Author Archives: Peekabook

Bestselling SJK(C) Books 2015

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Barely a month of school and we’ve got the numbers already! While the kids were having fun in December and making new friends in January, publishers, teachers and parents have been working extra hard! Teachers especially (and some mummies too!) go through the entire syllabus multiple times, selecting the best books to complement their teaching. And over the last 2 months, these are the books that our customers have chosen. Peekabook is delighted to present the early leaders of 2015:

Best SJK(C) Workbooks for Year 1

Top 10 SJK(C) Year 1 Bestsellers

Publisher Title
Cemerlang Linus Literasi Math 2
Cemerlang Linus Literasi Math 1
Terbilang 新课标 数学 配版作业 1A
Malaya Press 一典通参考系列 金钥匙 科学 第一阶段1、2、3年级
Malaya Press 一典通参考系列 金钥匙 数学 第一阶段1、2、3年级
Malaya Press 一典通参考系列 金钥匙 华文 第一阶段1、2、3年级
Tunas Pelangi 百分评审系列 国文 1
Gemilang 华文写话练习 1A
Tunas Pelangi KSSR 字辩。词辩小灵通 1
Cemerlang 创意辅导系列 英文理解 1

Best SJK(C) Workbooks for Year 2

Top 10 SJK(C) Year 2 Bestsellers

Publisher Title
Cemerlang 华文写话练习 2A
Tunas Pelangi 百分评审系列 数学 2
UPH 国语词语造句 2
UPH 英语词语造句 2
Cemerlang 开创精彩单元增广系列 数学 2
Cemerlang 开创精彩单元增广系列 英文 2
Cemerlang 创意辅导系列 英文语法 2
Cemerlang 创意辅导系列 英文书写 2
Cemerlang 创意辅导系列 英文理解 2
UPH 华语词语造句 2

Best SJK(C) Workbooks for Year 3

Top 10 SJK(C) Year 3 Bestsellers

Publisher Title
Gemilang 华文学好作文 3A
Cemerlang 活学活用成语练习 3
Heng Hui 冲刺PRA-UPSR模拟试卷系列 国文 3
Gemilang 学习高手 数学 3
Gemilang 学好成语 3
Gemilang 课课勤练华文作业 3A
Tunas Pelangi 百分评审系列 国文 3
Malaya Press 百分百配版 佳佳堂数学作业 3A
UPH 国语词语造句 3
Gemilang 学习高手 科学与工艺世界 3

Best SJK(C) Workbooks for Year 4

Top 10 SJK(C) Year 4 Bestsellers

Publisher Title
Heng Hui 古今研科学作业 4A
Malaya Press 百分百配版 华文作业 4A
Tunas Pelangi 华文书写练习 4A
Heng Hui 冲刺PRA-UPSR模拟试卷系列 数学 4
Heng Hui 冲刺PRA-UPSR模拟试卷系列 国文 4
Heng Hui Buku Kerja Berfaedah BM 4A
Tunas Pelangi 百分评审系列 科学 4
Gemilang 嘉阳 科学配版作业 4A
Tunas Pelangi 字辩。词辩。小灵通 4
Sasbadi 国文参考资料 4A

Best SJK(C) Workbooks for Year 5

Top 10 SJK(C) Year 5 Bestsellers

Publisher Title
Hup Lick 合力国文练习 5
Pan Asia 挑战高思维数学题 5
Pan Asia 单元练习 大本营 科学 5
Hup Lick 合力科学练习 5
Malaya Press 精准巩固系列 非凡单元练习 华文 5A
Hup Lick 合力数学练习 5
Hup Lick 合力华文练习 5
Hup Lick 合力英文练习 5
Malaya Press 精准巩固系列 非凡单元练习 数学 5A
Malaya Press 百分百配版作业华文作业 5A

Best SJK(C) Workbooks for Year 6

Top 10 SJK(C) Year 6 Bestsellers

Publisher Title
Gemilang 2015 UPSR 名师模拟  国文
Gemilang 2015 UPSR 名师模拟  华文
Gemilang 2015 UPSR 名师模拟  英文
Gemilang 2015 UPSR 名师模拟  数学
Gemilang 2015 UPSR 名师模拟  科学
Hup Lick 100个英文造句练习 6
Tunas Pelangi UPSR夺标系列 英文 试卷二
Sasbadi UPSR模拟试卷 国文
Tunas Pelangi UPSR夺标系列 英文 试卷一
Tunas Pelangi UPSR夺标系列 国文 试卷一

Didn’t see the books you were looking for? You can browse all SJK(C) books here, including textbooks, workbooks and reference books.

