. The parent convinced himself/herself that the child is not inclined towards studying and stops all enrichment lessons.

The child got the message and also gave up on herself. She just drags her days along and hopes for a pass in PSLE.


It is very sad. Rewind a few years back and give the child a proper foundation in the subjects. Be a little more involved and proactive. Don't you think there will be another ending to this story?

I am not advocating that all children must go for enrichment classes. However, we have to be realistic. It is simply too difficult to meet good and passionate school teachers to take your child to the next level. The only alternative is private tuition.

Actually, I believe strongly that parents are the best teachers if they know the syllabus and content well. They have the highest probability to have 'teachable moments' with their children.Some parents are very good in teaching their children. However, these parents are also rare. 


If your child is in P1 or P2, be more involved in your child's education. Lay the foundation properly for your child. It will help your child in her studies in P3 and P4.

If your child is in P3 or P4, do not panic when your child's results are dropping. Encourage your child. Speak positively to him/her. Find a good tutor to help him/her. The most important thing at this stage is quality in tuition is better than quantity in tuition.

If your child is in P5 or P6. Help your child to set goals for PSLE and direct him/her to do his/her own self-study.


Remember this: Never give up on your child. 

What Is Your Learning Culture At Home? - Part 2

This is a follow-up from my previous post. How can you develop a positive learning culture at home?


4. Real life application

This is linked to constructing meaning for learning. WHY do we learn? We learn in order to solve real life problems.

When I do the topic of Money (Math) with my child, I bring him to the supermarket and give him some money. I give him a list of things to buy and tells him to check if the money is enough.

Then, he needs to find all the items and their prices. Next, he adds them up. This helps him to understand how expensive or how cheap the products are and if we have enough money for them.

Through this activity, he learned to apply his knowledge about money and the addition of money.


5. Extension of Knowledge

Sometimes, Zenith (my P1 child) will be very interested in one topic. This is when I offer to extend the knowledge with him.

For example, he was learning about materials in Science (through a game on my tablet) when he asked a question about the elements in the materials. So, I started a side project with him to list down the first 50 elements in the periodic table.

You will not believe how interested he is in this topic. He bugs me everyday to help him research on the elements.


6. Topic Linking

Topic linking is extremely important for Science and Math. 

The entire Science syllabus is based on linking the basics of Science together. 

Living things are linked to the six main groups of animals. Non-living things are linked to the materials. Cycles are broken down into life cycles and matter. Matter is then further linked to water.

The entire Science syllabus is a network of topics.

Apart from content linking in Science, it is also important to link the process skills together. You learn observing before you learn comparing. Then, you learn classifying.




Cultivating a good learning culture at home will reap huge benefits in your children's future.

Stay tuned for the next post!

What Is Your Learning Culture At Home? - Part 1

Why is it that the same lessons yield different results from different students?

It is frustrating.

When a lesson does not resonate with a student, it bothers me. I will then spend countless nights reflecting on the cause of this phenomenon.

What is the missing piece?

And yet, the exact methods and lessons I used on my sons all yield the similar results. What was the thing that I did right with them?

After mulling on it for weeks, I narrowed it down to a single factor: the culture at home.

I have a standard template on preparing my children for learning.

1. Construct meaning way in the work before actual learning
2. Set aside specific time for specific learning
3. Establish learning goals for each learning task
4. Apply the learning to real life
5. Extend the learning into projects if the child is very interested in the topic
6. Link the learning to the next topic


1. Constructing Meaning

If your child asks you “Why do we need to study this?”, what would be your answer? It will get harder to answer as the child grows up.

For example, I always asked myself the reason for learning History when I was in Secondary One. No one could answer my question then. It would be much easier for me to learn History if someone gives me a reason to learn it.

It is much easier to answer a child when he starts to ask the reason behind to learn basic arithmetic. The earlier you give meaning to your child’s learning, the less struggle they will have when they grow up.

Weeks before I start the Math topic on measurements with Zenith (my eldest boy), I asked him about the length and height of many things at home. 

I gave him real life problems. One of the questions I asked him was “Will that shelf fit into this space here?”

This creates a gap in his learning. Instinctively, he would want to solve this problem. Over the next few days, I saw him using various things to measure the shelf.

Then, at the peak of his curiosity, I introduced the Math lesson on measurements.


2. Specific Time for Specific Learning

My timing for learning at home is 8pm everyday after their shower. I will set up the space and get ready for lessons at the same timing.

The learning usually takes about 45 minutes.
Once you have a standard time set up, there is no ambiguity and there is no power struggle. We do work at 8pm, pronto.


3. Learning Goals

I always communicate the learning goals to my children BEFORE the lessons.

Following the example on measurements, the learning goal was to be able to measure the length and height of objects accurately.

After the lesson, the child must be able to complete a standard worksheet on his own.


PSLE is just around the corner. For those parents with P6 children, have you set up a study routine at home?

Share your problems in the comments section and let’s all support each other in educating our children.

Watch out for Part 2 of this blog as I share about Real Life Application, Extension of Knowledge and Topic Linking.

P3/P4 Math Heuristics (Level 3 Lesson 1)

Good day to you!

