Part 1 – The Importance Of Tuition Classes
Every parent wants the best for their child, and this includes wanting them to excel academically. Therefore, it is not surprising to find that private tutoring is becoming increasingly popular in Singapore. In fact, based on the Household Expenditure Survey in 2018, the tuition industry in Singapore is estimated to be worth around S$1.4 billion. This is a staggering figure! And this statistic is expected to continue increasing in the foreseeable future!
Regardless of how you feel about this statistic and what it signifies about the education system in Singapore, there is no denying that a reliable tuition learning centre can play a significant role in improving a student’s grade. Since you are reading this article, you are likely considering enrolling your child in a learning centre to help with their studies. Let us share how private tuition can improve your child’s practical understanding of the various subjects taught in class.
1.1. How Tuition Classes Can Help Students Improve Academically
Benefit #1: Customised lessons tailored to your child’s learning style
Benefit #2: Choosing the best tutor for your child
Similarly, every teacher has a unique teaching style. Generally, students tend to respond better to learning when guided by a teacher compatible with their learning style. So while you cannot select your child’s school teachers, you can choose the ideal tutor for your child.
Given the broad array of tuition learning centres in Singapore, you are sure to find a tutor who can engage and inspire your child academically. Reading online reviews from other parents and students can provide you with a clear idea of a tutor’s teaching style and specialities, allowing you to know if they are well-suited to your child’s learning needs.
Benefit #3: Greater attention and focus on your child
It is no secret that teachers oversee bigger class sizes in public schools than private tutors teaching in a learning centre. This gives the latter an advantage. With fewer distractions, a tutor can devote more time and attention to brushing up on your child’s weak points and explaining concepts in greater detail so that they can better understand the syllabus.
Benefit #4: Your child receives help with their homework
Homework is an excellent way for your child to engage with the learning material and gauge how they fare academically. However, this is a fruitless exercise if your child struggles with their studies. Left to their own devices and without knowledge of how to complete the homework, these assignments become more of a box-ticking exercise than a learning session.
Having a tutor to guide your child in their homework and test practices can help keep them focused and interested in the study material. If your child has any doubts, they can clarify them immediately with their tutor. A tutor can be similarly effective with regard to test preparation. Having guided multiple students attending their tuition learning centre, a tutor can provide tips to help your child ace their upcoming tests.
1.2. Setting Realistic Expectations As A Parent
Yes! There is nothing wrong with wanting your child to perform well in their exams, and a tuition learning centre can help your child achieve this goal. However, it is also crucial to have realistic expectations of your child. For example, if your child usually struggles with Science, you should not expect them to score an “A” immediately after enrolling them in Science tuition. After all, learning takes time.
Setting unrealistic expectations can place tremendous stress on your child, impacting their well-being and studies. Chronic (long-term) stress can even cause anxiety and depression, thereby deterring your child from learning and leading to poor academic performance. Research has even shown that brains under chronic stress demonstrate trouble learning new things and committing new material to memory.
It is thoughtful to want your child to do well in school so that they are well-prepared for their future. But this desire becomes a problem when it is driven by the educational rat race prevalent in Singapore.
This does not mean your child should not apply themselves to the best of their abilities. However, it is essential to let them know that results are not be all and end all. As for how you can avoid causing unintended stress, here are a few pointers to keep in mind to set realistic and reasonable expectations for your child.
1. Remember that every child is unique
Set expectations based on your child’s capabilities and not what other children can do. After all, every child develops at a different pace. If your child struggles with Maths, it may not seem reasonable to expect them to score an “A” on their test. While Maths tuition can help, you should still expect incremental improvements and not a giant leap in grades.
2. Avoid setting expectations based on your wants
Some parents are guilty of living vicariously through their children. Perhaps they may not have performed well during their school years and do not want their children to follow in their footsteps. This thought is well-intended but can place unrealistic expectations on the children’s shoulders. Remember, our children are not our moulds or shadows. They are unique individuals with their own wants and expectations.
3. Be clear, consistent, and flexible
It is advisable to set clear, long-term expectations for your child. Along the way, you can break the long-term goal into achievable short-term objectives. For example, the short-term goals for your child can be to maintain good grades (based on their capability), while the long-term objective is to enrol in a local university.