Senarai Buku Teks 2015 Tahun 5 Sekolah Rendah

Buku Teks Tahun 5

Buku Teks Tahun 5

JUDUL PENERBIT JENIS SEKOLAH
BAHASA MALAYSIA TAHUN 5 SK Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
ENGLISH YEAR 5 SK Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
BAHASA CINA SEKOLAH KEBANGSAAN TAHUN 5 Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
BAHASA TAMIL SEKOLAH KEBANGSAAN TAHUN 5 Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
SEJARAH TAHUN 5 SK Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
PENDIDIKAN ISLAM TAHUN 5 Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
SAINS TAHUN 5 SK Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
PENDIDIKAN KESIHATAN TAHUN 5 SK Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
MATEMATIK TAHUN 5 SK Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
PENDIDIKAN MORAL TAHUN 5 SK Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
PENDIDIKAN MUZIK TAHUN 5 SK Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
PENDIDIKAN JASMANI TAHUN 5 SK Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
REKA BENTUK DAN TEKNOLOGI TAHUN 5 SK Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
TEKNOLOGI MAKLUMAT DAN KOMUNIKASI TAHUN 5 SK Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
PENDIDIKAN SENI VISUAL TAHUN 5 SK Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
AND SOMETHING WEIRD HAPPENED YEAR 5 Danalis Distributors Sdn Bhd SK
GULLIVER’S TRAVELS YEAR 5 NND Enterprise SK
BAHASA IBAN TAHUN 5 Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
BAHASA ARAB TAHUN 5 Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
BAHASA KADAZANDUSUN TAHUN 5 Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
BAHASA SEMAI TAHUN 5 Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
PENDIDIKAN MUZIK TAHUN 5 SK (CDROM) Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
TEKNOLOGI MAKLUMAT DAN KOMUNIKASI TAHUN 5 SK (CDROM) Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SK
BAHASA MALAYSIA TAHUN 5 SJK Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SJK(C)
ENGLISH YEAR 5 SJK Percetakan Rina SJK(C)
BAHASA CINA TAHUN 5 SJKC Malaya Press SJK(C)
SEJARAH TAHUN 5 SJKC Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SJK(C)
SAINS TAHUN 5 SJKC Pan Asia SJK(C)
PENDIDIKAN KESIHATAN TAHUN 5 SJKC Heng Hui SJK(C)
MATEMATIK TAHUN 5 SJKC H&K SJK(C)
PENDIDIKAN MORAL TAHUN 5 SJKC Gemilang SJK(C)
PENDIDIKAN MUZIK TAHUN 5 SJKC Malaya Press SJK(C)
PENDIDIKAN JASMANI TAHUN 5 SJKC Malaya Press SJK(C)
REKA BENTUK DAN TEKNOLOGI TAHUN 5 SJKC Malaya Press SJK(C)
TEKNOLOGI MAKLUMAT DAN KOMUNIKASI TAHUN 5 SJKC Penerbit Bestari SJK(C)
PENDIDIKAN SENI VISUAL TAHUN 5 SJKC Proaktif Media SJK(C)
PENDIDIKAN MUZIK TAHUN 5 SJKC (CDROM) AAA SJK(C)
TEKNOLOGI MAKLUMAT DAN KOMUNIKASI TAHUN 5 SJKC (CDROM) AAA SJK(C)
BAHASA MALAYSIA TAHUN 5 SJK Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SJK(T)
ENGLISH YEAR 5 SJK Percetakan Rina SJK(T)
BAHASA TAMIL TAHUN 5 SJKT AAA SJK(T)
SEJARAH TAHUN 5 SJKT Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka SJK(T)
SAINS TAHUN 5 SJKT AAA SJK(T)
PENDIDIKAN KESIHATAN TAHUN 5 SJKT AAA SJK(T)
MATEMATIK TAHUN 5 SJKT AAA SJK(T)
PENDIDIKAN MORAL TAHUN 5 SJKT AAA SJK(T)
PENDIDIKAN MUZIK TAHUN 5 SJKT AAA SJK(T)
PENDIDIKAN JASMANI TAHUN 5 SJKT AAA SJK(T)
REKA BENTUK DAN TEKNOLOGI TAHUN 5 SJKT AAA SJK(T)
TEKNOLOGI MAKLUMAT DAN KOMUNIKASI TAHUN 5 SJKT AAA SJK(T)
PENDIDIKAN SENI VISUAL TAHUN 5 SJKT AAA SJK(T)
PENDIDIKAN MUZIK TAHUN 5 SJKT (CDROM) AAA SJK(T)
TEKNOLOGI MAKLUMAT DAN KOMUNIKASI TAHUN 5 SJKT (CDROM) AAA SJK(T)

Tools of the Trade: What are the Best Books for SPM?

