Solid communication skills are essential for academic achievement. It begins with effective spoken communication. If your child stutters or mumbles, they might become afraid to speak out in class. If students with oral disabilities cannot converse on par with their peers, they may get ashamed.
Oral communication is crucial for establishing rapport, trust and confidence. This type of communication is when a message or piece of information is shared or communicated by word of mouth between sender and recipient. It is why oral communication is a crucial class for children to take.
In the Primary School Leaving Examination or PSLE, examiners will assess their oral communication skills through reading aloud and stimulus-based conversation. Both are equally crucial to their scores. Read on for tips on how your child can ace their oral communication assessment beyond their class.
Oral Communication Assessment in PSLE
The Primary School Leaving Examination or PSLE includes an English Oral assessment. Its first part is Reading Aloud, which requires your child to read a passage to an examiner. They will assess your child based on the following criteria.
#1 Articulation and Pronunciation
As they read the piece, they should be aware of the need for proper articulation and appropriate pronunciation. It also provides an idea of how your child uses oral communication skills in class.
#2 Fluency and Rhythm
Reading should not be a tedious and unexciting experience for them. The examiners will assess the ability of your child to apply proper rhythm and stress to create a well-paced, fluent reading of the passage.
#3 Eloquence & Expressiveness
The PSLE English Oral test passage includes aspects that express information, thoughts, and feelings. Examiners will grade your child on how well they read with proper pitch and tone variation to convey the many aspects of their passage.
However, you do not have to hastily enrol your children in an expensive English Language school in Singapore. All you have to do is ensure your child gets practice by letting them read out loud. You can also find a good English tutor for better PSLE coverage understanding.
Items to Note About the PSLE
The Reading Aloud component of the PSLE English Oral test is the simpler of the two sections to get points on. There are ways you can help your child feel more confident about meeting the criteria of this segment. Furthermore, a good English tutor will provide preparation techniques for taking the PSLE after identifying the factors that give grades.
The following are six tips you can impart to your child before the exam.
#1 Wise Use of Their Time
Exam takers will have 5 minutes to prepare before the PSLE English Oral test begins.
It is an excellent idea to take a quick peek and read through the paragraph. Ask your child to highlight any terms they find difficult to pronounce while reading the chapter. They can use the time to pronounce the words and decide on the correct pronunciation.
#2 Cluster Reading
It is vital to pronounce each word carefully for oral communication, in class or for an exam. However, it is also crucial to urge your child to read in groups of words rather than one word at a time. It will show the examiner that they pronounce the words correctly. Reading in clusters also displays your child’s clear articulation of the words. Your child should strive to have a consistent reading rate throughout the process.
#3 Pausing at Relevant Areas
Reading nonstop might cause your child to lose scores because it seems monotonous. It can derail the entire oral test. A good English tutor for their PSLE will urge them to take a break and halt at all the appropriate points.
Ask them to look for punctuation marks to identify whether to take a brief or long pause. The comma, colon, and semicolon require a short break. However, the full stop, exclamation mark, and the beginning of a new paragraph need a long break.
#4 Conveying Emotions Through the Correct Tone and Pitch
Some sections have speech that brings a narrative to life and reveals the characters’ feelings. Your child should take additional care to change their tone and pitch to communicate the emotions in the dialogue lines. It is imperative to intonate when reading to prevent sounding monotonous.
#5 Breaking Up Challenging Words
Ask your child to scan the paragraph for difficult-to-pronounce terms and practice repeating them aloud. Breaking apart the word into syllables rather than reading it as a whole is one technique to achieve this. Remind your kid not to halt or hesitate during the oral test. They have to speak the words confidently as they read the material. They can showcase their oral communication skills beyond their class only when confident.
#6 Various Ways to Pronounce Words
Your child should be comfortable reading the words in a piece. Hire a good English tutor for their PSLE who will urge them to look for terms with different pronunciations.
Remind them to pronounce the words clearly and sound out the correct syllables. They may lose marks unintentionally if their pronunciation of words is less than flawless. Moreover, do all you can to encourage your youngster to read aloud and confidently.
Your child’s PSLE English Oral test does not have to be a stressful event. They should think of their piece as telling a terrific tale and having a thought-provoking conversation with someone they just met. One way to help them prepare for the exam is by enrolling them in a good English Language school in Singapore. You can also put them through online English tuition with a reputable Singapore institution.
Are you in need of a good English tutor for your child’s PSLE exam? Come and enrol your child in the Writers Studio.
Writers Studio is a creative writing and English Language school in Singapore that welcomes you and your kids. They offer writing curriculums and an oral communication class that can help prepare your child for their PSLE. Visit their website to learn more about their products and services.