However, be flexible with your child’s short-term goals. Review them with your child regularly and tweak the objectives accordingly if necessary. Do not hesitate to celebrate and allow your child to enjoy their success when they meet their short-term achievements.
4. Let your child know that it is ok to be imperfect
Clear and realistic expectations are beneficial for your child, as they help develop your child’s self-worth and boost confidence. With that said, you should not neglect to remind your child that nobody is perfect and falling short of their goals does not mean they are a failure. Instead, compliment your child for their effort and the accomplishments they achieved along the way.
Part 2 – A Breakdown Of The Different Subjects Taught In Schools And Learning Centres
Now that we have established how a tuition learning centre can help students excel academically, let us further explore the various subjects taught in our public education system. We hope that by learning more, you can understand the importance of having a solid foundation in each subject and how they inform your child’s future career.
English/Creative Writing
English is the most widely spoken language worldwide. As a result, it is not surprising to find that our public education system places a strong emphasis on this subject. A solid grasp of the language is essential if we want to communicate our thoughts and ideas cohesively to others.
However, communication comprises both oral and written forms. It is not enough for your child to speak well but also write well. English Creative Writing classes can help in this regard. Such English tuitionclasses have not only been shown to improve students’ grades in English but also in multiple other subjects. This is because Creative Writing helps improve one’s thinking skills and helps students learn more about themselves as writers.
So if you are seeking ways to boost your child’s English grades, one of the best things you can do is encourage them to write creatively by enrolling them in an English Creative Writing class. In fact, there are plenty of additional benefits to doing so beyond improving one’s academic performance.
Benefit #1: Understanding the mechanics of reading and writing
English Creative Writing classes do more than teach your child basic grammar and expand their vocabulary. Your child also learns more about the mechanics of reading and writing better. They will know when strict grammar rules work and when they don’t and how to make their writing compelling and flow better for readers so that it does not come across as dull and amateurish.
Benefit #2: Improve communication skills
The more your child writes the more they tend to seek new and innovative words to convey their thoughts. Dictionaries and thesauri are helpful tools in Creative Writing, aiding your child to utilise various words to get their thoughts across. This allows them to get a better grasp of the English language and expand their vocabulary, thereby improving their communication skills.
Benefit #3: Beneficial for your child’s well-being
Studies have revealed that expressive writing (i.e., Creative Writing) yields several health benefits, including mental wellness. Creative Writing provides your child with an outlet to express their thoughts and feelings, which helps alleviate their stress levels.
How Creative Writing paves career opportunities
English Creative Writing classes can help your child develop skills that are essential in the future. The ability to think critically and creatively is vital if your child has dreamt of being an Editor, Public Relations Specialist, or Novelist. Even if your child has aspirations beyond the writing field, these qualities can help lay the foundation for success, as these characteristics are highly sought after by numerous employers from different industries.
Primary School Maths
Maths! A subject that many students often struggle to master. This may explain why Maths tuition lessons are among the most common classes offered by various tuition learning centres in Singapore. Perhaps the reason why Maths can be challenging for students stems from the need to effectively visualise, understand, and provide substantial evidence for abstract concepts to arrive at the correct answer.
As students progress in their educational journey, the difficulty level is only going to rise. Without a sturdy foundation established in primary school, your child may find themselves falling behind the pace quickly. This is because Maths is a hierarchical subject where higher concepts and skills are built upon foundational ones. Therefore, each topic must be learned in sequence.
The Maths curriculum in Singapore is designed in a spiral manner, where concepts and skills taught in primary school (Numbers and Algebra, Geometry and Measurement) are revisited and built upon at each level to enable students to achieve greater depth and understanding. So it is crucial for your child to build familiarity with these various Maths topics to help ease their transition to secondary school.
There is a reason why Maths remains a crucial curriculum in the primary school programme established by MOE. Maths, at its core, is one of the most essential subjects your child learns in school, as every aspect of it can be applied in our daily lives. It is an excellent tool for encouraging logical reasoning and cognitive rigour, as well as developing your child’s mental discipline. Allow us to outline the advantages of learning Maths.