There are many SPM material out there, be it reference books, workbooks, smart notes, question compilations, etc. So for students who are looking for good study materials for SPM, especially fresh Form Four students, it can be quite a pain choosing the right study materials because they do not know which ones follow the SPM syllabus correctly. As an example, students will be wasting money buying low quality study materials which they do not like, and then only at the second time, they buy good quality books after they had the proper experience with the subjects. Therefore, it’s best to get insights and do some research on a particular subject before prematurely buying a book so we do not end up buying something we will not use and thus wasting money. So, I am here to share my personal thoughts and opinions on books that I had use to prepare for my SPM examination.

I believe if you are a smart person, your learning would not be limited by the books you use. However, as smart as we can get, we would always like to use the best tools we can get. As for me, I prefer reference books by Oxford Fajar, specifically their “SUCCESS” reference books, especially for Biology, Chemistry and Physics because they have very good and colourful illustrations. The illustration is very thorough and detailed, so it becomes more interesting to study the subject, a good example is a detailed illustration of organelles of an animal cell in their Biology book. Besides that, SUCCESS’s reference books display great creativity when it comes to making simple diagrams, tables and etc. Their diagrams, mind maps, and tables. makes it easier for students to grasp on any topic. It also makes it easier for students to connect ideas together. Another publisher I prefer is PNI Neuron, who publishes the Memory Mastery through Mind Maps and Diagrams books. The book is fully based on diagrams, mind maps, graphs, etc. I may even add that there are even more illustrations than SUCCESS’s and sometimes have better diagrams than in the ones in SUCCESS. However, there are cases when too many diagrams are on the same page, making the page look cramped. The book also lacks detailed explanation, so it is only good if you use it to revise a topic you had studied before.

The main workbooks I use to prepare for SPM are the “Kertas Soalan Peperiksaan Tahun-Tahun Lepas SPM” workbooks by Sasbadi. They have a compilation of past year’s SPM question for many subjects and is updated yearly. It is very convenient because you get the whole compilation of the latest SPM examination papers in one book, so you don’t have to waste time and energy searching for them one by one. They also update their compilations every year after that year’s SPM examination to ensure they compile the papers up to date. The fact that it compiles papers for so many subjects makes it a must have for all students despite taking different subjects. From this book, you will understand the structure of the SPM paper better; you will know the type of questions asked in the “Sections” of the SPM paper and thus be able to prepare for the real examination. Another workbook that I like to use is Strategic Practice by Pelangi Publications. I have this book for my Mathematics and Additional Mathematics for Form Four and Form Five. I like this book a lot because it teaches you in a very practical way. It features a very practical step by step approach starting from very simple questions and slowly increasing in difficulty to the toughest ones until you are able to grasp the concepts. I do my studying by myself a lot, so this book acts as almost like a study manual for the me when it comes to studying Mathematics and Additional Mathematics.

However, at the end of the day, it is not how many books you have in your study desk that matters. It is how well and how consistent you are in using them. Having one good quality reference book and few workbooks/exercise books for one subject is enough if you are able to put to good use these resources. Having many books is also as good as having no books if you are not putting these valuable resources to good use. More importantly, you should use the books which suits your style of study so that you can study comfortably and effectively. What is best for you when you want to find a book which suits your study style is you may flip through the pages of the books in the bookstore which you want to buy before buying it so you can get a glimpse on how they present their content and choose from the ones you find most comfortable with. Having said that, I wish you happy book hunting.

This article was written by Joshua. Joshua is a straight A scorer for his SPM examination. He shares his wisdom and experiences as a SPM student by writing educational articles for Peekabook’s blog during his free time.

各种提高6岁孩童注意力的妙方

如今,教育对每一位孩子都非常重要。注意力分散是一个很常见的问题。原因很简单,在这个变化多端的世界里,有着很多是孩童们还没见过和听过的新鲜事件吸引着好奇心强的他们,挑起他们的极大关注。这个问题若是无法解决的话,这将会对孩子带来不少害处,如学习所花费的时间会更长、难以挨过高难度的学习内容和思维速度大量降低。由此可见,大家得使用各种方法以把问题解决并同时培养孩子的专注能力、提高孩子们注意力。那今天就让我与大家探讨有什么方法来解决这问题,特别是即将升上一年级的6岁孩童。

