Secondary school is a significant time in a young adolescent’s life. The happy-go-lucky days of primary school are over and the demands of school work just took a giant leap forward. With a much larger number of subjects and increasing complexity of the curriculum, some students have trouble adjusting to the change and could use a little tuition help.
Secondary school tuition addresses the unique learning styles and needs of each student, regardless of subjects. Experienced tutors help with in-depth explanations, clarify any doubts, and guide students on improving study habits and exam techniques, all in preparation for the ‘O’ levels. By providing a little extra help, students are empowered to overcome challenges and maximize their learning potential, setting the stage for academic success!
Overview of our Math Tutoring Services
Secondary School English
English is arguably the most important language in the world. A mastery of the English language will stand students in good stead not just academically, but professionally throughout the rest of their lives. Effective communication is not just a nice-to-have, but it is a must-have.
In secondary school, English goes beyond basic literacy, challenging students to engage with complex texts, express themselves clearly and persuasively, and analyze literature and media from various perspectives. Our secondary school tuition program focuses on literary skills, listening comprehension, essay writing, and media literacy. Our experienced team of tutors are also trained to instill a love for learning English in students and encouraging a voracious reading appetite!
Secondary School Mathematics
Secondary school math starts out as one subject in lower secondary but branches out into E Math and A Math. E Math is a compulsory subject while A Math is optional. Math serves as a foundation for many academic disciplines and future career paths like in engineering, medicine, and science. As students transition from primary to secondary school, the curriculum becomes more complex and introduces many more advanced concepts like algebra, statistics, trigonometry, and geometry.
Building a strong foundation in math is necessary as it remains a compulsory subject throughout not just secondary school but also in junior college. Our secondary school math program will focus on the syllabus and encourage creative problem-solving, critical thinking skills, and mastery of difficult concepts.
Secondary School Science
Secondary school science can encompass Physics, Chemistry, Biology, or any combination of the three. Each subject is a complex one that is a huge step up from the basics of primary school science. Secondary school science will build on the foundation and go deeper into the intricacies of the subjects, paving the way for more complex studies in the future like for engineering or medicine.
Our science tuition program will focus on building a stronger foundation, enhancing critical thinking processes and problem-solving skills. In addition, we extensively prepare all our students for the rigors of exams, in particular, the ‘O’ levels.
Secondary School Mother Tongue
Knowledge of a second language is a privilege, and thankfully, the Singapore school syllabus makes us all effectively bilingual. Whether students choose to learn Chinese, Malay, or Tamil, the Mother Tongue is a crucial subject that plays a vital role in teaching and preserving culture and a sense of community. In secondary school, the curriculum becomes more advanced and focuses on higher levels of language proficiency including comprehension, essay writing skills, literature, and cultural appreciation.
Some students might experience difficulties with the more complex language lessons, especially if they speak predominantly English with their family and friends. Our team of experienced language tutors can help bridge knowledge gaps and promote a better understanding of the language and culture!
Secondary School History
Secondary school history provides students with a better understanding of the past so that they can make more sense of the present and play a part in shaping the future. History goes beyond memorizing facts and figures, but it also involves analyzing significant historical events, then communicating them effectively on paper.
Students who study history will learn to evaluate reliable sources, compile the information, and develop logical, balanced arguments based on their knowledge. However, because history is so intensive with facts, our tutors will teach effective memorization techniques like mind mapping and chunking to help students retain information, and at the same time, honing their critical thinking skills.
Secondary School Geography
Geography teaches the complex relationships of the world around us, equipping students with the knowledge to understand natural and human processes that influence our planet. It is a dynamic subject that teaches students to become more informed global citizens, aware of the current challenges we are facing and the importance of sustainable living.
Students often struggle with complex concepts, especially if they don’t see the relevance of the knowledge acquired at school and how it affects our daily lives. Our geography tutors are trained to provide loads of examples to illustrate exactly how the theories apply to real-life scenarios, making learning fun and interesting for students.
Secondary School ‘O’ Level Exam Preparation
The culmination of secondary school is the ‘O’ level examinations, a major milestone in a student’s academic journey. At the end of their 4 or 5 year secondary school life, students sit for these grueling exams which will determine what junior college, polytechnic, or vocational institute they can be granted admission to.
The pressure of the ‘O’ levels is high, and many students are known to suffer from exam anxiety, stress, and other conditions that are extremely detrimental to mental health, especially in a young adolescent. At Private Tutor SG, we believe that practice makes perfect, which is why we keep an extensive range of past-year papers and practice tests for students to get used to answering questions in an exam capacity.
Our Private Secondary School Tutors
Our secondary school tutors come from all walks of life but they have one thing in common. They sure love teaching! Regardless of the subject, the minimum academic qualification is a Bachelor’s Degree, and many have post-graduate degrees such as Masters and PhDs. Many of our tutors are also current MOE or ex-MOE teachers, which means they have an extremely thorough understanding of the Singapore school syllabus.
However, our stringent selection process doesn’t only consider academic qualifications, but we also look for attributes like adaptability, problem-solving skills, patience, and kindness. In addition, we invest heavily into training our tutors to teach according to our mythos, which is a completely student-centric approach.
Educational Philosophy and Approach
Our Educational Philosophy and Approach for Secondary School Tutoring
We pride ourselves in providing all our students with an engaging and supportive environment for them to be their best.
At Private Tutor SG, we believe that the student’s needs come first, and this is non-negotiable! Each student has a unique learning style and no two student learns exactly the same. That is why our lessons are not the one-size-fits-all lecture style that is often taught in school, but it is completely personalised based on a student’s needs.
Secondary school is a critical stage in a young adolescent’s education, and students are faced with increasingly difficult topics and higher expectations to perform. Our tutors are trained to foster a deep sense of curiosity in their students, encouraging plenty of questions and actively engaging them to take a more interactive part in their education.
In addition, tutors will focus on establishing a rock-solid foundation in each subject, building depth before expanding breadth. This builds more confidence in students, standing them in good stead for mastering more complex topics in the future.
Why Have Private Secondary School Tuition
Common Challenges In Secondary School
Many students find it challenging to go from a primary school environment to a secondary school. Not only is there more school work, but it is also significantly more difficult, especially if they do not have a proper foundation.
When students start to struggle in class, they typically lose interest in the subject and hence, stop putting in the effort. This is directly reflected in their results and once they start to fail, they stop trying, in a negative, catch-22 cycle.
Students learn at different rates, and Singapore school teachers typically teach in a lecture-style setting, without accommodating for the learning paces of different individuals. Slower students might struggle to keep up with the class, and when knowledge gaps develop, they’ll find it difficult to understand more complex concepts.
The flipside is also true that if students are quicker at grasping certain topics, they’ll get bored with school classes and lose focus or interest. With these students, some supplemental lessons that broaden their knowledge outside of the syllabus might be suitable.
With school classes, ECAs, CCAs, and out-of-school activities, secondary school can be a time-intensive one. With many more subjects requiring lessons, homework, study time, and practice, students often get overwhelmed by a grueling schedule.
Students need discipline and proper time management strategies to cope with the increased workload, especially when it comes to exam time. Many subjects like math need consistent, extensive practice to master and study time is critical as well.
The Singapore education system is an extremely stressful one with performance and results highly valued. Secondary school is a significant step up from primary school and with so much more classes, homework, and subjects, it is easy for students to get overwhelmed.
In addition, the expectation to perform is also greatly increased, especially in the weeks and months coming up to the ‘O’ levels. Almost all students suffer from some degree of stress and anxiety and this can escalate into mental conditions that can affect young minds even well into adulthood.