Christy @ Kidsrsimple, Author at Kids 'R' Simple

PSLE SERIES – How We Learn Mathematics

There is really no cheat sheet in learning Mathematics. And how I wish there is one. Mathematics was one of my worst subject in Primary School. Eventually, when I reached Secondary School, somehow I finally could grasp the Math concept and began to score high, and that’s how I start to love it and Mathematics became my strongest and favourite subject. I shared this experience with Missy 12 and told her:

“If you hate a subject, all the more you should make it the subject that you will LOVE! Go and conquer the challenges, love it and you will do well!”

I am not sure if it sounded abstract, but I realised that it was really like that for me. Once I grow to like it, I do well, it is as simple as that.

“If you hate Chinese, then conquer the 汉字, and you will grow to love it!” I told to Master 10 too as remembering the strokes of 汉字 is his biggest enemy at this moment.

How do we Learn Mathematics at home?

1) Identify the weaker topics that you child is facing

The moment I realised Missy 12 failed her Math in P3, it was a wake up call. I bought the P3 Math assessment books after her SA2 for that year and went through all the topics in the books for the December school holidays. There was work and play, I always ensured that. Since I realised her weakness in the subject so late, which went unnoticed, I felt that I should help her to re-learn all the basics. Hence, if you don’t already realise the weaker topics that you child is facing, perhaps, it is good to try to find out as early as possible to nip it in the bud before the challenges snowball to a big magnitude.

2) Flip through the school worksheets and focus on mistakes

This method works for almost all subjects. Make sure the mistakes previously made are understood, especially that topic in entirety, not only limited to one question, then re-do these questions to ensure the child gets them right.

3) All information / numbers given in the Math Question are to be used

Many times, I find that my children may leave out a number given in the question, and leave it unused in their working. There is one important thing to remember: the question will not give extra information, all information and numbers appearing in the question MUST be utilised.

4) Infer!

How do you infer in Math? Well, lots! For instance, if the question says, “After the 10th day, there is 1/4 sugar left. By end of 12th day, the sugar left was 120g.” The child must be able to infer that 3/4 sugar was used for the past 10 days. The child must also know that from 11th day onwards, the usage and leftover totals up to 1/4 sugar. One more thing in this question to take note is that 1/4 sugar is not equivalent to 1/4 kg sugar. Hence, inferences are important in Math too!

5) Train Accuracy and Speed

In Math, there are many questions to work within the exam allocated time. There is a need to use the best and most efficient method to work out a problem. Instead of beating around the bush, one should aim to identify the fastest method to work on a problem sum. This saves time for other questions.

For example, There is a discount of 20% on a T-shirt (usual price is $100) during a sale. How much does the T-shirt cost?

Method 2 below has a step lesser than Method 1. Using Method 2 will save time.

$Math qn 1$

Besides using a more efficient method, the child should not stay at a question for too long and learn to time himself and move along to the next question. Skip a question when stuck. Train the child at home by setting time to finish a paper. Accuracy and Speed need to be trained!

6) Remember to write UNITS

Marks will be deducted for forgetting to write units. And remember to write the CORRECT Units! A quick tip: Before putting down the answer on the line, make a quick check for what the question is asking and in what units.

7) Reasonableness

Always have a quick check with the final answer and have the child ask himself/herself if the answer is REASONABLE or not. For instance, if the final discount in value is $200 while the T-shirt is $100, this is NOT reasonable and somewhere in the working, there must be a mistake. If the answer for a pen comes up to 1kg, the child should know that it is NOT reasonable too. We can help our children in understanding REASONABLENESS by bringing them to the supermarket, or involving them in cooking preparation, etc, to gauge the value in weight, length, volume. This will help them very much in Mathematics and everyday usage in calculation.

8) Relate Math concept in Everyday Life

I try to relate Math concept as and when the right situation arises. For instance, I teach them to use ESTIMATION when we calculate discounts and division of a total number of sweets among siblings. When baking, I ask them to measure 1/8 cup of flour in a measuring cup relating to FRACTIONS. When walking on the road, we identify ANGLES on road signs, advertisements, etc. We talk about PERIMETER when we walk one round in the neighbourhood. We identify CUBOIDS and CUBES around the house. There are so many things in our everyday life that is related to Math. Just look around consciously and we will find many things to talk to our children on Math.

