Theme for 2011

It was New Year’s Day; we had gone for a long morning walk along the Macpherson park connector all the way towards Kallang River and had stopped at Bendemeer Road. We then decided to take a taxi to Serangoon Road for some breakfast. During the short trip, my husband’s phone fell out of his pocket and was left behind in the back seat of the taxi. Although we did the necessary reporting, we lost all hope of finding it by the time we reached home. That was not a good start to 2011. But everything happens for a reason, and my husband philosophically said that the lesson for him is not to be so attached to material things. Still, like all good lessons, there was a sting to it.

Later, I tried to imagine what the person who took the phone was doing with it. He (could be a she of course, but for convenience, I’ll say he) must be thrilled because it is a fairly new top of the range IPhone with some neat apps including Angry Birds. My husband had devoted days to reaching level 4 of the game. The person must also be looking at his pictures since my husband took many pictures with a new photo app, and the many parties we had offered numerous photo opportunities. And the person must think that he has had a great start to 2011 since he made such a good find. Ah well, I thought, maybe he needed the phone more than my husband.

But the incident reminded me of the time a snatch thief on a motorbike drove by my trishaw in Hanoi, and took away my purse with my hand phone in it. After a small tug of war, the strap broke, and he calmly drove off while we looked on helplessly. There was nothing to be done but to head on to our destination and do the necessary calls to cancel the credit cards etc. My husband congratulated me for being so calm but what else could I do? Again, I thought of the man going through the things in my little travel purse, and then laughing at the photos in my phone and listening to my eclectic selection of songs. I did feel a sense of loss but I told myself then that he probably needed it more than I did. It was his lucky day. Still, Hanoi left a bad taste in my mouth although my faith was restored when a Vietnamese woman I met went out of her way to help me filed a police report.

But the New Year loss left me thinking about my attitude to things and to life. I was a bit upset initially at my husband’s carelessness. But then I reminded myself that my husband is rarely careless. It’s just one of life’s unfortunate and random incidents. But is the lesson really about attachment? If that’s the case, maybe he should not have a new phone after this but to reuse his old phone. And if our family belief is really people first, then money, and then things, an IPhone is but a thing and not that important in life’s big scheme. Even after such careful rationalising, the loss was upsetting.

I pondered over this for a long while because I have also been thinking about what my one-word theme for 2011 would be. For those of you curious about this, you can visit this website to find out more about New Year themes. I have always tried to live by these beliefs: to be mindful, to care, and to focus on the now. This loss is a reminder that I need to pay more attention to my beliefs. True, I was not the one to lose the phone, but the lesson is equally applicable to me. So, if I were to summarise my one word theme for 2011, it has to be mindful.

When I am mindful, I won’t be careless with things, people and with words and actions. When I am mindful, I won’t indulge in unnecessary eating, shopping, and am apt to be less idle. When I am mindful, I am better able to regulate my emotions, thus avoiding getting angry, upset or agitated over small things. Being mindful will also lead me to a calmer frame of mind, and being calm was one of the themes I contemplated selecting. Being mindful will also help me let go of stuff, of old grudges, of old relationships that have for a long time been going nowhere and of work that I no longer care for. Letting go was another possible theme for me in 2011 and in particular, I wanted to let go of friendships that have stopped growing. I have long been able to let go of material things although I also contemplated reducing as a theme in an effort to cut down on physical clutter and material things. I was able to chuck out a whole lot of papers and books just before Christmas in a spring cleaning attempt and that has been invigorating. I considered nurturing too as a theme although I see it as the natural outcome of letting go, especially of old grudges. I want to be able to nurture and cultivate better relationships in my life so giving was yet another option.

I found this exercise very helpful and when I finally settled for mindfulness, I did wonder if I was opting for the safe and familiar. Perhaps I should explore and wander into new paths for 2011. Whatever it is, a theme does not need to tie me down.

