Holiday Programmes

Dear Parents,

Thank you for your interest in the classes. We regret to inform you that there are no more vacancies for P6 classes.

However, there will be June holiday programmes for P6 pupils.
- PSLE Math Revision Programme
- P5 / P6 Budding Writers Programme (Priority will be given to existing pupils who have missed the P5 lessons)
- PSLE Oral Workshop (Only for existing pupils)

Details will be provided next week.

Gain Free Admission to Science Centres Overseas

For those who are members of the Singapore Science Centre, do you know that you can gain free admission to participating Science Centres  overseas?

Here's the weblink that you can use to find out the participating Science Centres :

http://astc.org/members/passlist.htm

Potential P4 Math Class

Dear Parents,

There are requests from parents to start a P4 Math Class in July.

Time: 2 pm to 4 pm
Day: Wed

Please send us an email or sms if you are keen to enrol your child in the class. We will update you once the minimum class size is reached.

New Classes Starting in July

An ex-Math HOD will be joining Serena's Greenhouse and new classes will start in July.

Profile of Teacher:
- A dedicated ex-Math HOD with more than 10 years of teaching experience.
- Has taught the crème P6 classes for many years, producing stellar results. In 2011, 97.5% of the pupils from the top P6 class in a neighbourhood school achieved A* in Math.
- Has conducted numerous workshops for parents in school.
- Has also conducted sharing at cluster, zonal and national levels.
- Second Upper Honours Bachelor in Business Administration
- Postgraduate Diploma in Education from NIE
- Alumna of Raffles Junior College and Raffles Girls' Secondary

New Classes:
Wednesday
2 pm to 4 pm P4 Science
4.30 pm to 6.30 pm P5 Math

Sunday
9 am to 11 am P5 Math
11.30 am to 1.30 pm P4 Science

Classes will start when there is a minimum of 6 pupils.

Feel free to contact us to enquire further.
1. Telephone : 98736115 (Please send me an sms if we miss your call)
2. Email: serenagreenhouse@gmail.com
3. Address of Learning Centre: Blk 501, Jurong West St 51, #03-263

Check this blog for details of upcoming June holiday programmes. If you are keen to sign up for the holiday programmes, you may want to send us an sms or email so that we can keep you updated.

The Sinking of Titanic

Just went through a Comprehension exercise on the sinking of  Titanic. Thought it was apt to adapt an article from the National Geographic magazine since this month marks the 100the anniversary of the sinking of the ship.

The kiddos were interested to learn more about the ship. I wanted to show them a clip with some pictures of the ship that I found on the Internet but was not able to do so due to time constraint.

Here's the clip that I found:

Some Addditional Facts about Titanic (not mentioned in the Comprehension passage):
- Titanic cost $7.5 million to build in the early part of the 20th century. It would cost about $400 million to build it today.
- It took the equivalent of a small town to build Titanic - about 14 000 workers in all.
- The passengers or the crew did not try to rescue the survivors in the water because many people were worried that the extra people would sink the lifeboats.
- The Titanic had two sister ships. The Olympic, built at the same time, was just as big but not as heavy. It was used as a troopship during World War 1 and sailed until 1935. The Brittanic, built in 1914 and used as a hospital ship during the war, was sunk in 1916.

Differences between an alligator and a crocodile

Have you wondered if there are differences between an alligator and a crocodile? Well, when I was going through a comprehension passage recently, my pupils posed me this question.

Here are some general ways to tell the two apart:

(1) Shape of the jaw

Crocodiles tend to have longer, more pointed, V-shaped snouts while alligators tend to have wider, U- shaped, rounded snouts.

(2) Teeth

The fourth tooth on the lower jaw sticks up over the upper lip on crocodiles. Hence we can see it when their mouths are closed. The fourth tooth of an alligator is covered up.

(3) Habitat

Crocodiles prefer saltwater habitats while alligators prefer freshwater habitats. Crocodiles have special glands in their tongues that can get rid of excess salt. Although alligators have these special glands too but they do not work as well as the crocodiles'.

Do you know?