Our Revision

I find that #30minrevision does not work so well on Mathematics revision for higher Primary, mainly because one question can take up to 15 minutes to solve and teach. However, it is still possible if we are targeting to finish 2-3 questions per 30 minutes revision block. But mostly, we use 2 hours on weekends to revise Mathematics so as not to break the momentum.

We use Visible Thinking by Marshall Cavendish Education for our materials to revise by topic. I like this book very much because the questions are usually in sets of 2 or 3 questions with same scenario but only one variable is changed. This helps to test the student on his/her understanding if the question tweaks slightly. Further, each topic will start with asking some thinking questions that I, sometimes, may answer wrongly too. It has a good representation of working steps at the start of the topic which aids me to teach my children easily. So, if you are clueless in Primary School Math, I would highly recommend this book to help you learn along with your child. We have been using this book since Missy 12 was Primary 3.

As I am very familiar with Missy 12’s weakness in certain Math topics, I am able to identify and zoom in on these topics during our revision. We will start with me explaining the Math concept for a topic using the Visible Thinking book and assigning the questions for her to do. I have learnt that I need to mark on the spot during the 2 hour revision instead of leaving till days later, this will help her to absorb better as her mind is still fresh from her thoughts while I explain to her the mistakes and where went wrong.

As the SA1 exams are nearing, I am tempted to give her the top school papers to do as we are running out of time. However, I decided to still focus to drill on the weaker topics and ensure she got the concepts right even though it means that we will do lesser papers and wasting some money. I believe slow and steady goes a long way and also the right way. Hence, focusing on weaker topics and ensuring the child gets them right should be the priority in any kind of learning.

Now that we are quite comfortable in all the tested topics, we have started to do top school papers. We draft out a revision calendar and jot down the days that the children will be late home from school on the calendar. Then we fill in the afternoons with assigned revision and exam papers to do. As I have to be realistic about what they can finish in an afternoon, along with their school homework, I assign Math Paper 1 on one day and Math Paper 2 on the other, sometimes coupling with less demanding subjects like English and Chinese on the same day. Everyday after dinner, I will pick a paper to go through the mistakes for our #30minrevision. Time is limited. Either we have English during this 30 min revision block or we have various subjects focusing on mistakes.

And I will never forget one thing. If I see improvement in grasping a concept, I will commend on Missy 12’s efforts and good attitude. I do hope she feels encouraged and gets more confident as we go along.

If you like this post and find it useful, do share with your friends who need tips for Math revision or preparing for PSLE like us. I want to selflessly teach everyone what I know and how I teach my children in academics. I do have a small ambition: To inspire more parents to go the NO-TUITION route like us! Let’s save money and save time for our children to play and unwind more! I think there is more to life than academic and tuition.

You may follow us in the NO TUITION PSLE SERIES by clicking on the link or follow us on instagram to see how we learn in our daily #30minrevision. And if you have a P5 kid, do hop over to DinoMama, a fellow mummy blogger who has started to document some good study tips from her daily revision with her son too.

Hope this post is useful to everyone out there who has a kid in school! Stay tune for the next post!

10 Things To Do While Staycationing at Village Hotel Changi

We are back for the second time to Village Hotel Changi! This time round, our youngest was old enough to enjoy the ‘Play and Stay’ package to the fullest! The first time we stayed in this hotel, Master 5 was only 3 and there were some things he could not do by himself. So, now, 2 years later, he is able to join us in all activities and yes, he has a bed for himself too.

We are back for the second time to Village Hotel Changi! This time round, our youngest was old enough to enjoy the ‘Play and Stay’ package to the fullest! The first time we stayed in this hotel, Master 5 was only 3 and there were some things he could not do by himself. So, now, 2 years later, he was able to join us in all activities and, he had a bed for himself too.

The check in was a breeze as it is with all Village Hotels Chain. If you do walk around the hotel premise, you will notice that this hotel has many conveniences for the guests in mind!