Looking back, 2010 has been a busy but good year. I’ve enjoyed the work, have travelled extensively (USA, France, Malaysia, China, the Philippines, and Indonesia) and have embarked on teaching beginning yoga and briefly, on leading my yoga group. I have been good about exercise, particularly yoga and have made some progress in my meditation. I haven’t gained excess weight, I have taken time out for friends and family and I’ve contributed my services to the community. At home, my husband and I continue to share our life together meaningfully. I feel a better connection with Junior and while there are many things I still ask of him (and mothers will have no end of things they ask of their kids) I feel I am at a better place with him than before. I did, on occasions, lose my cool, but by and large I was able to let go of bad feelings and focus on the positive.

Still, I wonder about 2011. It seems that I need to do more although at my age, I should contemplate conserving my energies. That’s something to mull over this year.

What about you? How was your year and what will 2011 be like for you? Take a little time and take stock of your life. Make a plan and a goal for 2011. But whatever it is, here’s wishing you a wonderful year ahead. It’s another chance to make a new start.

And so on to Primary Three...

On 11th Dec, I gave a talk to about 180 parents at Suntec City on making the transition from primary 2 to primary 3. The session also gave me an opportunity to talk about the primary 3 materials that I’ve worked on with Marshall Cavendish and a team of writers. Judging from the response and the questions asked, I could see that there was a lot of anxiety among parents about how the lower primary curriculum will prepare their children for primary 3. I empathise with them but I don’t think they should worry too much. From my own experience working with schools and with holistic assessment strategies, I am confident that students will be well prepared. Having said that, I would also add that what will probably vary is the degree of preparedness, and this is unavoidable since schools and teachers are never homogeneous.

What parents worry about is how well their children are trained for formal exams since there will be fewer such formal tests in the lower primary. I assured parents that teachers worry about this too. Learning the test format is not difficult. Learning to finish the tasks within a prescribed time will take a while but it’s not impossible. Knowing what to do is also teachable. What is most difficult is to ensure that students have the necessary basics that will enable them to do the exams and by this, I mean the literacy skills.

Students must have learnt the basic reading and writing skills in the lower primary to ensure a smooth transition into primary 3. The gap between primary 2 and 3 is considerable; just check the texts, tasks and learning outcomes stated. Without a sound foundation, children will struggle and they won’t be able to cope with the everyday tasks, let alone exams. Parents should ensure that their children are reading well by the end of primary one, although I must also add that children learn to read at different ages and there’s no magic age for when they should be able to read. However, if they are still not reading well by the beginning of primary 2, some intervention is crucial.

At the end of primary 2, students should also be able to write the basic sentence structures, and good writers will be able to use adjectives and adverbs to elaborate on their sentences. They will be able to write simple compound and complex sentences using appropriate vocabulary. Some students can write long stories at this stage but I don’t think that’s typical of a primary 2 pupil. The ability to write good sentences is a good goal to work towards; telling a story in sequence is a bonus. A child who can write a good sentence is already exhibiting good grammar knowledge. As long as the meaning of the sentences and the story is clear, I don’t worry too much about the grammar, especially the tenses. They have a whole school life to learn how to do that well and when adults still struggle with agreement and tenses, why should primary 1 or 2 pupils have to master these well at their age?

A knowledge of the basic letter-sound system is essential too and this means being able to spell the basic words or to approximate the spelling of these words. My teachers know that I always complain about the unrealistic spelling lists that primary school children get. They should learn and spell words that they need to write, not words that they don’t need. These words, e.g. surgeon, are unlikely to appear in their writing although they should recognise and read them. A word like surprise however, is more common and useful for writing and its spelling should be learnt.

Good penmanship is also important and the ability to form the letters correctly and well is the first step towards learning how to write in cursive. Cursive writing allows students to write faster and more efficiently. Children who are still printing letters in the upper primary will be hindered in the exams because they cannot write as fast. So parents should not neglect penmanship or do the handwriting tasks for their children.

