5 Conditions To Help Choose The Right Primary Science Tuition

For the parents of primary students, selecting the right kind of additional assistance for science subjects is often led by a dilemma.

Should you focus on PSLE preparations or a basic science tuition to strengthen the concepts?

Many times, they make the decision based on exam preparations and that’s where they go wrong mostly. Without a solid foundation in science subjects, the students can pass their exams alright but they topple in secondary school, when the subject gets diversified. It’s in primary school that they should develop a strong foundation in chemistry, physics, biology and math, so when the concepts deepen, they have clarity on specific subject requirements.

What should you do then?

We suggest that you focus on conceptual learning that strengthens the foundation as well as exam preparation and structured revision for PSLEs.

In other words, find a PSLE science tuition that emphasises subject understanding besides providing strategic exam scoring techniques.

There are five factors you can consider to narrow down your search and get the right assistance for your child.

Factor 1: Conceptual Foundation Building

Primary students grappling with content-heavy topics need to build a solid understanding first. For example, at Miracle Learning Centre, we follow the AAA principle based on:

• Arousing subject interest
• Answering questions, and
• All-round development

Through simple classroom experiments, practical examples and outcome predictions, we invoke the students’ interest in the subject rather than rushing through topics. We take all our time to understand the problem areas of each student and help them overcome learning challenges. As a result, our students start enjoying the subject instead of getting intimidated by the same. By the time they approach the PSLEs, they have a strong foundation in each topic along with clarity and confidence.

Factor 2: Experienced And Specialised Tutors

Anyone can teach a primary student with updated knowledge of the MOE syllabus and PSLE exam patterns. Right?

Well, here most parents go wrong in their approach to search for the right kind of assistance. In science, things happen differently. Experienced tutors, who specialise in the subject, have a definite way around learners. They are aware of the latter’s weaknesses and know how to help overcome the same. A student may not be able to identify their problem areas but if they can communicate with a specialist, s/he can help detect it and also resolve the areas with proper explanations. A person with little experience in real time teaching may not be able to do the same with confidence.

At Miracle Learning Centre, we have a team of highly experienced science tutors in Singapore. Ms Poh is a former school teacher specialising in primary science and maths, while Mr Koh has a decade of teaching experience in primary maths, science and secondary maths. We also have Ms Joyce with 15 years of experience in MOE schools.

You know that your child is in the right hands when such tutors are there to provide the right guidance.

Factor 3: Consider The Batch Size

It goes without saying that personalised attention is necessary for students, who are trying to understand the subject and build a strong foundation. But it’s not possible to give attentive focus to each student in a large group.

Most competitive P5 and P6 science tuitions in Singapore tend to accommodate large batches, which may not be ideal for your child because of the following reasons:

• The tutors cannot get personal with all students having learning difficulties
• The students may refrain from asking questions to avoid feeling incompetent
• Query resolutions may not cover every student and their individual challenges
• Topics are generally rushed to start with revisions, exercises and mock exams

Selecting a tuition centre with small batches is one of the cleverest ways to ensure personalised attention. In primary school, such individual interactions go a long way to ensure subject understanding and conceptualisation.

Factor 4: The Kind Of Learning Materials

It’s essential to evaluate the kinds of learning materials provided to the students in a primary science tuition class. Instead of extensive pages including unnecessary sections, notes that highlight the key areas in a topic, structured worksheets that examine the student’s understanding and topical exercises are more preferable.

Science is all about logical understanding and applying that knowledge on the exam papers. Hence, the study materials should reflect and examine the reasoning capability of the learner. If a student has a good grasp of concepts but fails to answer the questions in the expected manner, teachers can identify the exact problem area. They can then work on the same for improvement. Each study material should be prepared in a strategic manner and not for the sake of providing ‘something to read’.

Factor 5: Flexible Class Schedule

Now, a flexible schedule is a requirement that students cannot ignore these days. Balancing school assignments, individual lessons and even relaxation and recreation are necessary. Often parents overlook such factors that seem not-so-important.

But you must have heard the proverb, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", right? To learn science and really understand it, you can be anything but ‘dull’.

Therefore, make sure that the PSLE science tuition you are selecting for your child has flexible timetables for classes. However, it should also ensure complete coverage of all primary science topics, from living and non-living in P3 to energy conversion and environmental systems in P6.

Let Primary Science Be Your Launchpad For Higher Studies

At Miracle Learning Centre, we always encourage our students to fall in love with the subject before trying to solve problems. When they enjoy a process that doesn’t compromise on their personal comfort, they learn more eagerly. With our flexible schedules, team of efficient and empathetic tutors and conceptual methods, we make the entire learning journey entertaining and productive at the same time.

So if you are on the lookout for an efficient science tuition class for your primary child, give us a chance. You’ll definitely be happy with the results, be it high PSLE grades or overall development.

You can reach us regarding any query or specific concerns. We will always listen to you and give you the right suggestions.