(A) Study Notes
First you need to get hold of primary 4 to 5 Chinese textbooks. If your child's school has a set of notes, it would be fine. if you cannot get it, then you have to ask your contacts for the last few pages of the Chinese textbook which is the bilingual word lists for that level.
For primary 6 textbook word list, it is at the last few pages of the textbook. I have compiled a study guide using the word list with words, meaning, pinyin and even a model sentence for every word and its in this book (FYI I am the author and I will get some royalty when you purchase this book.)
(B) Edictionary
Next your child needs to prepare a eDictionary as required by SEAB for use in PSLE.
Compare Besta Models
All Pass 1 Features (On Besta website, All Pass 1 is not listed.)
- 独家内置《现代汉语词典》，由中国社会科学院语言研究所编纂
- 依标准“中小学华文字表” 将 “现代”分类为 “中学字库”， “小学字库”及“成语字库”， 方便学生查询及学习
- 依标准“中小学华文字表” 提供小学基本2000字“汉语笔顺”
- 在字典功能下反白文字， 并按hot key 可直接显示该字笔划顺序
- 提供两种显示字型， 可依萤幕显示需要随时切换字型大小
- 提供“汉语拼音” 及 “总笔划” 二种中文输入方式
- 所有单字及词组皆依其汉语拼音符号发音
- 可反白释义内容并开启六层交互查询，学习更连续
- Built-in with Contemporary Chinese Dictionary, strengthening your learning power.
- Built-in with writing strokes for the basic 2000 words in accordance to the Chinese character list for Primary and Secondary schools in Singapore.
- A special hot key to show the writing sequence of the Chinese word.
- Able to display two different types of Chinese fonts.
- Input method for Chinese words includes both Hanyu Pinyin and total strokes.
- All words and phrases are pronounced in accordance with its Hanyu Pinyin symbol.
- Able to display up to 6 level of explanation through highlighting the word or phrases.
All Pass 2 Features
- 新编学生实用词典 - 新亚出版社
- 现代汉语词典 - 中国社会科学院语言研究所
- 汉语词典 及 成语词典
- 手写辨识 - 手写即可输入中文
- 单字笔画顺序演示
- 切换显示字型大小
- 30层交互查询视窗
- 作文及中文学习资料 - 标点符号， 量词等
- 参考资料 - 常用题词/百家姓/三字经/弟子规
- 世家时间/日历/计时器/秒表
- A Practical Chinese Dictionary for Students (Singapore Asia Publishers Pte Ltd)
- The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences - Institute of Linguistics)
- Chinese Dictionary and Dictionary of Chinese Idioms
- Chinese Handwriting Recognition
- Stroke Order Demonstration
- Display Font Size Toggling
- 30 Cross-search Windows
- Composition & Chinese Learning Materials such as Punctuation, Classifier etc
- Reference Materials such as Common Epigraph《常用题词》, Hundred Family Surnames《百家姓》 , Standards for Being a Good Student and Child《弟子规》, The Three Character Classic《三字经》
- World Time, Calendar, Timer
Quick and easy HansVision Initial Consonant Input method
E.g. mmhh = 马马虎虎
E.g. mmhh = 马马虎虎
Time saving intelligent wildcard search capability:
E.g. 不*不* = 不卑不亢，不慌不忙，etc...
E.g. 不*不* = 不卑不亢，不慌不忙，etc...
Besta All Pass 2 is similiar to PX2131 but is a bit more durable.
For a one time use, just get PX2051. If you want to pass down edictionary to younger brothers or sisters, get Besta All Pass 2.
If you need to use the pen feature to recognise the composition helping words, choice only PX2131 or All Pass 2.
(C) Model Compositions
To Excel in composition there are two roads that will achieve your aim:-
i) Read a lot of story book and reread all primary 5 to 6 textbook passages and your child will figure out for themselves the way of the composition,
ii) Read, understand, memorized model compositions in various situations and write a short paragraph daily which will help your child digest what they read.
So a few very good model essays which is A to A* graded would be a good start. Get them when your child's school do publish chinese composition books.
or get a compile of good compositions from friends or school.
The method from potato to 34/40 in composition is described here as a process.
"Little Boy memorized his very first Chinese composition last year in Nov-Dec 2010. We are now September 2011. It has been 10 months. The start was most onerous indeed. To describe the first 25 compo memorizations as long and hard toil, is perhaps an understatement. He could not recognize more than half the words in each compo. The compos were taken from a compendium of 1000 Best Compositions from the equivalent of China's PSLE. They were at least 3 to 4 years above his reading level then. Grandma read them into a digital audio file and Little Boy plugged in the speakers and listened and followed and memorized and recited to me.
The very first week, he spent 7 hours a day reciting these compos. I sat near him. I worked near him. It was, for me, like nursing a querulous sick child back to health. You stay there by his side so that he has the strength to carry on, and to not give up on a task that looked impossible to him. There was nothing I could do for him because I am illiterate in Chinese. It was a bit like watching your child battle critical illness and not be able to do anything but hold his hand and stay nearby.
From reciting others' works, he moved on to writing his own. We were thrilled that he could score 34/40 for a piece of compo homework. But those 3 pages meant 6 hours of sustained effort. Under the timed conditions of 50 minutes in the exam, he failed his compo at the mid-year exams. However, he did very well for his Comprehension because all the reading and recitation had improved his word recognition immensely. Thanks to the recitation, he scored wonderfully for Oral reading because he was expressive and he could recognise all the words in the text. Overall, he managed to do well enough to avoid being asked to attend supplementary classes. Even though he had failed his compo, I convinced him that it was still a triumph to be celebrated."
From the blog post : http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2011/09/reaching-tipping-point-for-chinese-part.html
(D) For oral practices, Videos presents a normally 2D situation in a 3D way so that your child has not only need to pay attention to details in the video but they have to figure out the Big picture of the Video as Question 2 and 3 will be dircetly linked to the Moral of the story of the Video.
For daily practice, describe news videos segment by segment from News 8.
http://tv.toggle.sg/en/channel8/news/ch-8-news-tonight/episodes
Choose stories related to normal Singaporean children lifestyles will be nice.
Yes, daily practice all the news segments until your child can say them out loud and maintain eye contact.
Ok now is the important part, the 3 questions commonly asked about the video:-
1) Talk about one detail in the video that interested you?
For parents who think this is easy, try them out yourself in chinese!
2) What is the moral of the story of this video, and tell us about one thing that you have done to related to the moral of the story
3) What can we (as students) do to help enhance the moral of the story.
For an example see below
1) Textbook from primary 4 to 6, print out the last few pages which looked like a small guide book with words, pinyin, and English meaning.
2) Buy a Edictionary
3) Find A to A* composition either from school, friends or internet
4) go browse each news segment in channel 8 news, use toggle catch up video to watch and rewatch. Then ask your child to answer the 3 commonly asked questions.
That all for part 2, Wait for Part 3
For any enquires, email mrtan.sg@gamil.com for Mr Tan.
Thank you for reading. Hope it helps..
