PREP 2 PSLE Programme

PREP 2 PSLE

The necessary study skills needed to give your child a headstart in PSLE.

Overview of the programme

While there is an increasingly lesser emphasis being given to examinations in schools, Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) continue to be the first major hurdle for students as they move on to secondary schools. In preparing to overcome this hurdle successfully, students require more than just the regurgitation of concepts but rather, an important set of knowledge, skills and strategies that can help them tackle questions in a more effective manner.

Supporting students since 2012, the PREP 2 PSLE programme aims to equip our students with this set of knowledge, skills and strategies to meet the demands of the PSLE English paper. The PREP 2 PSLE programme complements the DAS Main Literacy Programme and aims to translate students’ learning into practical application for the English examinations.

Extending support beyond PSLE, the PREP 2 PSLE programme also offers a Pre-Secondary Bridging Programme. This programme provides a headstart for our students, acquainting them to the secondary school syllabus and equipping them with essential skills and strategies such as active listening, note-taking, grammar concepts and visual text analysis so as to help them transition into the secondary school English curriculum.

Click here to watch our P2P Superhero provide you with more information on the programme!

Recommended for

The PREP 2 PSLE programme is recommended for students from Primary 3 to Primary 6, who face difficulties in the Grammar, Editing, Synthesis & Transformation and Comprehension components in the English examinations.

DAS is excited to announce that we have redefined “access” to all our programmes.  A diagnosis of a specific learning difference is no longer a prerequisite. We have now opened our doors to struggling learners, whether they have a formal diagnosis of a learning difference or not.  To access our programmes all students will undergo profiling tests, a simple step to ensure they are placed in a class that suits their learning needs best. We’re dedicated to providing tailored support to every child, empowering them to reach their full potential.

Entry Criteria

PREP 2 PSLE Programme is open to

  1.   Primary 3 to Primary 6 students (with or without a diagnosis of a SpLD)
  2.  Students must attain a minimum score of 35% in his/her most recent school English Exams.

Short-term Programmes

PREP 2 PSLE programme offers short-term programmes that equip students with the necessary skills for other components in the English examinations. These include Oral English and Cloze Passage. Besides these, the programme also organises the PSLE English Paper 2 Booth Camp that provides an intensive enrichment for students in need of a boost in preparation for the PSLE.

PREP 2 PSLE Research

Who we are

All Educational Therapist (EdTs) are continuously trained in their work with studetns with specific learning difficulties (SpLDs). At entry, all EdTs are expected to have relevant degree or diploma in the field of early childhood education, early intervention and/or related fields. Further in-service training includes continuous formal and informal training, which prepares EdTs to be able to manage demands on the ground.

View more about our EdTs here

Specialised Educational Services (SES) is a division of the Dyslexia Association of Singapore. SES programmes are tailored to fit the learning needs of students with a learning difference.

SES Programmes are NOT funded by the Ministry of Education (MOE), the MOE only supply a grant for the das Main Literacy Programme (MLP). 

APPLICATION IS OPEN

Bursary is available for Short Term Programmes for both DAS and non-DAS students with a diagnosis of dyslexia.

2022P2PBootCamp

 

PSLE Boot Camp
(OPEN)

Dates:
5 to 9 Jun 2022

Ages
Primary 6 Standard students

Time
10 am to 12.15 pm

Venue
Online via ZOOM


Class fee
$691.40
Bursary is available for Short Term Programmes for both DAS and non-DAS students with a diagnosis of dyslexia

(Click here for more info on class content)

PSLE Boot Camp
(OPEN)

Dates:
5 to 9 Jun 2022

Ages
Primary 6 Standard students

Time
10 am to 12.15 pm

Venue
Online via ZOOM


Class fee
$691.40
Bursary is available for Short Term Programmes for both das and non-das students with a diagnosis of dyslexia

(Click here for more info on class content)

Oral English Exam Skills

The Oral Exams STP is designed to prepare students for the two components of the PSLE English Oral Examination – Reading Aloud and Stimulus – based Conversation. The programme aims to equip students with the necessary skills and strategies that will enable them to read with good pronunciation, articulation and appropriate intonation to convey information in the reading passage. It also aims to provide students with exposure and practice in giving personal response while engaging in a meaningful conversation based on a topic or visual stimulus given.

