“Even though I take classes seriously, my scores on regular tests don’t improve.”
This is a question we often receive from parents of children attending Singapore Japanese School. At first glance, Japanese schools look similar to junior high schools in Japan, as they use the same textbooks and pace of learning as in Japan. In fact, many of the reasons why scores are sluggish are common both domestically and internationally. However, there are cases where there are multiple factors unique to living abroad, such as differences in vocabulary skills and gaps in study due to transfers or transfers, so if you ignore these and take measures, you will end up taking a detour.
In this article, we will explain the following points regarding regular tests at Japanese schools.
- Three common causes for children who cannot score well
- How to effectively review by subject
- Why regular test preparation affects your career path
Three common causes for children who cannot score well
In fact, the cases where you can’t get a good grade because you haven’t studied are in the minority. Most cases fall into the following three patterns:
Cause 1: Students are only “listening” to the lecture, but are not working on retaining it.
This pattern is the most common.
During class, she copies what is written on the board and is able to understand the explanations. However, since they haven’t done the work of resolving the questions themselves, they stop working as soon as they get asked the questions on the test.There is a big difference between “understanding” and “solving”, and the role of home study is to fill this gap.。
Particularly in Japanese schools, classes progress at the same pace as in Japan, so if you leave the content of the day unattended, you’ll already be on to the next unit the following week. Moving forward without understanding is a typical path to sluggish scores.
Cause 2: Not knowing the “question format” of the test scope
Regular tests do not ask questions based on the content of the textbook.
There are trends in questions for each school and teacher. There are various trends, such as some teachers who give the questions directly from the work, some who always include applied questions, and some who give high points for writing. If you don’t grasp this tendency and just study by reading the textbook, your efforts will be misdirected.
Analyze past regular tests and figure out where the points are concentrated before taking countermeasures.However, even if you study for the same amount of time, the results will be different.
Cause 3: Not going back and fixing weak units
The third is a more deep-rooted cause.
There are many cases where the reason why students do not understand linear functions in mathematics is actually a lack of understanding of proportionality and inverse proportionality in first year junior high school students. In this case, no matter how much you practice linear functions, your score will not improve.
Especially for families living overseas, there may be gaps in their studies due to transfers or transfers.You need to identify where the blanks are and work backwards to fill them in.. This is something that is difficult to deal with through school classes alone.
How to review by subject
Based on the causes, we will organize countermeasures for each subject.
Mathematics: Since it is a cumulative type, the first thing to do is to identify “where it collapsed”
In mathematics, understanding the previous unit is a prerequisite for the next unit, so identifying where you stumbled is a top priority.
If you don’t understand the current unit, please go back and check the previous or two previous units instead of just practicing repeatedly.It may seem like a long detour, but this is the shortest route.. You won’t have time to look back in the 1-2 weeks before the regular test, so this work should be done when there are no tests.
Japanese: The subject that makes the most difference when living abroad
The longer you live overseas, the more likely it is that your Japanese vocabulary and reading comprehension will differ.
Even if you have no problems in everyday conversation, your ability to read and understand explanatory texts and editorial texts, and your ability to organize and write your thoughts through written questions will not improve unless you consciously train them.It is effective to continue studying kanji and vocabulary even in small amounts every day, and for reading comprehension, it is effective to use a cycle of “solving and reading the explanation” even if it is just one problem a week.。
English: There are cases where Singapore’s environment is not advantageous.
There are many children who are good at English because they live in an English environment, but the regular tests ask questions about grammar and vocabulary that are based on Japanese textbooks.
This discrepancy is responsible for the phenomenon of people being able to speak but not getting a good score on a test. Apart from conversation skills,You need to organize your grammar points and memorize textbook-level vocabulary.。
Science/Social Studies: Memorization alone is not enough to answer written questions
Merely memorizing terminology is not enough to answer short-answer questions that require students to explain “why things are the way they are.”
When remembering a term, ask yourself what the term means.Being able to explain things in your own words will lead to higher scores on written questions.。
How to proceed in the 3 weeks before the test
Once you have sorted out the causes and policies for each subject, the next step is how to use your time.
3 weeks ago: Confirm scope and identify weaknesses
When the test range is announced, first make a list of all subject ranges.
Then, for each range, self-evaluate on a three-level scale: “I can already solve it,” “I’m not sure,” and “I don’t understand it at all.”Doing this first will help you see where to allocate your limited time.. Many students start studying from the beginning of the textbook without taking this inventory, and end up not being able to focus on the latter half of the course.
2 weeks ago: Prioritize eliminating “ambiguous” issues
The area with the greatest potential for score improvement is the range classified as “ambiguous.”
It takes time to understand areas that are “completely unknown,” and areas that are “already solvable” have no room for improvement.The most efficient way to increase your score in a limited amount of time is to change what you are unsure about into something you can definitely do.。
1 week before: Switch to live-style exercises
During the last week, you will switch from memorizing to solving in a test format.
Take your time and solve school work and problem sets. If you continue to only provide input, you will not be able to respond when questions arise in the actual situation.Be sure to correct any questions you make mistakes by the day of the event.。
Why early measures can affect your future course
Regular test results are not just a school evaluation.
Affects career path as a tip
In Japanese high school entrance exams, even for returnee students, submitted scores may be taken into account.
In other words, the accumulation of regular tests will directly affect your career options.. If you think that you should start studying for entrance exams starting in your third year, your grades in first and second years may hold you back.
This will also affect when transferring after returning to Japan.
If you want to transfer to a Japanese school when you return to Japan, your grades up to that point will be the deciding factor.
In order to avoid narrowing your career options, it is important not to neglect regular daily tests.
summary
The reason why scores on regular tests do not improve is often due to the direction of studying, not the amount of study.
- Don’t stop at “I understand” and go as far as solving the problem yourself.
- Understand the question trends for each school and teacher and then plan your countermeasures.
- Retrospectively identify the cause of the stumbling block and fix it from the root.
- Japanese is the subject that makes the biggest difference when living abroad, so be conscious of your preparation.
- Before the test, take an inventory of the range, and then prioritize the “ambiguous” ranges.
- The results of regular tests will affect your career path as a result of your grades.
Diagnosis by a third party is effective in determining exactly which unit you are having trouble with. For information on learning plans tailored to your child’s situation, please request free information below.