Q: am I more focused on grades or concept?
A: At P2, I used to focus on concepts. Now I feel focusing on concepts probably means he won’t get the marks. To get the marks, he has to endure uncomfortable amount of practice. See my chat with Sakamoto teacher…
I guess that many math fun learning websites (U.S., Australia…) probably focus on pupils’ interests (intrinsic motivation), not exams. I think exams in SG require much heavier tedious practice. To score in exams, you need speed, pattern-recognition, and avoiding mistakes at every step. You need lots of practice. 又快又准。
JackZ: Given your son’s lack of interest in wordy problems, U.S. culture would probably emphasize encouragement rather than forced practice.
Heavy homework, tough practice is actually common across U.S. schools such as my UChicago master’s program, but probably not common before high school.
In Singapore, it is quite heavy starting at Grade 4.
At the higher leve, proficiency is a requirement at the U.S. exams, similar to Singapore exams at the same level.
already moved to dhost.. 