从好奇心出发
首先,父母亲可以尝试好好利用孩子的好奇心。研究显示,强烈和多变化的物体最能吸引孩子的注意。会唱歌的书籍、会动的玩具青蛙、会移动的玩具车等玩具能够挑起孩子们的好奇心。这样,孩子们就会渐渐细心观察并学会集中注意力。所以,家长可以购买这些玩具以训练孩子们的注意力。同时,父母可以尽量抽空带孩子到新的环境去玩。例如带孩子到公园去时,父母亲该让孩子亲身体验大自然的美景,观看一些罕见的花草、各种造型不同的建筑和美不胜收的风景。另外,父母可试携带孩子到动物园观光,让他们好好观看有趣的动物,从中利用孩子们对新事物强烈的好奇心并增强注意力。因此,孩子的好奇心能够增强孩子的注意力。

学会在规定的时间里完成功课
此外,相信大家也知道如今的学生有着繁多学校的功课,一天内再加上补习班的功课更不必说了。当孩子有着的完成的作业太多,他们注意力稳定的时间就很自然地会超过了。所以,家长和教师该教导孩子们如何分配时间以能够顺利地完成手上的功课。特别是即将升上一年级的六岁孩童,若他们还未学会如何好好提高自己的注意力和分配时间,叫他们如何在规定的时间内完成该功课呢?孩子该学会如何一部分一部分来完成攻克。父母必须避免不允许孩子中途休息,使命让他们长时间地做功课且在旁监督、唠叨不停等。因为这样很容易让孩子失去学习兴趣和减低其注意力和集中的精神。父母得从小教导孩子正确地安排合理的时间,让他们在适当的时间内能够集中精神,从中提高孩子们的注意力。

从兴趣、游戏中提高注意力
众所周知,兴趣是最好的导师。尽管任何人在做自己有兴趣的事情时,他们都会很投入、很专心,所以孩子也不例外。从一位6岁的孩子地角度来看,他们的注意力会直接被其兴趣和情绪所控制。由此可见,教师和父母亲应该细心观察孩子广泛的兴趣和从中培养注意力。例如,父母应该从小使用各种各样的方法培养孩子的阅读兴趣,让他们爱上阅读、提高他们的专注力。苏联心理学家曾经做过一项试验— 他让不同年龄的孩子在游戏和单纯的不同活动方式下完成任务,将各种颜色的纸分装与同色的盒子里并观察他们注意力集中的时间。结果发现6岁儿童之能够坚持于62至71分钟而4岁儿童则是于17至22分钟。在这里我们可以看到孩子在游戏活动中的注意力和稳定性比较强。所以,师长该让孩子多玩智慧游戏,从中提高他们的专注力。这类型的游戏能够让孩子锻炼注意力。因为他们在过程中得反复回想、思考、查看、探讨、寻找。因此,游戏不但能够让孩子心情与开,且有效地提高他们的专注力。

让孩子有一定的游戏时间
嬉戏是孩子的天性,也是他们最喜爱的活动之一。它不但能够有效地激发他们的兴趣、让他们心情舒畅,更能在此提高孩子们的专注力。很多时侯,家长总是过于注重孩子们的学业,不停地要他们温习、使命送他们到补习班去。这样,家长很自然会忽略孩子们游戏的时间。所以,父母必须适量地让孩子多参加游戏活动,从中培养他们的注意力,而不是茫茫地追求学业上的成绩。

提供适合的学习环境
吵闹、混乱的环境极度容易让孩子分心。因此,特别是温习功课的环境,父母得提供和安排宁静和整齐的环境以不让孩子受到不必要的干扰。例如,温习功课的地方必须减少玩具、零食、电视机等以让他们能够专心地念书,同时尽量避免孩子受到干扰如收音机的声音和其他家人的吵闹、谈话等。另外,家人必须懂得如何不要打扰孩童温习,如避免在他们专心温习的时候跟他们聊天、嬉戏等。

综上所述,父母亲和老师们能够使用不同的方法以有效地提高孩子的专注力,特别是6岁的孩童。这包括使用他们的好奇心,好好让他们学习分配时间和利用其兴趣和通过相关的游戏。虽然我们都知道,孩子们对周围的环境有着强烈的探索欲望,他们的好奇、好动的现象是很正常的。父母就是因为这样而常常认为这是孩子的本性,最重要长大了就行乐,却忽略了对孩子提高他们的专注力而带来不少危害。所以,家长该采取各适当的方法有计划地训练和提高他们的注意力噢!加油!

– 黄伟铭 (Ng Ray Man)

KSSR – Changes In Everything Old

For those who are still clueless to the term KSSR it refers to Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah. KSSR is the new system introduced by the Ministry of Education in 2011. Today it is the system used by all primary schools in Malaysia and it is vital for parents to be on the know of what this new system offers and how to go about using the existing resources to help their children in the process of learning.