Both alligators and crocodiles are members of the reptilian order, Crocodylia. But the families they belong to, Alligatoridae and Crocodylidae respectively, differ. The term "crocodilian" encompasses not just the common alligators and crocodiles but also the lesser known Gavialidae family that contains the lone gavial, or gharial. There are 23 species of crocodilians.

Motivating Kids to Read

Most parents recognise the importance of reading. However, some parents find it daunting to motivate their kids to read. Here are some tips:

(1) Read aloud with your child.

While reading aloud to your child, discuss the story or engage in role play. Make the read aloud session fun. For example, children love to make sound effects. You can give your child some props to make sound effects as you read. This added interaction adds a fun element to reading.

(2) Look for books that your child might like.

Use their interests and hobbies as starting points. For example, my nephews, who were fans of Thomas the Train, started to enjoy reading when they read books on their beloved train.

(3) Take your child to the library regularly.

Children like to go on family outings. Make the library one of the weekend haunts for the family. Let them choose a few books themselves.

(4) Set aside a time slot for reading daily.

For example, everybody settles down to read for 15 to 20 minutes after dinner. You can even encourage the kids to organise a quiz based on the book that they are reading.

(5) Make reading materials available and accessible.

Surround the kids with books and other reading materials. They will grow up and view books as part of their daily life.

(6) Read yourself.

If the kids see that you read and you enjoy reading, they are more likely to develop the same habit and pursue the same activity.

(7) Use movie or video tie-ins.

Get the kids interested in reading a book by watching a related movie first. Here are some examples of movies (suitable for different age groups) that are based on books: "Where the Wild Things Are", "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "Hunger Games", "Charlotte's Web" and many others.

(8) Listen to audio books.

(9) Read what your child is reading.

Read your children's books so that you can engage them in a fun discussion.

(10) Reward your child for reading.

When the children are younger, give them some small rewards for reading. For example, after they have read for half an hour, they get to watch their favourite educational DVD or go down to the playground to play. When they are older and reading becomes part and parcel of their daily lives, rewards will no longer be necessary.

~ Serena's Greenhouse

How self-concept affects learning (Part 2)

I noticed last week that a few of my P6 pupils in my Math class were struggling with word problems on speed. They even commented, "I am weak in this topic." I started observing them when they did their work on this topic. True enough, they gave up easily whenever they saw an unfamiliar question or a question that they did not know.

I decided to spend a few minutes to conduct a pep talk this evening. This class consists of high-ability kids (scoring about 75 and above in P5 Math). Hence I have not seen a need to conduct a pep talk on self-concept till now.

Today, I shared with them how I have seen, over the years, pupils being impeded in their learning by their self-concept. Once these pupils managed to overcome their low self-concept and started thinking more positively about their ability, most of them started showing improvement.

I shared with them that they and their self-concept are their worst enemies when it comes to learning. If they think they cannot do it, chances are they can't do it. It was what happened to me when I was young. I tried to learn cycling at Secondary 2. However, I failed because my brain kept telling me that I had poor psychomotor skills. During a holiday a few years later, I managed to overcome this and managed to learn how to cycle. I even shared with the kids that till now, I still can't really swim as I have not managed to overcome my fear of the water. I still believe that I won't be able to conquer this fear.

After the pep talk, the pupils began to show improvement. They were more willing to make an attempt at the questions. One pupil, in particular, displayed a GREAT change in his attitude. The willingness to tackle the questions pleasantly surprised me. The power of self-concept is amazing. Let me share a meaningful quote with you.

"If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish."
~ Sam Walton

How self-concept can affect learning

Have you heard a child lament, "I always fail Math. I can't do Math. "? What about the next comment? "I'm not good in Math. I will not do well in this test again?" If these comments sound familiar, you may want to read on.

Basically, the child's self-concept has affected his learning. What is self-concept? Self-concept is how we think about and evaluate ourselves.

How does self-concept affect learning? Let me share with you an anecdote. Three years ago, I was teaching a P6 average ability class (fourth last class in terms of Math results) in school. The classes were banded according to Math results. Before the year started, I scrutinised their P5 examination results. All the pupils except one failed their P5 Math examination. The class average was 41 marks.

When I stepped into the class on the first day, I asked the class casually, "How many of you hate or dislike Math?" Many hands shot into the air. Then I let the kids share with me why they hated or disliked Math. The common reasons are:

(a) I do not know how to do a lot of Math questions.