The lower primary STELLAR programme focuses on a rich reading curriculum and a supported writing programme that builds on children’s oral language. Twenty five years or so ago, we had a similar programme called the Reading and English Acquisition Programme (REAP), and it has been the only literacy programme we’ve had that produced positive results that were documented in research papers. REAP was a revolutionary literacy programme that laid the foundation to much of the English curriculum in the later years. STELLAR brings back the best of the REAP strategies. But although STELLAR is a sound programme, its success is dependent on how well teachers are trained to deliver the contents. All teachers do get the necessary support but there are teachers and teachers. We must remember that the curriculum itself is inert; it’s the teachers who bring it to life. So, I would say don’t worry about the curriculum. Think instead of how teachers are teaching your child in class because no matter how hard the MOE works, there’s no way they can teacher-proof the materials. And I must add that just because a teacher is not doing what another teacher is doing does not mean that she/he does not know what to do. Good teaching is fluid, and it changes and flows with the rhythm of the classroom and the pupils.

As for the new holistic assessment (HA), I can only say that I support it. Having worked closely with a school on their programme, I can say that HA provides useful feedback for teachers and parents. Teachers are also guided by HA to know what they should be teaching. If HA goes wrong, it’s often because it’s not well implemented. Implementation requires careful thinking through of what the learning outcomes should be for each term and each year, and also what teachers should do to ensure that these learning outcomes can be achieved.

So, for all parents of young children, I will still say that you need to ensure that the basics are in place. By the basics I mean reading and writing skills and these in turn are dependent on a sound knowledge of the alphabet and the alphabetic principle. But these alone are inadequate. Children need to also develop a love for reading and learning, a curious and critical mind, the ability to ask and answer questions, to focus on a task at hand, and to have the discipline and attention span to see them through many different tasks. They also need the ability to work together with others, to have compassion and respect for those who are different, and integrity and honesty to make it through their little classroom and school world. These soft skills are increasingly more and more important for success in school and life and they should first be learnt at home.

At home, parents should focus on being parents first and not be too worked up about “teaching” their children. Regardless of our own educational backgrounds, there’s a lot we can do to help our children do well in school, and these do not even require textbooks or assessment books. For instance, reading and talking to your child are two very significant and useful school preparation activities. Remember, although you are your child’s first teacher, what you choose to teach him or her can make a lot of difference in your child’s life.

Finally, I must mention the Society for Reading and Literacy (SRL) whose mission is to promote reading and literacy in Singapore. SRL sells an old but useful DVD on how to read with your child. This made-in-Singapore DVD shows Singapore parents in action and includes some useful notes for those who are not sure what to do.

ADVERTISEMENT: Workshops for 2011

If you are looking to book a workshop for your school or your PSG next year, please refer to the calendar in my website here.



All Wednesdays in Semester 1 have been taken up; the earliest Wednesday is in late July. Other available slots are indicated in the calendar. Please book early to avoid disappointment. Thank you.

A Jakarta Jaunt

Last week, I went on a 3-day trip to Jakarta to officiate at the opening of the new Adam Khoo Learning Centre there.

I’ve been in and out of Jakarta before mostly on business so this is my first extended trip there and I was not disappointed. Immediately upon my arrival, I was whisked away to do a 2-hour interview which will be published in Kompas, the largest circulating newspaper in Indonesia. Being interviewed was a strange experience for me because it involved reviewing and recalling many personal aspects of my life, including memories of events that I have almost forgotten. The gentleman who interviewed me was very interested in my literacy work; apparently reading and writing are not taken seriously there.

I also conducted a workshop for teachers and visited some bookshops and an art gallery. The malls in Jakarta are huge and very impressive. Outside, the traffic crawled and horns blared loudly. Inside the malls, it was cool and full of lovely displays of expensive local and imported products. Indeed, Jakarta was full of pleasant surprises. The food was delicious, the service, friendly and the people I met were incredibly hospitable. I don’t think Singaporeans show the same level of hospitality that the Indonesians displayed; indeed, I would say we don’t understand what real hospitality means.

There are loads to shop for and the batik was especially lovely. Unfortunately, this was not a shopping trip for me so I will have to go back again. On the way to the airport, we stopped for a foot, leg, hand and back massage which went on for one and half hours and all for a princely sum of S$5.

I was glad to have made this trip. Although it was a short visit, it gave me some insight into the Indonesian way of life, and I came away with a deeper appreciation of the people and their culture. I know I am very glad to have made some new friends in Jakarta.