Advantage #1: Applicable in the real world
“Why do I have to learn this?”. Your child would probably have asked you this question in their short time as a student. Often, you may find yourself struggling to come up with a suitable response. Thankfully, that is not the case with Mathematics!
Your child’s Maths knowledge can be applied immediately to most real-world problems. For example, if you are purchasing groceries, you will require simple arithmetic to ensure you pay the proper amount and receive the correct sum in change. Maths is even applicable to most professions in the world.
Advantage #2: Improve problem-solving skills
Employees who demonstrate excellent problem-solving skills are deemed valuable assets to any team and are highly sought after by employers. Studying Maths can teach your child to think creatively, critically, and logically, thereby improving their problem-solving skills. This stands your child in good stead when they enter the workforce in the future.
Advantage #3: Strengthen your child’s mind
Research demonstrates that doing Maths plays a vital role in brain development and analytical skills. This is because Maths requires one to recognise patterns and create connections. This type of critical thinking builds your child’s brain muscles, which spills over into other facets of their studies.
Studying Maths can also bolster your child’s overall intelligence by helping them develop crucial skills, including systematic thinking, problem-solving, and sequence and pattern recognition. These skills can make a positive immediate impact on your child and serve them well in their future endeavours.
E Maths And A Maths
As we have shared earlier, Singapore’s Maths syllabus is hierarchical. Therefore, you should consider enrolling your child in Maths tuition if they struggle with the subject. The absence of a solid Maths foundation to build on can impact your child tremendously, especially when they advance to the upper secondary level, where the difficulty level rises exponentially.
When your child reaches secondary three, they have the option of taking O-Level Additional Maths (A Maths) in addition to O-Level Elementary Maths (E Maths). While E Maths is an extension of the secondary Maths syllabus, A Maths will expose your child to more challenging Maths concepts.
It is vital to note that E Maths is compulsory, whereas A Maths is not. So your child has to take both subjects if they enrol in A Maths. Naturally, the question that comes to mind is: should my child study A Maths? To help your child make a more informed decision, let us share the main difference that sets the two subjects apart.
Differences between E-Maths and A-Maths
1. Syllabus
The E Maths syllabus is an extension of the secondary school Maths curriculum and focuses on equipping students with an elementary grasp of Mathematics applicable in everyday situations. It explores concepts useful and relevant in our daily lives, such as currency exchange, simple and compound interest, and taxation.
Conversely, A Maths delves deeper into the mechanics and technicalities of Mathematics. Specific topics, like algebra, calculus, and geometry, overlap with the E Maths syllabus but are covered in greater detail to prepare students for the more advanced Mathematical modules they will encounter in tertiary education. The curriculum is designed to encourage students to analyse and apply critical thinking to the deeper Maths concepts taught in class.
2. Complexity
Many students expect E Maths to be simpler than A Maths. However, having taught multiple Maths tuition classes on both subjects, our tutors find the answer subjective. While E Maths may appear more simplistic, the exam questions tend to be trickier. These questions are designed to test students’ critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, as well as their capability to pay close attention to minute details that could cost them precious marks if overlooked.
In contrast, even though the topics covered in A Maths are more complex, exam questions seldom stray too far from the syllabus. So if your child has a clear understanding of these topics and concepts, they may find themselves excelling in the subject. This reason and the short amount of time (2 years) it takes to cover the syllabus may be why many students enrol in A Maths tuition. By attending this Maths tuition class, they receive expert guidance in tackling these complex topics.
3. Assessment format
E and A Maths share a similar assessment format. Both examinations comprise two papers, each carrying a 50% weightage of the total score. The difference lies in the number of questions – E Maths Paper 1 has 25 short structured questions while A Maths Paper 1 has about 12 to 14 questions that carry up to 10 marks each. With fewer questions to tackle for the latter paper, students have less margin for error.
Should your child take A Maths?
The answer will likely depend on your child’s aptitude for Maths and their future aspirations. If your child wants to further their studies in a Junior College (JC) or pursue a diploma/degree in Engineering, Maths, or Science, they should consider taking up A Maths as an elective module. Learning A Maths will help them adapt quicker to the Maths taught in tertiary education.
