Entering prestigious secondary schools by passing the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) with high scores is the dream of a lot of parents and kids in Singapore. The most common method of cramming several months of learning material into one or two nights of intense study may not produce the intended results. Instead, it can only result in mental fatigue. To obtain the highest possible grades, adopting a prolonged study routine is essential. Students can boost their chances of passing the PSLE by putting forth regular efforts and utilizing effective study techniques.
Spaced repetition is a powerful technique that will allow your child to memorize information in a significantly shorter amount of time. Spaced repetition aims to spread out your child’s repetitions or review sessions so that they are not attempting to force all of the information into their brain at once. Here we will demonstrate how to study with spaced repetition and highlight how it can be optimized for maximum effectiveness in PSLE revision.
An Overview of Spaced Repetition Techniques for PSLE Revision
In 1885, psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus discovered that it becomes progressively more difficult to remember information as time passes. This led to the development of the forgetting curve, a mathematical formula that illustrates this phenomenon. The tendency to forget is something that happens naturally, but it can be disrupted.
Spaced repetition strategies consistently remind the brain of the same information at spaced intervals. Spaced repetition aims to study information before it is forgotten and to increase the time periods between studying the same material until it is stored in long-term memory.
Advantages of using the spaced repetition system
Students preparing for Singapore's rigorous PSLE examinations must employ the effective learning technique of spaced repetition. By utilizing this effective technique, learners can optimize their study time, strengthen knowledge retention, and improve memory for long-term recall, thereby increasing their odds of passing the PSLE exams in Singapore. In addition to enhancing memory, the following are among the essential advantages of spaced repetition:
- Repeatedly exposes your child to information at evenly spaced intervals.
- Effective for memorizing isolated facts, vocabulary, and principles.
- Increases the time spent proactively recalling a memory instead of passively ingesting information.
- Enables the consolidation of fresh data with old, related information already preserved in long-term mental memory, making it simpler to seek out and recollect the information later.
- Trains your child’s brain to anticipate when it will be able to see the material and respond with more alertness and focus, thereby facilitating the encoding of information into long-term memory.
- Permits your child to divide huge assignments into smaller portions of work spaced all through the day (e.g., divide a section into three sections): this method is known as chunking.
- Makes practice simple and adaptable. Daily use of spaced repetition requires only 10 minutes.
- Helps visual learners to get better benefits while connecting images to the information.
Types of the Spaced Repetition Techniques Used by the Singapore Education System
Flashcards
You can help your child to construct flashcards for difficult subjects like Ratio and Proportion, Algebraic Expressions, Percentages, Problem-Solving, and Geometry. List specific formulas, essential concepts, and problem-solving strategies on one side of the flashcard. On the other side, provide comprehensive descriptions or step-by-step solutions. After every review session, your child will use these flashcards to evaluate themselves and compare their answers to the information on the backside of each card.
Leitner boxes
This method includes categorizing the flashcards depending on how well your child can answer the queries on the card's front. If the question is answered accurately, the flashcard is transferred from the very first set to the second. However, if they are unable to answer, the card remains in the first set. Each set of cards is examined at various intervals.
Mind mapping
Researchers have discovered that mind mapping enhances learning and memory. After conducting a review, encourage your child to take a paper and sketch a diagram depicting the relationship between the topic's various components.
Digital systems
Numerous digital platforms and applications provide specialized flashcards along with spaced repetition elements tailored to the PSLE maths and PSLE science exams, enabling your child to effectively practice and review.
Ways to Utilise the Spaced Repetition System for PSLE Revision
Spaced repetition is a very simple technique and concept. In practice, however, periodic repetition is occasionally not so simple to implement. A few conditions must be met for this technique to be successful. These constitute the four stages required to implement spaced repetition.
Plan spacing intervals
Planning the spacing between your child’s study sessions is the first stage in utilizing spaced repetition. The optimal intervals vary based on variables such as the complexity and scope of the topic, their capacity to learn, and their previous understanding of the subject. All of these variables will have an impact on how they can schedule the spaced repetition sessions.
Review and analyze the information
The second phase of spaced repetition entails reviewing and studying the learning materials. To accomplish this, make sure that your child sets aside sufficient time and maintains a conducive study environment to thoroughly cover the topic.
Recall the data at the 1st spacing period
Now that your child has initially reviewed and studied the concepts, it is time to begin using repetition. Ask them to follow the exact same steps they used for studying and revising when reviewing the material for the first time. This helps your child to strengthen the memories they acquired in step two instead of forming new ones.
Recalling information at predetermined intervals
After completing the initial iteration, all that remains is to continue the exact same learning procedure by retrieving and recalling the information at ideal intervals. The optimal review intervals will depend on your child’s schedule, but the recommended intervals are 1, 7, 16, and 35 days after learning the material.
Wrap up
Learning the technique of spaced repetition may be the key to easily passing the PSLE exam. Students can improve their comprehension, retention, and recall of key concepts by strategically spacing out learning sessions and revising information at intervals. This method improves academic performance and instills invaluable skills for lifelong learning. It takes time for spaced repetition to produce results, and once it does, your child will be extremely pleased with what they've accomplished. Prepare your child for success with StudySmart, an innovative PSLE learning platform for students in Singapore, and embark on a transformative PSLE revision unlike any other.