Changes In Every Direction
The changes in the education system brought change in many other areas. There was the need to overhaul many aspects of the teaching-learning process to give room to accommodate the different aspects of the KSSR such as:

Changes In the Mindset Of All Parties Concerned
This, not surprisingly was the biggest hurdle. With the KSSR focusing more on collaborative learning and designed to enhance and embrace the use of science and technology, develop values, understand humanitarian issues and also focus on the child’s physical and aesthetical development, parents were left confused, concerned and at times furious. The one word given less prominence and which many wanted to hear was missing. Examinations are no longer the beginning and the end of learning. With the KSSR, it is no longer the number one objective of school. Students are no longer streamed according to ‘Class Positions’ as was done previously and this concept was something many found difficult to get around especially parents.

In the Malaysian ‘kiasu’ mentality where being better than the best was everything, parents are forced to see the merits of the new system and accept it. The pressure on students is removed and school is now a happier place. The School Based Assessment allowed for students to be tested in an on going manner by their own teachers is something new. Parents were worried about the fairness of the grades given and issues of favoritism coming into play. They are now forced to trust the teachers and be a little more accepting. Many parents are still groping with this issue.

The children are definitely happier as the ‘didik mesra’ concept of learning. It had a fun element in it that allowed students to move away from ‘the desk and chair’ scenario of the pervious system. Group work with the focus on projects is every child’s favorite. They are encouraged to speak and give their views on all issues. Students are given more control of their learning and this allowed space for creativity.

Changes In the Method Of Teaching
Teachers had so much to relearn. It was difficult, as the school-based assessment required a lot more paperwork and data handling. The teething stages were a mess. Today, things are so much better and many are beginning to enjoy the new system. Teachers had to learn to let go a certain amount of control of the teaching-learning process and allow students some freedom of direction. The older teachers, especially had to learn to trust and see learning taken to different heights. The teacher’s way is no longer the only way to do anything. Students were no longer followers but taught to take the lead too.

Changes In Evaluation
No more end-of-year exams as the main evaluation period. Students are evaluated all on an on going process where they are required to meet the set standards before proceeding to the next level. Students are taught and reevaluated if they fail to meet the mark. Weakness of students is identified early and remedial actions are quickly taken. Evaluation is now to help rather than to compete for the top spot.

Changes In Textbooks
New KSSR textbooks had to be produced to replace the old KBSR books. The new books were designed to fit in with the requirements of the new syllabus. There are more exciting activities in the new KSSR textbooks that could be used by teachers during the teaching-learning process and more challenging projects for students to do during a longer period of time. Many of these textbooks are also designed to in-cooperate the use of technology where students are required to do research online and be accountable for the information that they seek. The textbook in the KSSR has moved away from its position as the anchor for the learning process to one that is a guide/manual for further activities in the learning process to take place. It can be akin to a door through which many other doors are opened for the student.

Changes In Workbooks
Workbooks are now very essential as it gives students a chance to practice what is learnt. For parents the workbooks are extremely important, as parents are able to monitor the child’s progress in school through their work in the workbooks. As there are now no more exams and students were involved in collaborative learning, many parents were harboring fears that their kids were not mastering anything. The workbooks are necessary in dispelling these fears. Workbooks that are designed parallel to the textbooks and in accordance to the KSSR are excellent to ensure children were mastering all elements taught. It cannot be denied that although the system is good and forward thinking, our classes in Malaysia are huge and there is only so much time and attention that a teacher can lavish on a child

The Last Words
Change is something that we cannot avoid. As we progress and meet new challengers we should be able to embrace change. To resist change would be a move backwards, especially in education. As parents we should keep an open mind and acknowledge that whatever worked for us when we were kids will no longer be applicable in the modern world. So lets be open and move ahead.

This article was written by Madam Kalai Lingam. Madam Kalai has 27 years of teaching experience in government secondary school. She opted for early retirement in 2013 to pursue her love of writing, and is currently writing a book. Madam Kalai is well versed in the Malaysian Education system, having been a senior English teacher and school administrator for many years.

电子课本— 你怎么看?