Booking machines for all cab companies / Luggage wrapping service for travellers / Shuttle Service to Town / Airport and Business Parks

Vending machine for Snacks on the go and Cup Noodles that do not break the bank / Vending machine for Hot soupy food, noodles and rice

I am impressed that the Hotel caters all these conveniences, even though there are so many choices at the nearby Changi Village hawker centre and numerous coffee shops.

A Tour of the Rooms

We had 2 connecting Deluxe Rooms. One room had a king size bed and a roll-away bed upon request and the other one had 2 single beds. Both rooms accommodated our family perfectly. Previously, Master 5 used to sleep in baby crib but now a roll-away bed is more comfortable for him. We put the bed side by side to our King Size Bed so that I could pat him to sleep and be near him.

One of the best thing about Village Hotel Changi rooms is that each room comes with a bathtub! Each bathtub has a window! We could watch out for the kids easily from the room if the blinds are up.

We have learnt that a bathtub is almost a MUST-HAVE for staycations! Why? Because on days when the pool is icy cold, the kids can still get their water fix in the tub! Also, after a cold swim, it is a heavenly treat to frolic in a warm tub. That is what a staycation is about: maximising the hotel room and amenities to the fullest!

Next, you will also want to know that each room comes with a handyphone just like the one we saw in Village Hotel Katong! This free network phone is for guests to use during their hotel stay. It is so handy to carry along without incurring hefty phone charges and data roaming charges. Best of all, you need not pay a single cent for using it!

This is the bedroom view overlooking the Koi Pond and the Infinity Pool is up there.

Considering this is more of a hotel for travellers with its proximity to the airport, the rooms have all the things needed for them.

Room amenities

– Individually Controlled Air Conditioning
– Hair dryer
– In-room safe box
– Iron and ironing board
– Electric Kettle
– 42″ LED TV
– Cable TV Channels
– Wireless Broadband Access
– Handy Phone
– Toiletries
– Towel
– Clothes hanging line
– Torchlight
– Fridge

Hotel services
Free Wifi
24 hour security
24 hour guest services
Concierge
Business services (faxing and photocopying)
Laundry services
Parking

What are nearby the hotel within walking distance:

Changi Ferry Terminal for those who wish to go to Pulau Ubin and Chek Jawa or even day trip to Desaru!
Changi Beach for a swim and beach play and Cycling
3 Playgrounds
Civil Service Club for Bowling
Changi Village Hawker Centre for food
Public Transport

Breakfast Spread at Saltwater

There is a decent variety for the breakfast buffet at Saltwater restaurant at Level 1. Most of the foods are local cuisine, like Otah, soup noodles, rice, porridge, etc. They have Western cuisine like pastries, chicken ham, chicken hotdogs, hashbrown, cereals, etc. Service was good and food is Halal. The glass doors at the side has the Swimming Pool view, hence, we could eat in peace while we were able to see our kids in full view when they ventured near the pool.

10 Things to Do during our Village Hotel Changi Staycation:

1) Eating Cup Noodles and eating snacks on the bed

Hey! This is one of the things that the kids very much look forward to! We hardly eat cup noodles at home and not allowed to eat snacks on the bed. Well, rules are certainly more relaxed when we stay in hotels!

2) Playing card games, Reading and Relaxing

We never fail to bring some cards, simple toys, bath toys, books and writing materials to our staycation. These can entertain the kids while the adults are busy unpacking stuff.

3) Swimming in 2 Swimming Pools!

The number one reason that we love Village Hotel Changi is because it has not one, but two swimming pools! One on the top level as an infinity pool with awesome view, and the other on the first level outside the dining area with a glass wall. You can watch your kids swim in the big ‘fish tank’ swimming pool at the leisure of having your breakfast!

4) Checking out the vicinity

Village Hotel Changi puts up this small handy booklet to introduce the places to check out within walking distance. We left the hotel earlier for dinner to have a leisurely walk over at the Changi beach area. As Changi Village is quite far out from the city, we hardly come to this place. Hence, staying at this hotel allows us to enjoy the beach and sight fishermen’s harvest for the day.

