Rexie Pink

13/03/2025

https://youtube.com/shorts/_4W1cPo0Z6M?si=_J0hjrbl2VIgPYlQ

12/03/2025

Having trouble starting your composition? This video is tailor-made just for you.

Show this video to your child! :) It tells them the importance of using hooks to impress examiners and give them a compelling reason to work on it. It gives ...

24/07/2023

Dear Educators,

Welcome to the world of online teaching! We understand that planning an engaging online lesson requires thoughtful consideration and creativity.

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you plan and execute a successful online lesson:

Introduce the Topic (Using Vivid Descriptions to liven up your Compositions) by first sharing the link to this Youtube short

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0U8HlpmGVC8

Enhance the learning experience by supplementing with a selection of shorts related to the topic. These additional samples will provide your students with more insights and perspectives. Use the following links to include the shorts:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1vYRvKbmydo

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0AlcIkQqbx0

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mVq8eQsnoCE

Lastly choose to assign Individual or Group Work:

After your students have explored the introductory video and additional samples, you can either assign

(Option 1) An Individual Assignment where students are tasked to work individually on generating creative responses within a given topic (Eg, Emotions) OR

(Option 2) A Collaborative Class Assignment where students can work as a class where their responses can be seen by the class. Emphasize the importance of avoiding repeated phrases. This approach will motivate them to log in early and complete the task promptly, as later entries may have fewer choices of phrases due to their classmates' submissions.

Remember, online teaching offers incredible opportunities to engage students and foster meaningful learning experiences. By carefully planning your lessons and leveraging digital tools effectively, you can create an environment where students thrive and achieve their full potential.

Wishing you success in your online teaching endeavors!

Best regards,

Rexie Pink

Visit our shop www.payhip.com/rexiepink for products that will interest you.

12/12/2021

Do you know that using different literary devices can enrich your writing? Watch this video to learn more.

11/12/2021

23/06/2021

The oral examinations for prelims and PSLE is looming ;)

So here are some tips:

Remember to greet your examiner. Do look neat and tidy on that day. Get a haircut if you need one. Ensure that your clothes are ironed and (for boys) shirt to be tucked in properly.

Reading passage:

(1) articulate under your breath during preparation time because it is hard to get it 100% correct with no practice. Reading in your mind is different than sounding them out. Do not read out loud else you will get into trouble. Loud enough for you to hear but no one else should be able to hear anything.

You do not have time to re-read the passage for more than once. If there is a word that is problematic, break it down. Repeat it a few times and then read the sentence that it is in (2 to 3 times then move on).

(2) remember to stress on important words

(3) ensure that the word endings can be heard
pauses should be deliberate

(4) For questions, the ending tone should be a rising tone.

(5) do pronounce the 'th' sounds accurately. eg thought versus taught

Stimulus Based component:

This is an item that many students do not prepare for. During the preparation time. It is still necessary to prepare for this. Try to answer these questions under your breath during preparation because it will help your answer flow better when you are in front of the examiner. Everyone needs a dry run first.

Good Tier 1 questions that you can ask yourself would be : Would you attend this event? Will you buy this item? Even if the question isn't the same, you have gotten your brain thinking so it will be easier to answer the questions when you face your examiner.

Good Tier 2 questions that you can ask yourself would be: Have you attended similar events? These questions tend to invite you to share personal experiences. As you do not need to look at the stimulus for this section, you will need to ensure that you maintain eye contact.

For those who are shy, they can stare at the space between the examiner's eyes during prelims. During PSLE, there will be two examiners. One of them will pose the question to you but do ensure that you move your gaze to include the other examiner who did not pose you the question as well.

The preferred gaze would be the triangular gaze. Focus on the examiner who posed you the question. Look at his or her left eye, then his or her right eye, then move on to his or her lips and repeat the cycle . Do not move your gaze around too quickly but do it in a slow and natural manner. After you are done with 1 to 2 sentences, turn and maintain your eye contact with the other examiner by going through the same motion. Do remember to blink :)

ONE HUGE TIP!
Although it is slow, it is important to write out your response when you are practising for this component for the first few times at home. By writing your response down, you slow down your thinking process and you will be able to note where are the usual places you will make grammatical mistakes. After a few times, you will be able to think at a faster rate and because you are so in tune with the common grammatical errors you will make, it is less likely they will surface when you go straight into answering verbally.

Do take the initiative to elaborate on your answers. Your examiner will be testing many students so they may not make an extra effort to engage you.

Sometimes you will need to craft your answer and not answer it the way you would in real life. You should answer it in a way that will score you the highest marks. Be informative and interesting in your content and use appropriate thematic vocabulary.

What if you are unable to answer one of their question? Example, Can you tell me about a birthday party that you have attended? If you have not attended any birthday parties before, it is tempting to say no and wait for the next question. But, you can reply in the following manner : I have not attended any birthday party before so I cannot tell you about it. Instead, can I share with you how an organised party by me would be like?

Remember, you are being tested on being a good conversationalist. Be interesting and use varied sentence structures along with thematic vocabulary.

As and when you can, you should throw in phrases to boost your language marks.

All the Best, everyone! I hope you will do well for your examinations! :)

22/05/2021

Some descriptors that you may find useful ;)

Hot
The scorching ball of fire baked the ground with a vengeance. The wind did not provide any respite from the heat. Instead, the hot wind assaulted my face.

Cool
Magnolia clouds floated/drifted lazily across the azure sky. The cool wind caressed my face as the fresh air rejuvenated my lungs.

Sun Rise
The sun rose in a pool/sea of crimson and gold, spilling light on everything that was in its path.

Sun Set
The sun descended slowly as it went into hiding below the horizon.

About to rain
Ominous dark clouds loomed threateningly above. The claps of thunder came one after another in quick succession, resonating through the air.

Drizzle
The pitter-patter of the rain sounded like music to my ears. The sound of rain landing on the surfaces was therapeutic.

Heavy Rain
A bolt of lightning tore across the sky and a peal of thunder followed. The huge raindrops assaulted me, drenching me in seconds. It was raining cats and dogs.

Cold
My teeth chattered uncontrollably as my body shivered violently. The cold wind felt as if a million needles were poking me.

Night
One could literally hear a pin drop. The silence was punctuated occasionally by distant hoots.

Silence
The silence was jarring. He could hear his ears ringing.

22/05/2021

Why do some children read widely but are unable to do well for their composition or creative writing component?

Books are meant to be lengthy and entertaining.

If a book were to use higher-level vocabulary, it will affect how much the child can understand. This will affect the number of readers who would buy their books and in turn lower their profits.

Books tend to utilise words that can be understood easily by an average kid belonging to that particular age group. It does not only cater to the high achievers. They tend to be lengthy because the thicker the book is, the more they can charge for it.

Compositions are meant to be concise. Students have to strategically choose which areas to develop so as to score more points.

They need to use literary devices (for example, show-not-tell, simile, hyperbole, personification, onomatopoeia, oxymoron, foreshadowing, metaphor, idiom, euphemism, etc. )

So, how does one do well in the composition component?

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!

It is important to sit your child down regularly (preferably once a week) to complete a composition per seating while timing your child.