Learning Tips | Trilife School Success Systems

How to build a large vocabulary

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:04:38 +0800

Reading is the best way to build a large vocabulary.
This is what happens when we read: If we come across an unfamiliar word,
we understand the meaning of the word in the context of the sentence and passage, unconsciously.
This happens naturally in our brains. When we see the same word again in the similar context
in another piece of writing, we understand the meaning of the word, unconsciously again.

So, when we write a composition for example, the same word that applies to a similar context
we are writing will pop into our minds to use automatically. This again happens naturally in our brains.

This is the easiest, fastest and the efficient way to learn words and phrases because we are
learning them in the context of how they are used.

The same thing applies when we read comprehension passages, we can 'guess' the meaning
of an unfamiliar word in a passage because of the context it is used.

How to write high-scoring compositions?

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:41:29 +0800

A composition is a story. When exciting and interesting stories are told, teachers give high marks to the compositions: Just like the higher marks our students receive in their compositions.

How to write exciting and interesting stories?

Raja, our teacher, is an award-winning published writer of over 50 short stories. He has adapted the short story telling technique and teaches this technique to our students. In the process, he draws out each student’s talent, creativity, imagination and develops them into each student’s unique voice in writing. The results are high-scoring compositions.

Let your child do our FREE trial lesson and see how Raja develops your child. Your child is under no obligation to join our Composition Writing Course. The FREE lesson for each level (P2 to 'O' Level) is available at our website: http://www.myschoolsuccess.com. Read more about the Composition Writing Course too at our website: http://www.myschoolsuccess.com.

Is your child 'really learning' or 'pretending to learn'?

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:51:08 +0800

We have drawn up a table to show the differences between ‘real learning’ and ‘false learning' (or pretending to learn) in writing. Which side is your child on?

Your child really learns in our Composition Writing and Comprehension Courses. Learn more about the courses at our homepage.

Real Learning	False Learning
Draws out child’s creativity and imagination (which the child already has) and builds the child’s writing skills and abilities.	Makes the child memorise compositions to reproduce word for word in the exams.
Encourages the child to read widely so child will ‘know’ when to put in correct vocabulary in the correct context in compositions.	Encourages child to memorise big words and phrases which the child does not know how to apply correctly in compositions.
Builds full confidence in the child to be able to write on any composition title.	Causes the child to be afraid to write on any composition title that child has not done before.
Causes the child to look upon any writing task as exciting and challenging.	Causes the child to be afraid of any writing project that is new.
Teaches the child to love writing.	Causes the child to dread writing.
Builds long-term strengths in writing that last a lifetime.	Helps the child to only pass the next examination.
Builds the child’s ability and confidence to apply his or her knowledge to any situation, including MCQ and application, like answering open-ended questions and composition writing.	Teaches the child by rote so that he or she can score in MCQ situations but will be weak in application, like answering open-ended questions and composition writing.
The child takes any language exam with full confidence.	The child is afraid of exams and goes through lots of stress before and during exams.
The child remembers what he has learnt all his life.	The child forgets whatever he has learnt after the exams, and has to memorise all over again for the next exams.
The child enjoys school life; especially reading and studying language, and becomes strong in language.	The child is unhappy in school and dreads reading and studying language, and remains weak in language.

Help your child spell

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 12:07:23 +0800

The problem

It can be very frustrating for a child to write a beautiful story in his or her composition lesson, and then receive it back with lots of red marks with ‘Sp’. Can we help our children to eradicate this, or at least reduce their errors?

How most children usually spell

Most of them use phonics – spelling according to sound. We teach them this method in kindergarten and many of them think that this is the only way to learn spelling. But quite a few problems come up because of this:

· Many English words are not spelt phonically.

· The child learns that certain letters have certain sounds and then is suddenly confused that the same
letters have

different sounds.

· This discovery leads to the belief that spelling is not logical.

· English is not like Malay, the Romanised form; in Malay all the letters behave themselves. They
sound as they are

written and always sound the same.

The more serious problem

The more serious problem, however, is not that English words do not always sound the way they are written but that children have different strategies for learning. The phonic method is only helpful for children who are ‘phonic’ or ‘audio’.

Use 200 Words and Phrases Correctly

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:03:05 +0800

Many students do not know how use words and phrases correctly in their writing, so we decided to help them with our 64-page book 'How to Use 200 Words and Phrases Correctly'. Look at the phrase 'out of the blue'. It means an unexpected happening.

Therefore writing: 'Out of the blue, my mother asked me to buy salt.' is incorrect. It would be correct to say 'Out of the blue I received a phone call from a friend I have not seen in two years.

Buying salt is a common thing to do. Receiving a phone call from someone you have not heard from for two years is an unexpected occurence.

In our composition writing courses for P2 to 'O' level we draw out students' creativity and imagination to write high-scoring compositions and in the process teach them how to use words and phrases correctly.

Click on the green link to receive our 64-page pdf book 'How to use 200 Words and Phrases Correctly'.

We wish you success in your writing!

Help your child read

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:54:47 +0800

Why reading?

Reading is the easiest way for children to master all aspects of the English Language including grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary.

It does not matter if children start to read comics or simple books because as they mature and develop, their tastes will change and their language ability will develop for them to want to read more matured and varied material.

What is important is to nurture the love of reading at an early age.

How to get your child to read

It is to let them read comics and books on topics they are interested in.

For example if your child is interested in dinosaurs, borrow from the library or buy all the dinosaur books they want.

If your child is interested in science or history borrow or buy any science or history books they are interested.

The important thing is to get your child to read not what they read.

Some children love sports like football and basketball. Get them to read books on the history of football, their football heroes, how the football game is played etc.