5) Bowling at Civil Service Club Changi

As part of the staycation package, we were given a game of bowling each at Civil Service Club which is directly opposite the Hotel. The bowling lanes have bumpers for kids. Just tell the staff which bowler needs a bumper, and when it is his/her turn, the bumper will be erected. The last time we came, the elder kids needed bumpers and the youngest was not old enough to bowl. This time round, the elder kids could bowl without the need for bumpers and there was a shoe size suitable for the youngest and hence, he could join us for the first time!

6) Cycling at Changi Village

Also as part of the Play and Stay package, we were given a coupon each for an hour of cycling. The bicycle shop, which is really a hardware shop with some rental bicycles, is located just directly facing the Changi Village Hawker Centre. I must say that the bicycles had seen better days and you may not find the best bicycles here to ride on. There was only 1 or 2 bicycles with child seat and not much choices for kids bicycles. We made use of the coupons anyway, and cycled along the Changi beach together, stopping to play at the playgrounds on the way.

7) 3 Playgrounds at Changi Village

There are 3 playgrounds at Changi Village if you do not already know! The one with the plastic tubular slides is located just beside the hawker centre while the other 2 are along the Changi Beach.

8) Soaking in Bathtub

This is a must-have as I had mentioned earlier! Love the window view beside the bathtub!

9) Koi Feeding

There is a Koi pond that your kids can feed the fishes in it. For both times that we stayed here, we skipped the complimentary feeding activity because we had too many things to do. Further, we have a mini koi pond in our house and that explains!

10) Play Snake and Ladder

There is a huge Snake and Ladder on Level 1 of the Hotel just beside the breakfast area in the chill out section. This is a good bonding activity with young and old.

Play and Stay Package

If you are bringing your kids or even parents to stay in Village Hotel Changi, you may want to book their Play and Stay Package which includes:
– One-night accommodation
– Complimentary buffet breakfast for two at Saltwater Café
– Complimentary two-hour bicycle ride OR
– 2 games of bowling per stay
– Complimentary koi feeding (first-come first-served basis, please enquire at front desk)
– Complimentary Changi Village cycling reference guide
– Complimentary parking

Superior Room – S$200.09 inclusive of all tax
Deluxe Room – S$223.63 inclusive of all tax
Club Room – S$258.94 inclusive of all tax

Room rates subject to availability and sometimes, there are super good deals that you could look out for!

I would say that this is pretty affordable to have a short staycation over a weekend for family bonding fun! Click here to check availability for the rooms!

Village Hotel Changi
1 Netheravon Road Singapore 508502
Email: info.vhc@fareast.com.sg
Hotel: +65 6379 7111 / Reservations: +65 6881 8888

Disclaimer: We were invited for a one night stay in Village Hotel Changi. We love the Far East Hospitality’s chain of hotels with its warm hospitality each time we checked in!

Ending March 2017 with …

March is really a full fledged revision month. In my kids’ Primary School life, I have never revised more intensively as now. We are finally staying on track with our nightly #30minrevision and our 2 hours revision on Saturday and Sunday. You would have think that this is not much but to us, this is a big jump from our previous effort on revision which is half-hearted mainly on my part. So, now, this mummy is finally getting the hang of revision with the kids and we are actually enjoying it!

March is really a full fledged revision month. In my kids’ Primary School life, I have never revised more intensively than now. We are finally staying on track with our nightly #30minrevision and our 2 hours revision on Saturday and Sunday. You would have think that this is not much but to us, this is a big jump from our previous effort on revision which is half-hearted mainly on my part. So, now, this mummy is finally getting the hang of revision with the kids and we are actually enjoying it! Yes, enjoying it because we are seeing good progress through daily work!

