The Listening Comprehension PSLE examinations are set to start on 18th September 2020. With this being the first written paper, students may feel nervous and anxious. Even if the LC component only comprises 10% of the subject, it is important to do well to kick off the written components with a ‘bang’. Being able to do well (and hopefully score full marks) will set the best mindset for the remaining papers. English tuition centres in Singapore may not have covered the LC component. Here are our 5 tips on how to ace the PSLE listening comprehension:
- Improving Vocabulary
The English LC Paper will consist of 7 Texts with the first 3 consisting pictures and the remaining 4 being in MCQ-format. To ease parents’ worries, the LC audio and paper would not be raddled with ‘cheem’ Vocabulary words. Rather, they may test your child on the understanding of ‘intermediate’ words in relation to the audio. Some questions that may appear are:
In Q12, students have to be familiar with the word ‘adjectives’ and understand what the highlighted words mean. For Q16 especially, the incorrect understanding of ‘permitted’ may lead to answering the questions wrongly. Permitted means ‘allowed’. However, there are instances where students have thought otherwise. Widening your child’s lexicon is thus not only important for Paper 1 and 2. It transcends its significance to the LC Paper too. We recommend reading through phrasal books and picking them out to compile in a ‘Vocabulary’ notebook.
During the paper, unfamiliar words may still crop up. Students should go through the process of elimination to arrive at the most likely answer.
- Practice Comprehension Sections in English Paper to Reinforce Skills
The skills used in answering comprehension questions are similar to LC. Comprehension requires question analytical and answering skills relating to the text. Why not kill 2 birds with 1 stone by doing up more comprehension sections during this period leading to LC? English tuition centres in Singapore are now undergoing intensive revision for PSLE. Should they give out practice papers, parents can encourage their children to focus on these sections first.
- Familiarise yourself with auditory materials
Most students are visual learners. Listening to the LC audio without written texts may be foreign terrain. If your child is able to spare some time amidst doing Math tuition homework or revision, try to encourage him/her to listen to audiobooks or short TedxYouth clips on Youtube. This will instinctively turn the gears in the brain when listening to auditory information during the LC Paper.
- Get a good night’s sleep the night before and have a healthy breakfast
The importance of sleep the night before an LC Paper is paramount. Poor quality of sleep can spell disaster during the paper. Your child would not be able to focus to catch the key parts of the LC Paper. To ensure that quality sleep is guaranteed, limit your child’s device usage before s/he sleeps. In the morning, ensure that your child has a good breakfast. You may refer to our Brain Foods article to have an idea of foods are great to eat. As the LC paper lasts from 9am to about 12 noon, it is good to have a filling breakfast to sustain your child’s concentration in this duration.
Taken from SEAB Website
- During the paper, circle important parts with a pencil
Circling the important words of the questions help students keep track of what the audio person is saying. This keeps them awake during the examination as the simple motion keeps their attention to the present moment rather than elsewhere daydreaming. Circling also helps them understand the questions better and aid in answering them correctly.
We hope these tips have been useful! As tuition centres in Singapore are gearing towards the final lap of PSLE, let us try to maximise the number of marks that our students/children can secure.