Tabulation of my 2011
A level graduands'
General Paper results
Kept a small batch in 2011 in anticipation of this year's cohort of JC1s following on from Sec 4 2011/ The tally is 1 7As, 2 5As, 1 4As, 2 3As, 1 AAB, 1 3Bs. General paper: 3As, 2Bs, 2Cs and 1E
The 7 As is my China-born student Liu Yang Yang who did an improbable Da Vinci Sci-Art combination and went from a D to an A in GP and counts among his As an A in Art (which includes Art Criticism, no less!). 2 of the GP As were failing or near passes in GP mid-year in Year 2. The C & E were very late entrants to reading and the E acknowledged but never resolved the problem of having a blind spot for grammatical errors (health issues also took a toll on the J2 year). As I predicted, scores below C are usually traceable to a Sec EL writing curve that ended with only O level narrative writing skills. So you can see why I start worrying about General Paper in my Secondary programme.
I am beyond grateful for my daughter's 5As in Art, Literature and Economics (this last thanks to Mrs Stella Neo, the Economics specialist who shares my unit). She and Joel Teo of Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) who scored a perfect 7 for every subject in his 2011 International Baccalaureate exam credit my Lit Unseen Poetry they did in Secondary 2 with giving them a headstart and an enduring advantage in Literature/Language Arts. Another GP A came from Clement Loh who had to struggle with figuring out the demands of General Paper after having dropped Knowledge and Inquiry in JC2.
Tabulation of my 2008 PSLE graduands' T-scores
I had 25 PSLE 2008 students. Most of them came from the mainstream (ie, non-GEP) and they were mid-Bs and high Cs at the end of their P5 year. A good third had been consistently comfortable As. How did they fare in the end?
What were the traits and behaviours that led to high T-scores?
Out of the number who followed my on-going programme, the trait that most clearly led to an A star in English was diligent reflection and reading. I have a reputation for not offering homework but being huge on recommended readings and working on thinking and writing skills, so some of my quietest students (contrary to expectation) have done very well because they have obviously ruminated on what's been taught and travelled as far as I have suggested in terms of their reading journeys!
PSLE students who did well got past their personal likes and dislikes for subjects to hunker down to work on their weaknesses. They chose teachers and tutors based on more mature assessments of what constituted effective teaching. But boys did have a setback. More boys than girls at the upper primary levels had built a habit of gaming (computer) and for some, a computer game ALWAYS took precedence over a good read. Reading offers less immediate gratification, involves engaging different and sometimes less direct thought pathways. Computer gaming can be very addictive because it is hugely competitive and interactive while reading and academic study can be a very solitary experience.
Many girls, however childish and immature they may seem to be at the onset of the P6 year, are able to think about what they should do to secure a place in their future school. This is not to say that most boys are not able to do the same but they are less able to keep to their professed goals because the next computer game is so rivetting. The boys who got the A stars wanted it badly, worked on their writing and editing skills, and had penmanship that would have made any girl proud.
What contributed to a low T-score?
7 students got A stars, 16 got As and the 2 of my students who were D-ish at P5 year-end got Bs. No one went any lower.
Those who had very worrying T-scores were those who might have allowed other subjects to trend to Bs and Cs. The Maths "B" is an especially costly one, because (and I say this intuitively based on anecdotal evidence) because so many candidates practise their way through it that most students score well for Maths.
Can a candidate go from C to A star in EL a year?
Very unlikely, though I have nursed many from C to As because
- firstly, a school year is fraught with activities and many students never get down to reading texts beyond the school curriculum
- secondly, the final dash from A to A star is only achievable with a heightened language sensibility (cultivated through refined reading choices) plus very disciplined exam strategies
- and finally, parents are honed in a quick-fix culture to value volume of work (that is, assessment papers done) and study tips over critical thinking and genuine learning.
Which candidates get Bs in EL?
Those who start serious reading too late, say in April of their P6 year and those who cannot prise themselves away from computer games.
There may be writing strategies and comprehension skills that one can learn but in the end, there are no shortcuts. For Maths, nothing can take the place of practice;
for EL having adequate, varied and rich reading experiences is key.