On PSLE Kid

Missy 12 had told me that she feels more confident in English! Whoa! I am seeing our combined efforts paid off here. Even though we have yet to see actual results represented in formal tests, I am heartened that she gains confidence with our home revision. Confidence is the start to success. I believe with confidence, she will find the subjects that she used to struggle with become subjects that she is starting to like. She then went on to feedback that we have insufficient time spent on revising Science and Math. In fact, from now till her SA1 (Semestral Assessment 1), it will only be left with 4 blocks of 2 hours revision for each subject since we have only 4 weekends left. Indeed, time is insufficient, but that is the limitation of a FTWM. I cannot revise during weekday afternoons. Time is never enough. I will have to squeeze in time somewhere, maybe increasing weekend revision hours to 3 blocks of 1 hour on each Saturday and Sunday.

1-1 Time

I realised that spending 1-1 time with each kid ranks rather high on my priority list. I try to squeeze out time for that. So, every child’s dental or doctor visit, piano exam, school excursions, etc is a precious 1-1 time. I take full day leave, bring the kid out and enjoy the time spent together. I had one with Master 10. We went to his favourite restaurant, brought him to play Animal Kaiser in Time Zone Arcade, bought 3 Geronimo Stilton hard cover books which he had been asking for a long time and shopped together. He told me that he enjoyed shopping with me and that made me ponder if that was really true or he simply wanted to spend time with me, no matter what we were doing. It was a very sweet date for the both of us.

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I also resumed our jogging date with each kid. Last Sunday, both sons joined me to have a morning jog at the nearby park. It was kind of funny as both ran at different speeds and I was in the middle, encouraging the slower one to catch up with his elder brother. We went for breakfast together, just the 3 of us. I like it and I think I shall make this happen more often.

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On my relationship with Hub

We have not been seeing much of each other during weekdays as the hub works late into the night. Even if he comes home early, I would be busy with each kid. When it comes to bedtime, I would fall asleep with Master 5 and miss the chance to chat with my hub. I have not been working hard on couple relationship since the start of this year and writing this down in this post will help remind me to work out something! In fact, we are going to watch A-Mei’s concert come June. Errmmm, yes, that is the only plan for couple date for now. Hubby, if you are reading this, I love you and stay tune… LOL!

Struggles I face as a FTWM

Missy 12 has been given a phone lately with rules attached. I have decided that instead of unleashing the devil with no limits after her PSLE, it would be better to start giving the phone to her during weekends and occasional special days when she would need one and let her get used to weekdays without phone. She has shown good discipline with her phone usage and even asked me to state curfew hours of no phone usage. Her request impressed me very much.

So, there was a particular weekday when she had a phone and hence could see messages from her friends. She told me that one of her friends had sent a good night message to her and already slept at 7pm, the time when we were about to eat dinner. I thought about it and envied that this friend’s mum is a stay-at-home-mom and that explains that she could revise with her child in the afternoon, have an early dinner and let her child sleep early everyday. I can only revise with my kids after 8pm and delay their sleep time till 930pm. There is not a better arrangement for FTWM and FTWM’s kids will always sleep late. How sad it is, I thought to myself.

As a FTWM, there are many things that we cannot do during weekdays as we are working. But as far as I can take a day off, I will do so for school events, competitions, birthday celebrations, etc just to not deprive my kids of their mummy’s involvement. I want to be there with them at celebratory moments, school fun and many more!

So, last week, I took a day off to be a parent volunteer (I was the only parent) to bring Master 10’s class to visit an old folk’s home. I did that 2 years back with Missy’s class too and will certainly do it again for Master 5’s school excursion in future. It was a fruitful afternoon and I really enjoyed chatting with Master 10’s classmates and helped the shy children to approach the elderly.

On days of working from home or days off, I make it a point to prepare lunches for my kids and eat with them at the same table, and listen to them rattling off the day’s events. I really treasure such times with them just as what my mum did when I came home from school everyday. Seeing them eat up my prepared lunches makes me a satisfied mum. I am determined to do things a stay-at-home-mom will do when I am off work.

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I hope my children will remember all these small little things that really matter lots to me.