Objectives

  • To give students an insight into the oral examination format and its requirements
  • To provide a platform for students to build their confidence in communication skills through vocabulary expansion, content knowledge and expressive language

Structure

An assessment will be done during the first and last week of the programme. The first 3 weeks after assessment will be dedicated to the teaching of skills and strategies for the Reading Aloud component and the following 5 weeks will be spent on equipping students with content knowledge and vocabulary for Stimulus- based Conversation. Each week, students will also learn tips on coping with oral exam anxiety.

What will students learn in the Oral Exams STP?

  • Exercises and tips on overcoming oral exam anxiety
  • Components and examination syllabus
  • Tips and reading practices for Reading Aloud component
  • Tips and discussion content for Stimulus-Based Conversation component

PREP 2 PSLE Boot Camp

Objectives

  • To equip Primary 6 students with essential skills and strategies to boost their confidence in their final lap to the PSLE
  • To enhance students’ readiness and demonstrate a firmer understanding in coping with challenging components of the PSLE English Paper 2

Structure

These carefully selected components of the English Paper 2 include Editing, Synthesis & Transformation and Open-Ended Comprehension. A pre-post assessment will be conducted before and after the 10-hour programme to evaluate and assess students’ knowledge and progress. Outcomes of the pre-post assessment will be shared with parents.

What will students learn in the PREP 2 PSLE Boot Camp STP?

  • Specific topics from components of the Editing, Synthesis & Transformation and Open-Ended Comprehension
  • Explicit strategies through a progressive and cumulative approach to guide students through the 2-hour sessions
  • A combination of interactive and hands-on activities, games and written tasks to support reinforcement and retention
  • Opportunities to ask questions, clarify any misconceptions and consolidate their learning and understanding of the examination expectations in each of the components covered during the Boot Camp

Cloze The Deal

Objectives

  • To equip students with application skills in answering comprehension cloze and build their confidence in attempting cloze tasks through a sequential and cumulative approach.

What will students learn in the Oral Exams STP?

1. Parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs)
2. Phrasal verbs (verb + prepositions)
3. Collocations
4. Connectors (to show cause & effect, compare & contrast, examples, sequence)
5. Skills to identify contextual clues

Students will be closely guided apply all of the skills above when tackling a cloze task.

PREP 2 PSLE TEACHING APPROACH

The Prep 2 PSLE programme adheres to the Orton-Gillingham (OG) principles and lessons are centred around the RIMAIR Approach so as to ensure a highly structured and progressive approach for our students. Our programme is consistently evaluated to ensure that it caters to the needs of the students and the school curriculum.

RIMAIR

Review
Introduce concept/strategies
Model
Apply (Guided)
Independent Application
Review

THE PREP 2 PSLE TEAM

 

All our Educational Therapists (EdTs) possess a degree from a recognised university as well as a strong command in the English language. They undergo initial training to support learners in the English examinations as well as regular in-service training to ensure that they engage in continuous learning, remain relevant and updated and continue to hone their knowledge and skills to help learners.

Our PREP 2 PSLE educational therapists possess the following qualifications:

  1. Certificate in Dyslexia and Literacy Teaching
  2. Certificate in Supporting SpLD Learners in English Exam Skills
  3. Professional Certificate Course in English Exam Skills

tutyelfifra

PREP 2 PSLE Programme Manager

TUTY ELFIRA ABDUL RAZAK
Lead Educational Therapist
Programme Manager

Tuty has been with the das since 2010. She provides intervention for learners with dyslexia on the PREP 2 PSLE (Preparation for English Paper 2 PSLE) and Main Literacy programmes. In addition, she oversees the development of curriculum and resources for PREP 2 PSLE, training of its teachers and evaluation of their classroom practices. She also conducts talks organised by the das Parents’ Support Group (PSG) to offer parents practical tips and strategies to help their child overcome…