But what happens if your child struggles with Maths? In that case, you should consider enrolling your child in Maths tuition classes to help them brush up on their knowledge. Even if your child does not fall into the above categories we mentioned, it is still advisable to have a firm grounding in Maths since it is applicable to nearly every industry today.
Many wrongly assume that one’s Maths knowledge is only applicable in fields related to Maths, but that is far from the truth. In-demand jobs from various industries, including Auditors, Computer Programmers, Data Scientists, Financial Analysts, and Software Developers, require candidates to be proficient in Maths.
Furthermore, Maths helps develop a person’s logical, decomposition, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills – traits that are highly desirable among many employers from various industries.
Primary School Science
Like Maths, it is common to find many tuition learning centres in Singapore offering Science tuition classes at the primary and secondary levels. This does not mean Science is challenging for every student. However, it may suggest that many require guidance in mastering the subject.
Why is this so? One problem is that Science education places a high cognitive demand on learners. As a result, more effort may be needed to learn Science compared to other academic subjects. Additionally, mastering Science requires the use of abstract thinking skills. Students must comprehend complex scientific concepts and know how to apply them to real-world scenarios. This may be challenging for practice-oriented students accustomed to concrete thinking.
Many students allow the subject’s reputation to intimidate them, but Science is a fascinating subject to explore. It provides learners with significant insights into how our world works and nurtures children’s natural curiosity by implementing learning through application.
All this starts at the foundational level – Primary Science. It teaches students to utilise scientific knowledge to identify questions and draw evidence-based conclusions to understand their natural world and changes brought about by human activities. The themes present at the primary level include cycles, diversity, energy, interactions, and systems.
Although Primary Science appears less daunting, your child should not underestimate the subject. If you notice your child struggling with Primary Science, you can consider enrolling them in Science tuition lessons. The guidance they receive stands them in good stead when they progress to secondary school.
Many of the themes taught in primary school are further explored in the lower secondary Science curriculum. Even the additional theme introduced in Secondary Science – models – continues the way Science is taught at the primary level. Students are introduced to new concepts that develop their understanding of how Science is practised and applied. They are also provided with hands-on learning opportunities that allow them to make greater connections in Science to their lives and the environment.
So as you can see, Science is a critical curriculum in the primary school programme. From how we remain rooted to the surface of the earth to the way our body systems function, Science provides us with the answer to these questions and more! Moreover, there are plenty of benefits to learning Science. Let us explore what these perks are.
Benefit #1: Better understanding of the world
Is your child constantly curious about the world around them? Good news! Every phenomenon can be explained through Science. Studying Science allows them to have a greater understanding of the world. Gravity, friction, the human body system – all this and more are covered in Primary Science and expanded on when your child learns Biology, Physics, and Chemistry in secondary school and beyond.
Benefit #2: Inculcate a passion for learning
A significant part of learning Science is about asking “why?”. This approach to learning stimulates your child’s natural curiosity, driving them to learn more about the world around them. Through their discoveries, your child learns about the joy of learning from a young age, thereby cultivating a lifelong passion for learning critical to their academic success.
Benefit #3: Challenges your child’s brain
Science, like Maths, is a challenging but fun subject that challenges your child’s brain. Those studying Science usually demonstrate greater intelligence because they engage their brains better and constantly use their mind to comprehend the vast scientific knowledge taught in school and Science tuition classes.
Secondary School Science (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology)
As your child transitions to secondary school, they can expect broader and more in-depth coverage of scientific concepts that build on what they learned in primary school and Science tuition classes. However, instead of learning a single syllabus, the curriculum is split into three different subjects – Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.
Physics
Physics focused on the applications of Science in the real world, with topics covering motion, energy, reflection, and refraction. For example, in lower secondary, students learn the basics of light and how it bounces off an object to form a reflection. In upper secondary, the topic is covered in greater depth, and students learn how light refracts in different mediums.
Chemistry
Chemistry refers to the study of matter and the chemical reactions between different matters and substances. Lower secondary students are introduced to basic Chemistry concepts like solutes and solvents and atoms and molecules. When they move on to the upper secondary level, they learn about endothermic and exothermic processes caused by chemical reactions.