I guess no matter if you are a FTWM or SAHM, you will find yourself nagging non-stop at the children. Despite my effort of trying very hard not to nag too much and let go, I am not very successful in this area. I am not sure why. I return home with a goal of enjoying some peaceful moments with the kids but it always ended up with some scoldings, nagging and breaking up fights and such. I guess this is the phase that will pass when kids are older, I am not sure. But I am going to try again and again and perhaps put up a reward chart for our family to create a better atmosphere in the house. Hmm.. sounds like a feasible idea, let me think of how to achieve that!

On a happier note…

We went for a staycation at Village Hotel Changi again! I shall be sharing our happy times in the hotel. We have also had some family bonding time with my parents at Upper Peirce Reservoir, sighting monkeys along the roads and running in the vast greenery. We also took my in-laws to JB to celebrate my MIL’s birthday with a sumptuous dinner on a school day. We hosted an impromptu dinner in our house for our parents and brother-in-law’s family. We really love hosting dinners as we enjoy having our parents over to bond with our kids and cousins to play together. I think we are doing it every month for the past few months and will be organising another big one for Master 10’s birthday.

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So, we are ending March 2017 with… academic progress and at the same time, balancing academic and play. I hope April will be a fulfilling month!

How did your March go? 🙂

PSLE Series – Everything About Composition-Writing

Since my post on How We Learn Comprehension (The No Tuition Way), many have asked me about how we tackle Composition. So, I am going to share what I have learnt in the PSLE Parent Workshop for English by Marshall Cavendish Education mainly on the pitfalls, the common mistakes and some good tips. Some of the below are Rubrics that examiners used for evaluating Compositions too.

1) The Hamburger Proportion

In each Composition, there should be an Introduction, Body and Ending. If a student writes too much on Introduction, and a small “Body” (Main story) and rush through Ending, this will make an out of proportion Composition, just like a hamburger with a big bun on the top. Same goes to short Introduction and lengthy “Body”, etc. Do remember to not overwrite on any one of these.

2) Time for Planning before Starting to Write

Planning is important. When a student gets carried away in writing, he/she may miss out an important connecting part of the story. Do spend 5-10 min to do a quick planning. I think most students, including myself, do not plan. But according to the Trainer in the workshop, he highly recommends this step from his years of experience that planning helps greatly, especially for weaker writers. I would encourage my kids to do the same too.

3) Writing the Introduction

Weather – This is a favourite opening line of many students. However, if weather is not going to be related to the content of the story, please DO NOT start with writing about the Weather.

Recount – Writing Recount stories can be very interesting and yet dangerous too. Just remember to make a note somewhere on the writing paper to remind yourself to tie back to the beginning of the story before concluding the Composition. Further, the trigger of the recount must be related to the main story.

‘One day’ – This 2 words should be avoided in any Composition opening line.

Smooth transition into the main story – Introduction has to be written such that it introduces the story’s mood or atmosphere appropriately.

4) Writing the “Body”

Description – Writing in good details and vivid descriptions will add mood to the story. There should be an ability to “SHOW” and not “TELL”. I am always attracted to good descriptions in any storybooks, and encourage my kids to take note of how authors describe a scenario, weather, facial expressions, etc. Writing description can allow the reader to picture the entire scene you are writing about, and it helps to raise the Composition marks.

Dialogue – Writing an interesting and relevant dialogue to reveal the character and to further plot will help to make a Composition interesting. Try to write a couple of dialogue to help boost the story.

Initiating event and Problem/Conflict – Take note to write a clear initiating event leading to the problem. The conflict should be clearly defined too. Events and Conflict should be linked.

Characters – There should be one or more well drawn characters that are well described and interesting. Too many characters may take away focus from the main character.

Language – Take note not to overuse words and try to vary the words with same meaning. This will show examiner that the language command is strong and it makes the story more interesting. Avoid starting with the word “I” too many times.

Sentences – Vary the sentence structure. Avoid writing lengthy sentences and using too many “and” in a sentence. Use modifiers. (What are modifiers? They are a word, phrase or clause which functions as an adjective or adverb to describe a word or make its meaning more specific.)

Plot Twists – Writing plot twists take some practices and skills. We should encourage our kids to write plot twists as they can lead the reader (examiner) into the story and shed light at the end. This will boost the story greatly.