The term break is just round the corner and I hope you have planned meaningful activities for your children.

Today, I am posting a video lesson on Math. It teaches the model method (one of the key heuristics) for solving word problems. Establishing a good foundation in model drawing is important in P3/P4 because the questions will get more complicated in P5/P6. Enjoy the lesson! 

(You can change the quality of the video by clicking on the gear icon on the bottom right corner of the video.)

(Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/WDj6j for monthly tips on how to motivate your child to study. A free ebook on writing is included in the newsletter.)

How I Set Goals Using LEGO In 7 Steps (Part 1)

Happy New Year to you!

This year, my eldest son is in Primary One and it is such a big jump from Kindergarten 2. For January, I am setting goals with him and I want to share with you how I set goals using LEGO as a platform.

First if all, I need to ask. Do you set goals with your child? 

Goal-setting is important because it gives them an idea of what to aim for. Just like what Stephen Covey said in his book 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People, "Begin with an end in mind."

I strongly believe that all children need to be educated in visualising their goal and how to break the goal down into achievable milestones.

To make goal-setting fun, I use LEGO as an example. (If you have not noticed by now, I am a huge fan of open-ended play like LEGO blocks.)


1. Big Picture - Ultimate goal

Before you buy any LEGO set for your child, he will look at the cover of the box. Why?

He is looking at what you are buying for him. He is looking at what he is going to own.

For any goal-setting, the big picture is important. Are you going to aim for 1st in class? Are you going to aim to top the level for Math? Are you going to aim to pass your Mother Tongue?

Without setting the Ultimate Goal is like buying a LEGO set without looking at its box. It will be random and the end product might not be what you wanted.

Hence, the Big Picture is very important.


2. Why? Why? Why? - Reasons behind the goal

The next step is to ask why. Why are you choosing this LEGO set and not the other sets? What is the appealing factor? 

This is usually easy for the child when he is choosing the LEGO set. The primary reason would be mostly he likes the set and that is why he chose it.

However, this is not so clear-cut when it comes to actual goal-setting. You have to dig deep and guide your child in this area. Some questions might include:

Why do you want to be 1st in class? Why is this important to you?

Note that this part is the most important part in goal-setting. At difficult times, revisiting these reasons will help the child endure the hardship and persevere to the end.


3. Planning - The Goal-Setting Process

You bought the LEGO set and brought it home. Do you just open the package and start building while you look at the box cover?

No, you look at the Building Instruction Manual and start building from Page 1.

Happy Lego Building = Big Picture + Emotions + Manual

In goal-setting, looking at the Ultimate Goal is useless if you do not have a plan. Therefore, you need to sit down and list down all the things you need to do to achieve your goal. Planning and creating the road map to your Ultimate Goal is important.

It gives us direction on what to do now and what to do next.

Good Goal-Setting = Ultimate Goal + Emotions + Plan


4. Small Parts - Breaking down The Ultimate Goal

For small LEGO sets, it is possible to build the whole model in one session. However, if you are looking at a very big LEGO set, you have to break down the parts you are building. 

Thankfully, it has all been done for you when they packaged the set. Usually they have Packets 1 to 5 to break a massive model into different parts.

For your child, you have to break down the Ultimate Goal with him. If you are looking at 1st place in class, how much should you get for your CA1, SA1, CA2 and SA2? To get that type of marks in the major exams, how much practice should we have and what type of marks should we get for those practices?

The small milestones should be actionable and measurable.


5. Process Vs Results - Make it fun!

To the LEGO non-builders out there, you might not know. The maximum satisfaction you get from a LEGO set is not the end result. It is actually the building process.

While it may sound ridiculous to you, the ultimate goal to goal-setting is not to achieve the goal, but to acquire the skill to plan the process of reaching a goal. The planning and troubleshooting are very big lessons the child learns from this exercise that will follow him throughout his life.

With this skill, your child can get many '1st in level' by himself. Hence, I urge you to make the process enjoyable and peaceful. Encourage your child to keep trying.


6. Commitment - Follow the plan

Lastly, have your child build a LEGO set halfway and leave it there for at least 3 days. Then ask him how he feels.

We cannot finish building the set if we do not follow the plan.

When we begin building a LEGO set, we must be committed to complete the model. Any models abandoned halfway will become useless. It is not a toy and it is not rubbish. It is just unfinished.

Hence, teach your child that any goal without commitment will also become something like that. Ask your child for his commitment during the goal-setting process. Is it one hour each day? Is it two revision papers each day?

Get him to write it down and sign his name there.


7. Chaos - They are still just children!

Tackle one LEGO set at a time. 

Imagine buying your child 5 LEGO sets and he started all of them together. He will most probably be overwhelmed and will not build all the 5 LEGO properly.

Set one Ultimate Goal with your child first. Track and troubleshoot along the way. Add one more goal when you see that your child is ready for the second one. 

Focusing on too many things = No focus



Have fun setting goals. Leave a comment for me if you have found this post useful! Encouragement is always welcomed. :P

(Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/WDj6j for monthly tips on how to motivate your child to study. A free ebook on writing is included in the newsletter.)