为了让我国迈向世界级教育水平,大马教育蓝图(PPPM 2013-2025)已开始推动电子课本,并将于2021年全面落实电子课本的教育政策。由此可见,电子课本是马来西亚未来教育发展里其中最重要的一环。根据第二教育部长拿督斯里依德利斯,教育部将分三个阶段落实电子课本措施—首阶段于2013至2015 年,第二阶段于2016至2020年及第三阶段于2021至2025年。通过这个方案,它不仅确保大马能够与世界级教育水平与时并进,同时也为学生带来不少的好处,如从此把学生每天得背着沉重的书包上学的烦恼给免除。

好处一:学习更有趣、增强学生们的吸收能力
根据第二教育部长拿督斯里依德利斯,电子课本不但含有文字而已,并且有各种精美的图片、动画以帮助学生。据敦胡仙翁大学两位研究员阿莫里扎和莫哈默诺,研究证明通过动画,学习会变得更加有效、有趣。例如:在生物科里,学生更快能够掌握血液循环系统,特别是缺氧血被携带离开心脏,进入肺部进行气体交换后,将含氧血带回心脏的部分后从右心室出发传到身体每个部位。比起现有的课本,只是有着文字和少许图片,相信电子课本将会让学者们对所学习的科目更有兴趣、同时增强吸收能力。

好处二:方便、容易携带
有着电子课本,学生可随时自行在网上阅读课文、温习功课等。根据教育部,学校的课本以正在被上载到1BestariNet的网页。因此,学生可使用各自的1BestariNet ID以能够免费地阅读课本。由此可见,学生可不仅在学校范围或家里温习课文,还可轻易地在外头使用自己的手提电脑、平板电脑或智能手机等阅读课本。在此,允许我分享一些我个人的经验。身为一个还算是活跃于课外活动的我,时常无法在班上听课。每一次代表州属、学校等出外比赛时,不在学校的时间可算超多的,有时数天,有时一星期。为了避免忽略学习,我不得不携带沉重的课本到其它地方以让自己能够在空闲时温习。问题是,我该如何携带那么多课本呢?因此,有着电子课本,我相信学生能够随时随地地复习课文。

好处三:随时更新课本内容和让学生享受新的学习方法
采用电子课本可以让教育部随时随刻更新课文的知识内容。就拿美国为例子,佛州一电子公司的市场部经理马特·哥摩日认为,佛州一些学校的历史课本甚至直到现在都还没有克林顿政府的内容。比起来,电子课本可以很快地添加两周前的内容。另外,使用电子课本还可以形成新的学习方法。电子课本备有电子标签、增加亮度和颜色标记关键部分,进行重点关键词搜索。同时,大家可以随时发收电子邮件,使用网路资源查阅相关专题资源。此外,教师可以自主处理资讯以适应班级学生需求。所以,电子课本可随时加以更新及让学者们有着另一种新的学习方式。

坏处一:读者容易疲劳
综上所述,电子课本能够为大家带来数不尽的好处。但是,相信师长们一定会特别担心一个问题— 电子课本影响学生的注意力。从八十年代后期开始的一项研究结果显示,在电子课本和纸质的课本相比之下,传统书本 还是有一定的好处。《人类因素和经济社会》杂志的一项于1998年的研究显示出阅读电子课本在速度和准确性上仍不如传统书本阅读,同时让读者更容易疲劳。

坏处二:电子课本对眼睛的影响
美国儿科学研究院非常关注在孩子花费大量时间在电子屏幕时,眼科专家担心孩子的视力会消退。牛津大学神经科学家苏姗·格林菲尔德认为,社交网站、电子游戏和电视的快节奏,缩短了青少年的注意广度,从此限制他们的专注力,并可能会童稚化青少年大脑。年轻人容易被嗡嗡的声音和明亮的光线所吸引。美国埃默理大学英语教授马克·鲍林曾表示专注力和注意广度对阅读理解非常重要。电子萤幕让读者以扫描式阅读,注意力从此就会慢慢退化。同时,读者获取的资讯也就是简要的。相比之下,纸质课本却可以鼓励专注阅读。

尽管电子课本即将取代纸质课本,我相信学生仍必须依靠多做练习以在测验里获取佳绩。由于电子课本已逐渐让学生避免背着沉重的书包上课或到其它地方去时,学生可利用剩余的空间携带一些参考书,如佳辉出版社的《A无惧UPSR模拟试卷》、《A启示UPSR模拟试卷》,嘉阳出版的《复习王》作业和《配版作业》等之类的巩固练习题,以让自己更熟悉考试的问题格式并发掘自己较弱的单元,以对症下药。大家可知道,不管小学生还是中学生,熟读课本的确是不够的,各位都必须多做练习、作业才能在考试里获取优秀的成绩噢!加油!

– 黄伟铭 (Ng Ray Man)

选购参考书—也是种学问?