Cruising down the Yangtze

It's autumn on the Yangtze River. The leaves on the trees and bushes are turning a vivid red and yellow and by winter, the hillsides will be ablaze with red. A barge loaded with sand(?) chugs slowly down the now peaceful river.

On the way, we stop for a visit to the Fengdu ghost city. Its location on top of a hill is breathtaking but the ghosts were missing. I think they were visiting Haw Paw Villa.


An example of the amusing Chinglish found at Fengdu and elsewhere in China. The guide explained that the Chinese rely on Google for translation from Chinese to English. With interesting results, I must add.

Another cruise ship, much like ours, passing by. In the back, the steep hills of the gorge tower above the emerald green waters of the river.

Many villages and towns were "drowned" when the Three Gorges Dam was built. This is one of the new towns, rebuilt higher along the coast of the river.

A view of the Three Gorges Dam. It was a foggy day. The Dam is an amazing piece of engineering and everyone has their view about its impact on the region.

The ship locks where boats and ships enter and drop almost 100 metres to pass the dam into the next stretch of the river.


The world's fastest train. We travelled on it from Wuhan to Guangzhou. The highest speed reached was 345 kilometres per hour.

In the outskirts of Wuhan, we saw three dogs, stripped of their skins, hanging from a rack along the roadside, ready for the cooking pot. That took away our appetites but not for long. We had a dish of beef cooked in chilli and served drowned in chilli oil. Although it was fiery red, it was not hot and was the most delicious dish we had on the trip.

In Guangzhou, we stayed on Shamien island. This area has a distinctly European influence with wide leafy boulevards and little traffic. Beautiful life-like statues dotted the lovely parks there. Brides and models were out in full force that weekend.

Young people had their fun with the sculptures too. I had a great holiday. Three days and nights on the river with no Internet, intermittent TV reception, a pleasant cool nip in the air, and a ship full of Chinese tourists- well, maybe fewer Chinese tourists would be ideal but we had some interesting cultural exchanges over dinner and wine.

How To Study

Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study. Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life. Henry L. Doherty



I guess this post is a bit late because the exams are over and the holidays are here soon. Nevertheless, this can be information for you when thinking about your children’s study habits and may help you plan what you can do to help their learning in the coming year.

The New York Times published an article on Sept 6, 2020 entitled “Forget what you know about good study habits” and in it, Benedict Carey dismissed some long cherished notions about how we should study. Here is a summary of the key findings:

1. Psychologists have found no support for the belief that children have specific learning styles i.e. they are either visual or auditory learners or they are left or right brained learners. Catering to their specific learning styles does not help learning.

2. Studying consistently in a specific place, room or quiet corner of the library does not promote learning. Scientists found that students remember better when they study in different locations. They believe that with a change in contexts, the information to be learnt is enriched and that slows down forgetting.

3. Students who study different types of material or different subjects in one sitting recall more information than those who study just one subject at a single sitting. So, it might be better to do a bit of each subject than just all of one subject.

4. Intensive immersion in a subject does not help retention. It’s better to space out the studying, for example an hour a day, an hour over the weekend etc. Such spacing out of the learning allows the brain to pack the information in carefully and gradually. Students don’t have to put in extra effort and they end up remembering more.

5. Testing helps recall because tests not only measures knowledge but they change it. Students who studied some material twice, in back to back sessions, did well on a test given immediately afterwards but they also forget the material after a while. Those who studied the material once and did a practice test in the second session, did well on a test two days later and another given a week later. So there’s something to be said for the teach-test-teach model.

6. The harder the material is, the harder it is to forget. Don’t let difficult material scare your children.

These are interesting claims, and there may just be some truth in them. But some of you may say that we grew up with the old ways of learning and we did okay. True. Indeed, nothing can take the place of motivation and the hunger to succeed when it comes to getting good grades. Without the motivation, these insights may just well be a waste of time. But then again, these ideas may just be what your child needs to go the extra mile.