5) Writing the Ending

Tie back to the story – This is especially for Recount stories. Remember to tie back to the beginning of the story.

Changing for the better – One of the common mistakes is that students may, without explanation, conclude that the main character “realises” his/her mistake “suddenly” and decides to change for the better! This will make the Ending too abrupt. Students sometimes spend too much time writing about the Introduction and “Body” and rush through the Ending. It is important to allocate enough time to conclude nicely.

Policeman, Paramedics, Rescue – This is a common Ending for most Compositions. If this is needed to conclude the story, try to describe in more details, eg, how does the inside of the ambulance look like, how having rescue team affect the character in the story, etc. Or instead of rescue team, try to write with the character as the rescuer or problem-solver by himself.

6) Trademarks of weaker students’ Compositions

I would like to share trademarks on weaker student’s Compositions as it will serve as a reminder to teach our kids not to make these mistakes.

Lots of Grammatical Errors – Weaker students have lots of grammatical errors such that the content is confused or lost. If your child is weak in Grammar, you may like to drill them in basic Grammar rules from the start. It takes time, but it will slowly help the child improve his/her language which will go a long way.

Not Enough Vocabulary – Lack of Vocabulary will make a story boring. Build up a Vocabulary Bank by jotting down new words when you are reading books, newspaper, etc. This is a long term learning and will help in the long run.

Lack Organisation Skills and No Flow – Here is where planning helps. You can be a strong writer but if the organisation is missing, the story will not be a good one.

Lack of Immersing in the Story – When a student is writing a Composition, he/she should imagine himself in the story. It will help him to describe the 5 senses (see, hear, taste, smell, touch) better and bring the reader into his/her world through the description.

Length of Composition – A weaker writer tends to write too short and a strong writer may write too long. Writing about 3,4 pages long is sufficient to not bore the examiner and not too short to miss out content.

7) Checking the Composition

Finally, check through the Composition and look out for G.P.S (Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling)! Replace words that are overused with better words.

I hope the above 7 Steps will help your child to write better. After writing this post, I am going to let my kids read these tips and guide them along!

If you like this post and find it useful, do share with your friends who are struggling in Composition or preparing for PSLE like us. I want to selflessly teach everyone what I know and how I teach my children in academics. I do have a small ambition: To inspire more parents to go the NO-TUITION route like us! Let’s save money and save time for our children to play and unwind more! I think there is more to life than academic and tuition.

You may follow us in the NO TUITION PSLE SERIES by clicking on the link or follow us on instagram to see how we learn in our daily #30minrevision.

Hope this post is useful to everyone out there who has a kid in school! Stay tune for the next post!

Achieving Slimmer Thighs with CoolSculpting at Halley Medical Aesthetics

Since my first born, I have piled up 10kg over the 12 years! There was a period of time, where my weight increased steadily till I hit my highest of 14kg above my pre-pregnancy weight and it did not seem to be stopping.

In fact, my BMI had been tipping to the unhealthy range and it worried me greatly. As a result, I tried to exercise more regularly by jogging 2 to 3 times a week, mixed with brisk walking, but the result was disappointing. My weight increased slightly and I learnt that perhaps some are fats converted to muscle weight. It seems that exercising also maintains my weight unless I run excessively which will be bad for my already aching knees.

Not only that, I find that I cannot fit into my pants which I bought 3 years ago and hooking up shorts require a deep breath in prior. So, is there really no way to go back to pre-pregnancy state without poking needles and swallowing pills?

That’s when I come across Halley Medical Aesthetics to start my slimming journey with CoolSculpting, a non-invasive way of achieving a slimmer silhouette.

My First Consultation Visit

Hally Medica Aesthetics

On my first visit to Halley Medical Aesthetics, I was a little nervous. After all, I have never walked into any clinics for slimming purpose. I was not too sure what to expect on the first consultation visit. The clinic is located at Level 3 of Orchard Gateway, which is very accessible by train with the nearest station at Somerset MRT. The moment I pushed through the tall glass door of the clinic, I was greeted by the friendly receptionists. The atmosphere was well, definitely not like a General Practitioner Clinic, but more of a spa setting with warm lights and lush armchairs.

