The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) is one of the most critical milestones in every Singaporean child’s academic journey. Whether your child is doing revisions at their enrolled tuition centres or home, preparing for the examination involves a lot of revision and ensuring that the student understands all the materials taught in the past year.
Around this examination period, students and parents will start to feel the pressures of revision. It is a stressful period mainly for the child. As a parent, it is essential to help your child cope with the stress and pressure by having a solid plan and ensuring your child has the support and materials they need to help them with an effective revision.
Here are some helpful tips for parents to help their child prepare for PSLE.
Set realistic goals with your child
Revision can be challenging when students have a busy schedule. Set small, attainable goals to motivate your child during the revision process.
Parents are encouraged to discuss prospects with their children and give them a goal to work towards. It is crucial to determine your child’s aspirations, desired results, and aspired secondary school, college, or career path; this will give parents an idea of what their child should work towards while highlighting the importance of studying hard to achieve these goals without giving them extra pressure.
Develop a study plan
Identify the list of topics covered in each subject in the exam. It is possible to break down broad topics like science into smaller subtopics; this will help students to see the topics covered in the exam that needs to be revised. Your child needs to have a study plan to prioritise tasks and see where their efforts are going.
You should ensure that your child knows how to answer questions on various topics while going through their study plan. You can help your child feel more confident about their topic knowledge by encouraging them to consider what they need to do.
Identifying strengths and weaknesses
One of the most effective methods of revising, especially in the final weeks leading up to the exam, is to review previously graded papers to identify your child’s commonly made mistakes; this is an effective way of studying as students would only be focusing on areas where they tend to make mistakes, rather than areas they have already mastered.
When revising for PSLE, students should focus on specific difficulties rather than doing full papers repeatedly so that time is spent wisely working on their areas of improvement. After analysing errors with parents or teachers, the students can focus on their common mistakes by applying the appropriate answering skills.
Knowing when to take a break
The most important tip for parents to help their child cope with the stress of examinations is to remind them to take mental and physical breaks. Having something other than assessment books to bond over helps break up the monotony of studying.
Taking breaks allows your child to unwind and consolidate what they have learned over the revision period. Parents can also benefit from taking a break from revisions with their children.
Conclusion
It is natural to give great significance to PSLE, as it is our first major exam. If you prepare your child with the right study skills, a positive attitude, and self-discipline, they will soar to greater heights. Ultimately, there is more to life than PSLE, which is only the beginning of a long journey.
At Heuristics Science, we offer a wide array of PSLE science guide books for your children to learn how to tackle different types of questions and scientific concepts to ace their PSLE. We also provide science enrichment programs in Singapore, allowing your child a deeper understanding of the subject of science beyond the classroom. If you’re looking to help your child reach their maximum potential, sign up with us today!