In 2018, the Ministry of Education (MOE) introduced a plan known as “Learn for Life” where students are encouraged to perform in other areas aside from academics. Under this new plan, primary 1 and 2 students will have no exams in school.
While parents feel relieved that the stress that comes with school exams is lifted, many worry about keeping track of their child’s progress as exams and tests are traditionally the indicators of how well our children are progressing in school.
How to Keep Track Of Your Child’s Progress in school?
Without this benchmark, we show you some ways to keep track of your child’s progress in school in primary 1 and 2.
1. Your teacher is your greatest friend
Get to know your child’s teachers at the beginning of the school year. Before you rush to meet the teachers, give your child’s teachers some time to get to know your child’s learning style.
Share any nuances your child may have so the teachers understand how to manage the study progress of your child. Ask the teachers how you can support your child’s learning at home. Also, enquire about the social dynamics of your child’s class (“is your child making friends?”) and participation in class (“is he participating in class?”).
2. Understand how the school assesses your child
Knowing how your child will be assessed in school will help you to keep track of your kids’ academic progress and prepare your child better in his learning journey.
Does the teacher conduct frequent evaluations of the subjects taught? Or do they give a formative assessment at the end of each semester? Can you see the work assignments given to your child?
Stay open to your teacher’s suggestions. Follow up with the teacher on your child’s academic progress if you have any concerns.
3. Know the other resources available to you
At the primary 1 and 2 levels, you can buy assessment books to supplement your child’s learning. But we highly caution you not to overload your child with assessment practices as this might do more harm than good.
If your child is particularly weak in certain areas like comprehension or Mandarin, you can tap on other resources like reinforcing reading habits or hiring a tutor to help boost your child’s academic performance.
No Exams? No Problem
With no exams in school to worry about, you can enhance your child’s learning journey with non-academic classes.
Here are some suggestions on what you can do to ensure that your kids are doing well in school.
Explore interesting locations to enhance their learning
Singapore has many public places like museums and parks where your child can explore and learn at the same time. Talk to your child about the interesting things they see. Help them learn more and understand how things work by asking questions to raise their curiosity.
Support their learning with real-life applications
At home, you can show how fractions are used when you sliced up pizza. Speak or read in your child’s mother tongue to help reinforce interest and practice. You can also conduct simple science experiments to help with the learning of basic science.
Build a positive attitude towards learning and improving
Be supportive and encouraging during their process, especially when they fail to succeed. Offer them useful tips that will help them to learn better. For example, say things like “how about if we try this way?” or “would you like me to show you another way to do it?”
Cultivate a strong reading habit
Reading is a source of learning support for students in the latter years of their academic life. So building a strong foundation for reading will help prepare them to be more resilient in their studies. Bring them to the library and encourage them to enjoy reading.
Help your child develop good study habits
Work with your child to create a study schedule he can follow. Teach your child how to revise and help him set up a conducive study environment where he can focus on and complete his schoolwork on time.
Read also: Tips for Parents: Choosing a Primary School for Your Child
We hope the above tips helped you to keep track of your child’s progress in school. If you have other ways to do so, share them with us in the comments below.