READ MORE 

TESTIMONIALS

Hear from DAS Students

Hear from DAS Parents

“My girl was diagnosed with dyslexia when she was in Primary 4. We thought that she was slow in learning until my sister noticed it as her daughter also has dyslexia. As parents, we tried to deny the fact. When she turned Primary 3, we started to notice that it was affecting her and causing her to struggle in her academic. I went to Bedok Branch to find out more about the course and managed to get her enrolled, where she attended MLP and P2P with Miss Halimah. We can see a great improvement in her as she started off with difficulty in getting the right spelling and understanding the passage. After attending the class by Miss Halimah, her spelling and understanding of the passage has significantly improved. Her school teacher has also complimented the improvement in her English. I am very grateful to DAS (Bedok Branch) and Miss Halimah for their patience and encouragement that they have showered to my girl.” 

“P2P has helped my daughter to become more confident in tackling exam questions. The strategies like CUB-Hi, Annotation helped her focus on the important parts of the text. While she needs more practice in Synthesis and Transformation, the lessons have helped her break down some confusing concepts such that I am able to revise with her at home.”

Hear from DAS Educational Therapists

“The Prep2PSLE programme has made me unlearn the way I learn and teach the English language. It transcends beyond assuming something is grammatically correct just because it sounds right to the ears. Having structured, bite-sized and purposeful lessons to learn components of the English language proved to be helpful not only for dyslexic individuals but for everyone who wants to understand the rationale and explicit steps behind how a specific answer is derived.”

Nur Ashikin

“I started teaching P2P for five years ago and I have been impressed by how its creators have continuously redesigned and adapted the programme to actively engage learners of different abilities. Complex concepts are broken down into simple steps that even the slowest of learners can understand. The program is modular and allows students to work at their own pace. This program has allowed my ‘slower’ paced students to ‘catch up and ‘faster’ paced students to challenge themselves.”

Samantha Chng

“I have witnessed my students’ growing confidence in handling English paper 2 components ever since they joined the programme. They find the tasks manageable, and the explanations provided are clear and simple for them to understand. Their learning experience here is enjoyable and effective that some of them even wish to continue the programme in secondary school!”

Siti Nadiah

“Students enjoy P2P classes as the lessons integrate many multi-sensory activities to help the students learn better. My students really like the manipulatives that they make themselves, after which they can use it for their lessons and then proudly bring them home. Students also find the learning fun when they get to see some of their teachers in the introduction videos. This interactive media helps them to remember new concepts better as the video could trigger their memory when they are doing their independent practices.”

Steven Lim

PREP 2 PSLE ONLINE LEARNING

Recent events have put both our teachers and students out of our comfort zones. However, they were able to quickly adapt to the changes that comes with online learning. Our dedicated team of teachers have come up with online lessons that continue to stimulate our students’ interest, ensuring continuity in their learning.

 

Testimonial from Parent on PREP 2 PSLE’s Online Learning Lessons

“At the same time, I would like to thank you and Teacher Corrine (from MLP) for the tremendous effort put in, in bringing the lessons online. I believe it requires more time and effort to plan and navigate, getting children’s attention as well as managing expectations. Though the initial stages were met with some delays and hiccups, it was totally understandable. Jacob is getting the hang of it too. He is able to manage on his own now after a few times guiding him along. Believe we have to adapt to the new norm now. Nothing compares to face to face interaction of course but online learning is a good alternative to ensure the continuity. I am glad that DAS took the lessons online before the mainstream schools, allowing children like my son a taste of virtual learning before he attempted the school’s HBL. The online lessons are a lot smoother now and Jacob is not complaining as he prefers learning in the comfort of his home! Kudos to you and Teacher Corrine for taking the time and effort to engage the children and delivering your lessons with such confidence.”

PREP 2 PSLE Video Lessons

 A Grammar Lesson


A Synthesis & Transformation Lesson

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

PReparation for English Paper 2 PSLE.

