Crucial stage of a 12-year-old student
In Singapore, Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) is a big deal where many parents, teachers and students treat it as a major event.
As teachers, we know the joy of learning is more important than examination but there is no escape from the reality of this evaluative examination to determine where a child can go after Primary education.
Below is a videoclip of a 12-year-old student in preparation of her PSLE.
Stress out
Most children can face high stress when major examinations are coming.
There are even some who become more mischievous as a form of release during stressful times.
With lots of homework as well as home tuition planned, it is natural to feel the stress even for adults when we have a major presentation for our work.
In some of my articles in the past, I wrote about how our brain works and how we can retain what we learn.
The fact that our brains can only retain that much of information even if we keep downloading new information to them.
Teachers have experienced students who look like zombies during lessons because they may not have enough sleep and they really need a break.
As teachers and parents, we can craft a nice schedule that allows our children to have a good structured revision as well as their own time for leisure so that it is more well-balanced.
Anxiety as parents
Regardless of how much teachers can emphasize to parents that examination is not everything during teacher-parent meeting, parents still feel that getting good grades for PSLE can determine the future of their children.
With great anxiety, many parents may be nagging at home to get their children to pick up a book to study.
The truth is even if the child picks up a book, he/she may just be flipping through to stop the nagging but nothing goes into the brain.
Instead of expressing anxiety through nagging or scolding, teachers and parents should be motivators rather than control freaks.
We should find the right moment to praise and encourage our children so that he/she is motivated to learn rather than being forced to do so.
Communication
Without good communication, there can be many misunderstandings between parents and children.
As parents, we need to know whether our children are able to handle their stress.
A good study plan is not about doing more but doing it right.
Parents can share their thoughts to their children and children can share what they are thinking of or their feeling about PSLE.
Open communication can let parents and children understand each other’s intentions and emotions.
It is great when we can establish mutual understanding with our children but it is not going to be easy.
Quality vs Quantity
It is not really about doing more that can help a student to do well.
We can have children who spend hours daily to study but still do badly for their examinations.
They must identify the key concepts of the topics and essential information that they must master.
They can also evaluate from past year PSLE examinations, the topics that have more weightage so that they can focus on the essential and key concepts when there is limited time.
In conclusion
This article has shared some thoughts and ideas for parents to ponder.
It can also depend on your child. Every child is different so what has been suggested may not apply to your child.
Some children are naturally self-motivated to learn as they know what they want in life.
As teachers and parents, we can agree that the attitude of learning is more important than examination results.
Let’s focus on whether our child has developed the right attitude to learn rather than how much worksheets he/she has done.
Disclaimer: This is my personal reflection and I am not in any position to instruct anyone what they should do. I am not responsible for any action taken as a result of this post. My post can only be a reference for your further research and growth. By reading this post, you acknowledge and accept that. All images and pictures were taken from google images that are free from copyright under labelled for reuse.
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://fun2learn.vornix.blog/2018/12/09/crucial-stage-of-a-12-year-old-student/