Tip 1: Focus on weak points 

This should be the very first thing that you should do. By knowing your child’s gaps in knowledge, you will know exactly which topics you should zoom into. For example, if your child is struggling with fractions, then it will obviously be important for you to help your child focus on fractions. Or if algebra is the child’s main problem, then focusing on that will be important, as algebra is a good tool for your child to use in solving certain PSLE math problems.

Tip 2: Focus on key topics 

Call your child’s math tutor and talk to them to find out which areas are ‘key topics’ that are crucial for your child’s math growth. Now, set goals that your child can achieve on a weekly basis so that they also feel motivated about getting better at math. This step can be easily achieved with the help of a PSLE maths tuition online where you get to track your child’s learning progress and gain access to the best lessons and assignments.

Tip 3: Identifying patterns of mistakes 

It’s very common for students to make mistakes. However, it is even more important to understand why they make those mistakes in order to understand what they need to practice more. For example, if your child forgets to include the units in the answer, it is not a ‘careless mistake’. The type of mistakes can be categorized into conceptual, procedural, or comprehension mistakes. 

Conceptual mistakes: Where there is a gap in understanding of a mathematical concept. One of the most obvious examples is that when students are asked to write out the number when given the written form of it, they generate an incorrect number. For example, students are asked to write out five thousand, four thousand and seventy - three. They give the answer as 50040073.

Procedural mistakes: The mistake occurs when the child incorrectly applies a procedure when solving a problem. It can be the simple mistake of not inverting fractions or not aligning decimals.

Comprehension mistakes: When a child misunderstands or is unable to comprehend what the question has asked. This is more common at lower levels when children may not have grasped English well enough to answer long story-type problems, also called ‘word problems’.

       Once you are able to identify the common mistakes that your child does for math, then you will be able to know better on how to help your child with PSLE math. This step of identifying your child’s mistakes becomes easier with the help of professional math tutors from 88tuition, the best maths tuition ever.

Tip 4: Focus on mental math 

This is one of the major pitfalls. Some students are too accustomed to using calculators and hence they grow over-reliant on it. So as a tip for maths revision, it is recommended to limit your child’s reliance on calculators. Have them practice multiplication and division shortcuts. This is also called the development of mechanical skill, where a child reflexively knows answers to simple multiplication and division problems. 

Tip 5: Time Management 

When working with parents and students, some students are unable to complete the PSLE papers on time. When we delve deeper into this problem, we notice that the students are unable to reach the end of the paper at all. This means they did not attempt the last few questions of the paper. This is due to the student’s poor time management.

Tip 6: Seek help from teachers/tutors:

It is hard for teachers to give each student personalized attention during school hours. Students who maintain a relationship with their teachers and get help from them after school hours can get that attention they need. But when you opt for private math online tuitions, the tutors can obviously ensure your child performs well because of their expertise in handling students.

Tip 7: Visible thinking routines 

Solving problems in minimal steps might make a child look genius but at the primary level, it shows a different, deeper problem - the lack of procedural practice. Visible thinking routines simply means that a student practices the procedure of solving a particular type of problem by writing out or drawing out all the steps - every single time. This practice builds a strong foundation for math. Ask your school teacher for more help with these routines. 

Tip 8: Practice 

There is no substitute for this. Every concept can be mastered if enough time is spent practising it. Help your child plan out their time and ensure they have the appropriate time and resources needed to practice math. As a parent, talk to your student’s tutors if you feel they aren’t getting enough practice questions. 

Tip 9: Motivate and Inspire 

Success is the greatest motivator. Fear of failure, however, holds children back. It is the responsibility of both parent and teacher to boost one and not the other. Help your child feel great when he solves a math problem. Do not make them feel bad for getting it wrong. Making mistakes is human, but what’s important is having the inspiration to keep going till they get it right.