It is a one-hour weekly remediation programme that aims to address the examination needs of primary school students in the hope of enhancing their confidence and preparedness for the PSLE English Paper 2 Examination. It aims to support Primary 3 to Primary 6 students by equipping them the knowledge, skills, strategies and attitudes to cope with the demands of the English Language syllabus in school.

Lessons are conducted once a week, one hour per lesson.

PREP 2 PSLE classes follow a termly scope and sequence for each level/stream. The scope and sequence have been carefully planned and curated to ensure that students benefit from a range of topics and concepts that are teachable and are in line with the programme’s RIMAIR (Review, Introduce, Model, Apply, Independent application, Recap) instructional approach. 

At the start of each lesson, previously learnt concepts are constantly reviewed and new concepts are then introduced systematically and progressively. Within each lesson, students are expected to gradually move towards an independent application of skills through attempting PSLE format question types.

The structured and systematic approach of PREP 2 PSLE lessons ensure that students receive a short but intensive learning experience within an hour.

Grammar, Editing, Synthesis & Transformation and Comprehension.

These components carry a higher weightage of marks in school exams and based on our analysis of dyslexic students’ exam papers, these are also components that students find most challenging.

The programme is open to P3 to P6 students who have a diagnosis of dyslexia OR have attended MOE’s School-Based Dyslexia Remediation (SBDR) programme as well as students who struggle to learn.

A diagnosis of a specific learning difference is no longer a prerequisite. We have now opened our doors to struggling learners, whether they have a formal diagnosis of a learning difference or not.  To access our programmes all students will undergo profiling tests, a simple step to ensure they are placed in a class that suits their learning needs best. We’re dedicated to providing tailored support to every child, empowering them to reach their full potential.

The student must attain a minimum score of 35% in his/her most recent school English Exam Paper. 

They are grouped according to school levels and streams. We have 3 types of classes:

  1. Primary 3 and 4 
  2. Primary 5 and 6 Foundation
  3. Primary 5 and 6 Standard

Teacher to student ratio is kept at 1:5. Classes are kept small to ensure that teachers are able to attend to the individual needs of students. This is particularly important for struggling learners.

Entry into Prep 2 PSLE happens between Week 1 to 7 of each academic term. If your child is already in Primary 6, we would recommend him/her to sign up for the PSLE Boot Camp Short-Term Programme (STP) during the June Holidays. During the boot camp, our teachers will help your child consolidate key concepts critical for managing challenging components in English Paper 2. 

For more information on DAS programme fees, please click here.

 Yes. However, your child has to be currently enrolled in the Main Literacy Programme (Main Literacy Programme). The bursary awarded will be one tier below Main Literacy Programme bursary awarded. 

  • Bedok (BDK)
  • Bishan (BJ8)
  • Chua Chu Kang (CCK)
  • Chinatown Point (CTP)
  • Jurong Point (JPT)
  • Parkway Parade (PWP)
  • Queenstown (QTN)
  • Sengkang (SKG)
  • Serangoon (SRN)
  • Tampines (TPN)
  • Woodlands (WDL)

Parents may submit an application through the das website here. Once the application has been processed, the Centre Manager of your preferred learning centre will contact the parent to discuss and find a suitable class for the child.

Like the Main Literacy Programme, PREP 2 PSLE classes are kept to a maximum of 4 to 5 students to ensure that teachers are able to attend to the needs of each learner.  Lessons are structured and cumulative to align with the Orton-Gillingham Principles of the Main Literacy Programme programme, thereby giving time for students to internalise, understand, review and retain concepts, strategies and skills taught. Unlike the Main Literacy Programme which targets literacy and language skills on a broader scale for primary to secondary school students, PREP 2 PSLE targets primary school students only and its curriculum specifically focuses on topics tested in English Paper 2 of the PSLE.

For more information about PREP 2 PSLE, you can call 6444 5700 (Mon to Fri, 9.30 am to 5.30 pm) or email [email protected]