Biology
Biology is the study of life, and it primarily focuses on the science behind cells and living organisms. In lower secondary, students learn about the human body and how it works to keep us alive. In upper secondary, Biology students explore the chemical reaction that happens within our body after consuming food.
Subject combination – Why it is crucial
While your child is required to study Physics, Chemistry, and Biology in lower secondary, they have to decide which subjects to take, their preferred combinations, and whether to opt for Combined or Pure Sciences when they graduate to secondary three. This decision is crucial, as it has a significant impact on your child’s future education choices.
Combined Sciences or Pure Sciences?
The right decision is subjective and depends on your child’s future aspirations. If they wish to pursue a Science-related course in the various polytechnics or the GCE ‘A’ Level (Science Course), opting for Pure Science is more beneficial. This is because Combined Sciences cover only the basic knowledge and concepts. As a result, Combined Science students may need to put in more effort to keep up with Tertiary Science compared to their Pure Science counterparts.
Fortunately, public schools allow Pure Sciences students to convert to Combined Sciences at the end of secondary three if they are incapable of coping with the demands of studying Pure Sciences. Therefore, your child need not worry about being locked into their choice, thereby impacting their GCE ‘O’ Level results. Although, many students do find thatsecondary school Science tuition helps them grasp Pure Science subjects better.
Double Sciences or Triple Sciences?
Your child also has to decide if they wish to take Double Sciences or Triple Sciences if they choose the Pure Sciences route. Pure Sciences are challenging subjects, so your child should only consider Triple Sciences if they excel in Science.
Nevertheless, there are advantages to taking Triple Sciences. Your child will have more subject choices to select from to form the best L1R5 score, which improves their chances of enrolling in their dream Junior College (JC). They also have broader options when choosing subject combinations at the JC Level or course choices at the Polytechnic Level.
At the end of the day, your child should consider their interests and career aspirations before making an informed decision since their choice significantly impacts their future career choices. Candidates must possess an extensive Science background to become Biochemists, Forensic Science Technicians, or Medical Scientists.
So if your child sees themselves working in the field of Science, Pure Sciences is the natural option. You can help your child achieve their goal by enrolling them in secondary school Science tuition classes to bolster their knowledge and ensure they score well on their Science exams.
Part 3 – How To Help Your Child Ace Their Studies
Naturally, you would want your child to perform well in their examinations. That is probably one of the primary reasons you are checking out our guide on private tuition in Singapore. However, it is essential to note that while a tuition learning centre can help your child academically, your child must possess the dedication and desire to apply themselves to succeed.
So how can your child excel academically? It boils down to sufficient preparation and a thorough understanding of the materials. Having spent years guiding numerous students in our learning centres for their exams, our tutors have pooled together several helpful tips to help your child ace their studies.
Tips For Creative Writing
Tip #1: Read widely and well
Even though it is a cliche, many educators often recommend their students to read widely if they want to improve their Creative Writing skills. This is because reading exposes your child to different writing styles and new ideas. The more your child reads the more they know about the world, enabling them to incorporate their knowledge into their writing. They also expand their vocabulary and learn to structure their writing cohesively and more effectively.
Tip #2: Sustain readers’ attention
Reading is not only a way to stay informed but also a form of entertainment. It is great if readers can find inspiration or gain a new perspective on a subject. But if the person finds the reading to be a chore, they are unlikely to finish the material, even if it contains essential information. A well-written composition captures and sustains a reader’s attention by using figures of speech and descriptive words to inject creativity into the material, enticing readers to continue perusing.
Tip #3: Evoke emotions from the readers
Another excellent way to capture readers’ attention is to elicit emotions from them through descriptive words or phrases. English Creative Writing classes often recommend students use metaphors and similes to help readers better understand a subject by comparing it to something else. For example, if your child is describing an excited person, they can write something along the lines of, “He is acting like a kid at Christmas.”
Tip #4: Ensure the composition has a cohesive flow
It is vital that your child’s composition has a cohesive flow. Every word, phrase, sentence, and paragraph should weave together in a logical manner to support the central idea.