On a separate but related topic, read what Dr Marvin Marshall has to say about sitting up straight. This is taken from his newsletter Promoting Responsibility and Learning.


When you were growing up, your mother may have told you to sit up straight. She gave good advice because good posture helps you look confident and make a good impression.

It turns out that sitting up straight can also improve how you feel about yourself, according to a study in the October 2009 issue of the European Journal of Social Psychology.

Researchers asked college students to rate themselves on how good they would be as job candidates and employees. Those who were told to sit up straight before filling out a form gave themselves higher ratings than those instructed to slouch while filling out the rating form.

Once again, Mom was right.

Source: MarvinMarshall.com

Once again, we have much unlearning and re learning to do.

Mabuhay!

Miss Philippines and Miss Singapore at the parade of nations

I’ve just returned from a trip to Manila where I presented a plenary paper and conducted a workshop for teachers. That was not my first time there; indeed, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been there but this was probably the second time in Manila itself, and that means along Roxas Boulevard, the Orchard Road of Manila. The other times were outside Manila or in the suburbs.

I’ve known the folks at the Reading Association of Philippines (RAP) since my days in the Society for Reading and Literacy (SRL), and have kept up a friendship with them through my involvement in the regional literacy group, International Development in Asia or IDAC. IDAC is affiliated to the International Reading Association (IRA). The Philippines make many people nervous because of the many negative stories about terrorists and kidnappers. The truth is every country has its bad places. I remember the years when I lived in Oakland, California. Oakland was then known as the homicide capital of the US because of the number of drive-by shootings. But my family and I had a good stay there and never once met a bad guy, if you don’t count the homeless guys along Telegraph who only wanted a quarter for coffee.

Whenever I am in the Philippines, my friends there make me feel safe and I don’t do anything silly to endanger myself. It helps that everyone there thinks I am a Filipino. People don’t just come up and ask if I were a Filipino; they just speak to me straightaway in Tagalog. I am used to this having had the same experience in other parts of the world, even in Europe. My friend, Merlene, taught me a couple of Tagalog words to use as retorts like talaga, which means “really” or “is it?” which I toss out every now and then with the appropriate intonation.

The conference was held at Manila Hotel, which is the Raffles Hotel there. It’s historic and majestic with an old world charm. Filipinos are always warm and friendly and Filipino teachers show their appreciation by taking pictures with you. Filipinos are crazy about photo taking. So for the two days, I acted like a celebrity and was posing for photographs here and there. Some teachers also remembered me from my last visit there several years ago and that was gratifying although I had great difficulty responding to comments like, “Surely you remember me? I was the one who gave you the answer about comprehension.” Sometimes it takes me a while to recall a face; other times, I’m afraid this old brain has too many holes in it. Do forgive my lapses in memory.

Filipino teachers, as you all know, are not well paid but despite that, they participate actively in professional organisations. As part of the activities at the conference, I was able to help sponsor some literacy programmes as well as two teachers to become members of the International Reading Association. It made me think about how few Singaporean teachers find the need to join any professional organisation although they can well afford it and the subscription fees are low. Perhaps being an MOE teacher is already enough since MOE provides everything, but does this mean that professional organisations here like SRL and ASCD have no hope of ever growing a strong membership base among teachers? In a poor country like the Philippines, the Reading Association was able to celebrate their 40th anniversary and their past president, Sally Labanda has the distinction of being the first Asian board member at IRA.

We have such success at ASCD, and Dr Ang Wai Hoong and Miss Betsy Lim have been past board members at ASCD International. But we have a lot more support and resources than the Filipinos. Every time I am at an international event with them, I am constantly impressed with the way the Filipinos present themselves. You can’t mistake the sense of unity and fierce pride they have of their culture and country. Filipinos I meet often sigh with some envy and longing when they hear I am from Singapore; it’s the land of milk and honey for them. Sadly, when I am home, I hear nothing but grouses, whines and complaints.

At the opening of the conference, a group of adorable kids paraded in the costumes of the different nations. Miss Singapore, as you can see in the picture above, really looks the part. Check out the attitude. Miss Philippines also represented the country well. Check out the big smile and the costume.