Blog Entries - RG Channel Future School

Covid-19: Should Schools Close?

Published at 03/11/2020March 11, 2020 In Category Landscape

Ever since the spread of Covid-19, many Singaporeans have asked the government to close schools. However, the Singapore authorities have refused to do so. This is despite the increase in the number of cases both in Singapore and outside Singapore. The Singapore government did state that the situation remains fluid and closing schools is one possible option. Is closing schools really the solution to stop the spread of Covid-19? Let us explore the reasons why we should or should not close schools.

How to Improve Your Child’s Vocabulary: Part 3

Published at 02/19/2020February 19, 2020 In Category Tips

In my previous post, I have focused on the theoretical aspects of building vocabulary. I discussed the various aspects of understanding words and why they are important. It is definitely going to be tough for a child to immediately remember so many different aspects of one word.

In this post, I am going to focus on a very practical topic – how to create a vocabulary book that helps your child and is practical to use. I am going to use five guiding principles to teach you how to create such a vocabulary book, using the word ‘procrustean‘ as an example.

Introduction to the Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP)

Published at 02/12/2020February 13, 2020 In Category Landscape

What if I tell you the quickest way to enrol in a Polytechnic is NOT through the ‘O’ Levels? Did I get your attention? If you think that you can only go to Polytechnic after’O’ Levels, then you really have to continue reading this blog about the Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP).

THE PROBLEM WITH ‘EVERYBODY’ AND ‘EVERYTHING’!

Published at 01/30/2020February 27, 2020 In Category Tips Tags: Bite-sized Grammar, Primary English

by Mrs Elaine Loh

Many children understand the basic rules of subject-verb agreement in English. The basic rule is pretty simple: singular subjects should always be paired with singular verbs (verbs ending with ‘s’) and plural subjects are paired with plural verbs (plural verbs do not end with ‘s’). An example of the basic rule is given below:

3 Biggest Changes in the Educational Landscape 2019-2021: Part 3

Published at 11/06/2019February 13, 2020 In Category Landscape

2021: Changes to PSLE Grade

In 2021, the PSLE grade will not be a number, but the score will be derived by the band of each subject, similar to how the ‘O’ levels is scored. It was announced last year but will only be implemented in 2021.

3 Biggest Changes in the Educational Landscape 2019-2021: Part 2

Published at 10/28/2019February 13, 2020 In Category Landscape

2020: Full Subject Based Banding

In 2020, a few secondary schools will introduce full subject-based banding to replace streaming. This is probably the most substantive change announced in the last few years for secondary school students. Instead of students joining the usual Normal (Technical) (N(T)), Normal (Academic) (N(A)) or Express streams, they would be assigned subjects at three different levels (G1, G2 and G3). G1 is roughly pegged to Normal (Technical) standard while G3 is equivalent to the old Express standard. This allows students who are good at certain subjects to study that subject at a higher level and vice versa. Students will take a common examination at the end of the four years and the three streams would be phased out.

Credits: MOE

You do know this, don’t you? Nailing those Question Tags in the examination!

Published at 09/19/2019February 27, 2020 In Category Tips Tags: Bite-sized Grammar, Primary English

All of us have used question tags in our communication with others. Question tags are often used to confirm if something is true or not and are used to encourage a reply. The rule for questions tags seems simple enough. You are aware of the basic rule, aren’t you? The previous statement is an example of a question tag.

PSLE Oral Reading Aloud Tips

Published at 06/03/2019February 13, 2020 In Category Tips Tags: OralTips, Primary English

By Mrs Elaine Loh

It’s the June school holiday and from here on, things will be moving pretty quickly for pupils sitting for the PSLE. Today, I will be giving you tips for the reading aloud component of the PSLE Oral exam which is applicable for children in the other levels as well.

The reading aloud component is the most overlooked component in the PSLE oral exam. Many parents encourage their children to practise the Stimulus-based Oral component more than the reading one since the reading aloud component carries just a third of the total oral grade. This wrong view can prove costly because the reading aloud component is the one where a child can hope to score the full mark easily if he knows what the examiner is looking out for. So what exactly are the examiners looking out for?

Put simply, the examiner is looking out for the following things:

Well-paced and fluent reading. This means reading the passage smoothly and clearly.
Accurate pronunciation and good intonation when reading in order to convey the right information, ideas and feelings in the passage.

So, before you get your child to practise reading aloud to you, here are some tips on how you can help him achieve what the examiner will be looking out for.

Argumentative Writing: The Counter Argument

Published at 05/26/2019February 13, 2020 In Category Tips Tags: ArgumentativeWriting, SecondaryEnglish

By Ms Thanam Muthusamy

When it comes to argumentative writing, many students in RGC moan and groan. To some, argumentative writing is an unthinkable task. Some of them have told me that they have been discouraged to attempt argumentative writing because “it is a difficult genre” and were under the impression that if one is not good in writing, it is best not to attempt it.

They do not know where to start nor what to write about. How does one structure the essay? Are argumentative essays only for the better students?

3 Biggest Changes in the Educational Landscape 2019-2021: Part 1

Published at 05/22/2019November 6, 2019 In Category Landscape

by Richard Leong

I have not written anything regarding the educational landscape for some time. I would like to take this opportunity to address the three biggest changes in the educational landscape from this year (2019) to 2021.

2019: Cutting Down on School Examinations and Removal of Grading from Report Cards

In September 2018, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced that they were cutting down on school examinations. All students from Primary 3 to Secondary 4 or 5 would also NOT have more than one graded assessment per subject per school term.