在之前的其中一篇文章里我曾经提到,学生必须懂得选购适合自己的参考书。今天,就让我与大家较详细地分享如何正确地选购参考书。从所周知,在温习功课或为即将莅临的考试复习时,参考书是必要的。可是相信大家一定在问— “要从书局里选购摆着各不同出版社所出版的参考书也是种学问吗?”那当然啊!原因很简单,好的参考书不但能够为学生提供正确的资料、提高温习效率,也是学生能否在测验里考获佳绩的因素之一。选购参考书时大家可以试使用以下的方法作为参考:

时常关注、留意考试的格式
购买参考书时,首要的条件就是是否其参考书符合最新的考试格式。在学生还没向老师请教以得到最新的考试格式时,尽量避免太过急于购买参考书,否则将很容易买到不适合、不恰当的参考书。众所周知,考试里每一道题目都有着不一样的作答方式以达到问题的要求。例如,嘉阳出版的《UPSR 写作王 110篇精选范文》是其中之一的好例子。这本书含有110篇华语范文,能够配合华文科的课程纲要、书写技能并符合最新的UPSR书写试卷的格式。此外,佳辉出版社所出版的《UPSR 写作王 110篇精选范文》除了备有UPSR模拟试卷外,也有着历年UPSR试题的分析表以帮助考生适应和了解试卷的格式。因此,在选购各种各样的书籍时,学生必须仔细地看是否其参考书符合考试的格式。

选择能够为自己打好基础的书籍
基础—是学生需重视的其中一个方案之一。在选购参考书时,大家得首先了解自己对其科目的基础情况,再选择参考书。学生必须清楚了解自己在哪课较弱的部分,再购买相关的参考书以对症下药。让我在这里给大家一个很简单的例子,小明在华文理解里总是难以获得高分,因此他可以考虑购买佳辉出版的《杰出辅导系列华文理解6》以多做里头的练习题,再使用附有的完整答案来帮助自己解答不明白之处。另一个例子— 小丽仍未掌握好华语科的成语,她便可购买由佳辉公司出版的100%配合课本且根据最新课程说明所编写的《活用成语练习6》以多练习里头的习题,遇到不明白之处时试翻阅课本或请教老师。

试请教师长再购买
在还没做出任何决定要购买哪一本参考书时,学生可以先请教教师或家长,以获得他们的意见。很多时候,身为学生的我们不可否认我们还是不够经验,往往会因为冲动而买到不适合自己的书。通过这个方法,学生可以从老师们的身上彻底知道自己在某科目较弱的部分,再选择恰当的参考书。坦白说,学生有时会忘了其实老师才是最清楚学生在某科目较弱于哪方面。另外,在购买参考书时,学生也自然能够避免这现象— 知道X出版社所出版的数学参考书适合自己时,连其它科目都不再仔细探讨是否适合自己就直接把所有X出版社所出版每一个科目的参考书给买下来。我个人认为这未免是个正确的选择。在前几篇文章里我曾提到,有时X公司出版的数学参考书的确是适合自己,但在语文方面的科目里,相比于Y公司出版的参考书,X公司的语文参考书也许不比Y公司的更加适合自己。所以,在未购买任何参考书时,同学该尝试得到教师或家长的意见。

勿盲目跟着众人的选择
选购参考书时,我们时常看到许多学生跟着风的现象,其朋友买哪一本,他就跟着买同样的那本。特别是年头,开学不久,许多学生都会到邻近的书局购买参考书。有些学生担心自己会跟不上、或怕跟其他同学比起来会落后而不管其他人所买的参考书适合还是不适合自己,都跟着买来以得到安慰。这会令学生可能在温习时因其参考书里的资料不适合自己而浪费了不少宝贵的温习时间。由此可见,学生该避免盲目地跟随其他同学所购买的书籍噢。

最后,希望以上的建议能够帮助到学生们购买适合自己的参考书。我不能够否认也许大家可能有更好的选购方式。不管怎么样,我都祝大家能够选对参考书,享受温习的过程后在考试里获得佳绩噢!

– 黄伟铭 (Ng Ray Man)

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The 5 Biggest Challenges Your Kids Are Not Telling You About

Challenges are what everyone in this world faces. No matter a baby, a kid, a teenager, a youth, an adult or even the senior citizen, everyone encounters challenges in their life. For instance, the biggest challenge for a new-born baby is to learn to stand up and walk. For a kid, the biggest challenge would be saying goodbye to parents without crying when entering kindergarten. As for youngsters, we face many challenges us too. However, why every adult around us is able to overcome all the challenges? Simply because they believed what James Ulman, a writer and famous mountain climber said, “Challenge is the core and mainspring of all human action. If there is an ocean, we cross it. If there is a disease, we cure it. If there is a wrong, we right it. If there is a record, we break it. And if there is a mountain, we climb it.” Hence, let us discover what are the challenges that the young ones face in today’s life.

