Navigating the Challenges of Preparing for the PSLE Chinese: Here's How.

The Chinese Language is the world's most widely used language.

When mastered, Chinese is a powerful and expressive medium for communication with billions of Mandarin speakers worldwide.

If your child finds Chinese challenging, fret not—there are proven strategies to learning the language which can help them succeed in the local education system.

First and foremost, here are 2 beliefs which guide our journey as educators:

Belief 1:

If your child is struggling with a subject, know that there is greater room for students with lower scores to improve than for those with higher scores to advance further! That means opportunities to improve are plenty and can be quick. Your child just needs to discover the right approach!

Belief 2:

A strong memory is beneficial but consistency is crucial. Even more so for students with weaker memory skills.

So let's dive into the 5 tested tips which have consistently brought improvement to our learners:

Tip 1: Focus on High-Frequency Words

First the grammar, then the vocabulary.

First the singular grammar, then the connectors.

Tip 2: Emphasize Positive Virtues and Values

Make a list of the positive traits we are encouraged to adopt.

Your child will find them useful across Chinese Oral, Composition, MCQ and Comprehension of the main paper. No exclusion.

Then learn the negative traits.

Tip 3: Adopt a Micro Perspective

Now that your child is a pro at Chinese grammar, pick up vocabulary surrounding the themes: Me, My Family and Friends.

Immerse your child in family and cultural festivities: Birthdays, Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Christmas etc

Tip 4: Expand to a Macro Perspective

Beyond your child's circle, explore into the neighbourhood, society and country.

Look out for public messages from the government which you will find around public housing estates, public transport, facilities such as the library, swimming complex, hawker centre and community centre. What does your child think of these messages?

Tip 5: Embrace Multiple Perspectives in Problem-Solving

Teach your child to consider various viewpoints—personal, peer, and broader societal perspectives. This approach can help them develop well-rounded solutions to problems.

Bonus Tip: Less is More.

Instead of cramming your child with a truckload of materials, go back to the basics and ensure sentences are grammatically correct, logically sequenced and content meaningfully thought through.

Focus on what truly matters.

Mindsphere wishes all students taking the PSLE the very best!