In an ideal scenario, tuition centres should undoubtedly offer feedback on a student’s performance, particularly when it comes to the preparation for PSLE English Comprehension Paper 2. Feedback is a critical part of the learning process, helping students to identify their strengths and areas for improvement. However, feedback is only useful if it helps the student’s progress or to negate any problems that students have, being a solver than becoming a necessity. As in everything in life, moderation is key. As the MOE SEAB indicates, the primary goal of PSLE examinations is to assess the learner’s ability to comprehend, interpret, and infer from a wide variety of texts. Therefore, feedback on these skills should be useful for parents to understand where their child needs attention.
Positive aspects of having feedback include:
- Targeted Improvement: Feedback helps identify specific areas where the student is struggling. For instance, if a student consistently fails to answer inference questions correctly, targeted feedback and support can address this issue.
- Progress Tracking: Regular feedback allows both the student and the parents to track progress over time. It can be motivating for students to see their improvement in specific areas, contributing to a more positive learning experience.
- Personalized Learning: Feedback enables tutors to tailor lessons based on each student’s individual needs, strengths, and weaknesses. This personalised approach can enhance the effectiveness of tuition, leading to better mastery of comprehension skills.
- Examination Preparation: Tutors can provide feedback based on the latest MOE SEAB guidelines and examination trends, equipping students with the strategies and skills they need to succeed in the PSLE English Comprehension Paper 2.
However, there may be challenges related to feedback provision:
- Quality and Consistency: The quality and consistency of feedback can vary among different tutors and tuition centres. It is essential to find a centre that values feedback as a core part of their teaching approach.
- Overreliance: While feedback is beneficial, it is important that it does not lead to overreliance on the tutor. Students should also develop the ability to self-evaluate and reflect on their own learning.
- Time Constraints: In large tuition centres, tutors may have limited time to provide detailed feedback to each student. In such cases, parents should consider centres that prioritize individual student feedback, even in a group setting.
Feedback is an essential tool that tuition centres should provide to enhance a student’s preparation for PSLE English Comprehension Paper 2. Eventhough it is a good tool, it is only useful if it helps to improve the student rather than a negative to the child’s attitude towards learning. Students should enjoy the process of learning, and to inculcate good study habits. The key is to find a tuition centre that values comprehensive and individualized feedback and is aligned with MOE SEAB’s expectations for the examination. Ultimately, the feedback should aim to improve the student’s comprehension skills, boost their confidence, and equip them with the necessary strategies to tackle the PSLE examinations effectively.