The lack of cohesive flow is akin to watching a trilogy of films out of order. Readers cannot make heads or tails of the message your child is trying to convey with their writing.
To achieve cohesion, our tutors generally recommend that students attending our English Creative Writing classes draft an outline to organise their thoughts so that they have clarity and direction when crafting their compositions.
Tips For Mathematics
Tip #1: Frequent practice
Similar to the concept of riding a bicycle, the more your child practises their Maths skills, the better they become at the subject. Frequent revision can help your child commit Maths concepts to memory, allowing them to recall the information more readily during their exams.
Tip #2: Focus on mastering the basics
Maths is not a subject your child can rely on rote learning alone to excel. It is a conceptual subject that requires students to understand the foundational concepts before they can progress to the more advanced topics. Therefore, it is essential for your child to focus on mastering the basics first.
Tip #3: Understand a topic first before moving on to another
Maths is a hierarchical subject, with each topic building on the preceding one. Therefore, each topic should be learned in sequence. So while it may be tempting for your child to skip the difficult topics first, doing so may hamper their learning progress. It may be wise to provide your child with Maths tuitionto ensure they receive the help they require to master every topic.
Tip #4: Learn to break down complex problems
Many students fail to ace their tests because they struggle with some of the complex problems presented in the exam paper. However, there is always a simpler way to solve a Maths problem. Often, your child may find that breaking the terms down to their most basic form can make it easier to solve a question.
Constant revision can help your child familiarise themselves with the conceptual framework and methods to use to solve these complex Maths problems. Maths tuition can also be helpful in this regard, as Maths tutors are well-versed in the syllabus. Therefore, they can provide tips to break down complex Maths questions and show your child how to solve these problems.
Tips For Science
Tip #1: Highlight the keywords
Examiners look out for specific keywords when grading a Science exam. Including these scientific terminologies often demonstrates the student’s understanding of the material. Therefore, it is helpful to remind your child to highlight the keywords during Science classes. This helps them focus on learning the essential concepts, thereby saving time on their revisions. If your child is unsure of the crucial terminologies, they can clarify their doubts with their tutor during their Science tuition classes.
Such actions can also prove helpful in understanding the exam questions. This is because Science questions are typically rather lengthy. Highlighting the keywords in the questions can help your child better understand which topic the question is testing, ensuring they do not miss out on essential clues to solving the problem.
Tip #2: Develop helpful mnemonics
There is no point in highlighting all the keywords if your child cannot remember them during their exams. Mnemonic tools are helpful in these situations, allowing students to readily recall significant amounts of content with the help of spelling mnemonics or acronyms.
Your child can relate facts and concepts that are difficult to remember individually to shorter strings of words and letters that are easier to memorise. For example, rather than committing the phrase “Domain Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species” to memory, your child simply has to remember what each letter in the mnemonic stands for.
Tip #3: Break down difficult concepts into smaller parts
We will admit that specific Science topics can be challenging to master. Sometimes, when faced with such topics, it can be difficult for your child to know where to start. In these situations, they may find that breaking the topics down into more digestible chunks can make learning easier.
A helpful tip is to think of Science as a series of smaller processes. There is a cause-and-effect chain in Science, allowing your child to understand each process in a step-by-step manner. This beats memorising a huge amount of content all at once. However, it is not only crucial to understand each sub-topic but also how they all link together.
Tip #4: Revise your Science practicals
Students learning Secondary Science are not only tested on theoretical Science concepts but also on their practical applications. Therefore, teachers often conduct mock exam sessions during practical classes to prepare their students for their practical exams.
There is a chance that your child may have covered the possible practical exam scenarios in their past classes. So when your child is revising for their Science practical exams, you can advise them to take a look at their mock practical papers and note down the mistakes they make to avoid repeating them in the actual test.
Part 4 – Conclusion
There is no denying that a reliable tuition learning centre can help students solidify the crucial concepts they need to lay the foundation for future academic success. So kickstart your child’s learning journey today by enrolling them in The Junior Learners Learning Centre!
Our tuition centres are located across Singapore (Pasir Ris, Tampines, and Potong Pasir), allowing you to select the most convenient learning centre for your child. Do not hesitate to contact us today to learn more about our class schedules and programmes.