Shortly, I was greeted by the nutritionist, Jean Tong. She brought me to a room to take my weight and measurements. Her pleasant demeanour certainly helped to soothe my anxiety. After that, we proceeded to see Dr. Terence Tan, who is the medical director of Halley Medical Aesthetics. As I knew that I was not going to some sleazy beauty spas with non-certified machines to do my treatment, seeing an experienced doctor certainly made first-time customers like me feel at ease.

Dr Terence Tan

Dr. Terence Tan was all smiles when we exchanged greetings. Well, I certainly needed a friendly and good-humoured doctor like him to feel relaxed. He asked about my concerned areas. I told him my wish to slim my thighs down as I love to wear short skirts and dresses. My tummy area is flabby but it does not bother me more than my fat thighs.

Consultation

After he took a look at my weight and BMI measurements, he suggested that I needed to work on my weight along with CoolSculpting. For best results, it would be ideal to bring down my weight fast and follow by maintenance with good diet along with the amazing effects of CoolSculpting.

What is CoolSculpting?

CoolSculpting machines

Dr. Terence Tan went on to explain how CoolSculpting works. The CoolSculpting system by Zeltiq is designed to reduce stubborn fat bulges in specific areas that do not respond to diet or spot exercise. It requires no surgery and no downtime. The CoolSculpting procedure freezes and eliminates stubborn Fat by delivering precisely controlled cooling to gently and effectively target the fat cells underneath the skin. These treated fat cells are crystallised (frozen), and then die.

Over time, your body naturally processes the dead fat cells and eliminates these dead cells, leaving a more sculpted silhouette. Further, the sub-zero freezing does not damage the skin or surrounding tissue. The CoolSculpting effects are long term as the treated fat cells are gone for good. The number of fat cells reduced by CoolSculpting in treated areas is approximately 20 to 25%.

We Stop Producing Fat Cells After Age of 5

Love Your Body

Everyone stops producing fat cells when they hit the age of 5. If you have children under 5, please do not overfeed them to prevent their body from producing excessive number of fat cells. After the age of 5, any increase in weight and overflowing muffin top can be due to the growing size of the fixed number of fat cells within our body. If we overeat or take in too much unhealthy foods, the fat cells INCREASE and if we keep to a good diet, the fat cells DECREASE in size. Thus, CoolSculpting helps here as there are lesser fat cells in our body to grow fat.

Sounds good right?

It puts my mind at ease that CoolSculpting is the only FDA-cleared non-surgical fat-reduction treatment. One thing to clarify is that Fat Reduction is different from Weight Loss. CoolSculpting DOES NOT reduce weight, it reduces the number of fat cells. Hence, a good diet and exercising are still important for overall good health and maintenance of a slim silhouette after a CoolSculpting procedure.

Dr. Terence Tan and Jean also emphasised on keeping a good diet and lifestyle changes that go hand in hand with CoolSculpting treatment. In fact, most people will be motivated to change to a good lifestyle and careful with food options after they have finally achieved the slim silhouette they longed for! No one would want to go back to the previous unflattering body shape after much slimming efforts. I am pretty sure I will be sticking religiously to a good diet plan and exercising to keep a good health in check.

Deciding Which Target Areas For Treatment

After the consultation, I was ushered into another room that Halley Medical Aesthetics has dedicated to CoolSculpting. Jean drew several outlines of the unflattering areas of my thighs and tummy. Doctor then came in shortly after to discuss with me on which areas to target for my treatment and that set the decision on the actual treatment for the next visit.

Measurement

Halley Medical Aesthetics’ weight loss programmes usually comes with 3 prescribed weight loss medications but I wasn’t comfortable with that. So Dr. Terence Tan, who was totally understanding about my decision, customised another slimming alternative for me which involved nutrition counseling with Jean. Yes, the no-medication way. Stay tune for the next post on the actual CoolSculpting treatment and, my experience and thoughts on it!

Halley Medical Aesthetics
248 River Valley Road #01-01
Singapore 238302
Tel: 6737 8233
www.halley.com.sg
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