(b) Math questions are tough.

(c) I have been failing Math throughout P5.

I started my first pep talk of the year. I told them that I will do my best to help them but they must believe in me and themselves. I told them that they will soon realise and believe that it is possible to pass Math.

After the orientation week, I spent a lot of time on Math in the morning. This is because the kids are the most alert in the morning. My Math periods are usually 3 to 4 periods long. Basically, I was using periods of other subjects. Hence I told the class that they had to be prepared to stay behind for extra lessons as I needed time for other subjects too. I cannot sacrifice the time for other subjects as the PSLE T-score still depends on all four subjects.

I set class tests for the class so that I could "force" the kids to revise the concepts taught and assess their learning through bite-sized assessments. Gradually, the kids experienced success in the class tests. Some of them started to be more motivated. As an educator, it was so gratifying to see the sparkle or the newfound confidence in the kids.

The big breakthrough came in CA. When the class saw that a number of their classmates managed to pass their Math test for the first time since P5, the class was ecstatic. I could still remember the applause and the cheers for their classmates. Even those who failed were clapping for their friends who passed. After all the applause, I gave the class a pep talk again. "I'm so proud of your friends who passed. Well done! For those who failed, take a look at your marks. If you have shown improvement and are now close to borderline pass, I'm happy for you too! Continue to work hard and I'm sure you will be able to pass in SA1. So you see, it's possible to pass, right?" I was really heartened when I saw many pupils nodding their heads.

After this episode, the rest of the year is about the drilling of commonly tested questions and clarifying misconceptions. It was gratifying that at the end of the year, the same kids shared with me that they no longer feared Math.

What can you do as parents? Well, I think that you should invest time in giving the kid pep talks. Try to change the mindset or raise the self-concept. Let the child have a chance to experience success. Once you are able to raise the child's self-concept, half the battle is won.

Kids fail the examinations due to different reasons. Some are bright but not motivated. Some are slower learners and need a lot of reinforcement. Some have very low self-concept.

Before frantically searching for a tutor, try to work on raising the child's self-concept. The time spent is really worthwhile.

Education is a Partnership

I was having a conversation with one of my friends one day and he commented that he is very busy with his work. Hence he has outsourced 100% of his child's learning to tutors. He does not have time to go through his child's work even though his child is in Primary 1 this year. He thinks that since he has spent a huge sum of money on tuition, he does not see the need to monitor his child's learning. Does that sound familiar?

I shook my head and shared my views with him. Most children need some form of supervision. Of course, I have seen some highly-motivated kids throughout my teaching career who hardly need any form of supervision when they are in upper primary. However, most kids need parental supervision. Why do I say that? The tutor only sees the child for about 2 hours a week. A lot of work needs to be done beyond the 2 hours. The child must have the discipline to revise the notes given or complete the assignments given. Otherwise, the time and money spent on tuition will go to nought.

I have always been a FIRM believer that in the school context, education is a partnership and collaboration between the school and the parents. That's why MOE believes in educating parents about what goes on in schools through events like the MOE EXCEL Fest. It is an annual event that celebrates and shares exciting and innovative practices in schools. It is also a platform for parents and members of the public to find out about the latest developments in our education landscape.

Likewise, I believe that for a child to truly benefit from the tuition classes, he or she must put in effort and revise what has been taught. Parents should also monitor their learning.

In short, here is my belief:

With the right M.A.C.S, every child can achieve.

What is M.A.C.S?

Mindset(Child)+Attitude(Child)+Coaching(Teacher/tutor)+Supervision (Parents) = Achievement

With this belief, I have always informed parents about my expectations. I think it is important for parents of my pupils (in the past) and tutees (currently) to understand my expectations and that they have to play an active role in monitoring their child's learning.

Let me share with you a quote. I have always shared it with my pupils.

There is no substitute for hard work.

~ Thomas Edison

Science Video - Metamorphosis of Monarch butterfly

Watch how a butterfly emerges from the chrysalis!

Science Video - Monarch caterpillar transforming into chrysalis

Watch this video that shows how a monarch caterpillar transforms into a chrysalis. Amazing!