A.B.C.D.E
One of the most common challenges is peer pressure. “ABCDE” are what teenagers encounter in peer pressure. ‘A’ stands for alcohol, ‘B’ stands for bully, ‘C’ stands for cigarette, ‘D’ stands for drugs whereas ‘E’ stands for excellence. Among all five, the only challenge which will bring about good effects is ‘E’, excellence. Alcohol is a powerful and easily available drugs. Due to anxiety and fear of being teased, some youths are not able to resist alcohol. According to the Ministry of Health, alcohol leads to various negative impacts. The most common ones are unsafe sex and brain damages. According to Global Status Report on Alcohol, 2004, alcohol is one of the biggest factor which causes brain damages among youths. In March 25, 2008, a case of alcohol intoxication happened in the United States. Julia Gonzalez, 16, was found dead of alcohol poisoning due to excessive consumption. Next, bully cases among youths. Bully is a very rampant and serious issue in our society. Some of the reasons that lead to bully include lack of attention from parents and video games. Based on a research done by University of California in the 90s, they claimed that peer pressure is the biggest reason why bully cases are on the rise. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), in their article published in 2005, 70% of high school students reported they have been bullied.

On the other hand, in terms of cigarette, youngsters are often badly influenced due to peer pressure. Anxiety, feeling of stylish, cool and trendy are among the causes of teenagers start to smoke. Statistics has shown that smoking is among the first steps that lead to drugs. In the United States of America, 3.1 million teenagers start smoking during secondary school, reported by American Lungs Association (ALA). Youths are found to be very easily influenced by friends. There is a Chinese proverb which goes, “He who stays vermillion gets stained red, he who stays near ink gets stained black”. This means that one takes the behaviour of one’s company. Thus, if a youth mixes around with friends who are of bad behaviours, he or she will definitely be influenced. Moreover, drugs are also rampant among youths. Drugs are indeed poisoning, addictive and illegal. However, youths take drugs as they believe drugs help releasing stress. Although this is untrue, they insist on doing it because they believe their friends more. Therefore, (A) Alcohol, (B) Bully, (C) Cigarette and (D) Drugs are all negative impacts caused by peer pressure.

Each coin has two sides. So, one of the positive impacts brought about by peer pressure that I would love to highlight here is (E) Excellence. According to the eminent writer, Jody Rosenburg, in his book ‘Join the Club’, he said that peer pressure is indeed a good strategy to improve one’s academic performance after conducting studies in numerous universities, mainly in United States, Japan, Norway and Brazil. For instance, youths tend to feel unhappy when their friends score better in examinations. Hence, this will make them strive harder in order to get better results. This also indirectly helps them to create challenges among peers and gain improvements. According to a psychology test done by Dr. James Dobson, a psychologist and writer, he concluded that youths gain more courage when they are with friends. They always think what the other peers are doing is right. Youths also feel difficult to stand alone, afraid of being rejected and lack of confidence when dealing with new environment. Thus, excellence is the only advantage due to peer pressure.

LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
Another very popular challenge youths face is love. Nowadays, youths always misunderstand what ‘love’ and ‘relationships’ are. As long as they feel attracted with each other, they consider that as love. There are numerous disadvantages due to immaturity in dealing with love. One of the most common disadvantages is unwanted pregnancy. World Health Organisation (WHO) claimed that in 2008-2009, approximately 9% of 14-year-old, 18% of 15 to 17-year-olds and 22% of 18 to 19-year-olds girls experience pregnancies a year. Baby dumping cases in Malaysia has also shown a drastic increase, reported by Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, Deputy Secretary-General, Harjeet Kaur, with the figure of 91 in 2010 to 98 cases in 2011. “Baby dumping and unwanted pregnancies also deteriorate youth’s academic performance”, she said. Therefore, love and relationships are challenges that youths encounter in their growing process.

EXCEL IN BOTH CURRICULAR & CO-CURRICULAR
Next, youths face even bigger challenges when they are urged to excel in both curriculum and co-curriculum. Parents nowadays are indeed demanding when it comes to results and co-curriculum achievements. This happens because to ensure their children to get a scholarship to further study, it is getting more difficult and competitive. At the same time, youths are having a very heavy education system. They have to study at school for at least 8 hours a day. Furthermore, they are also involved in other co-curricular activities after school. This will not only cause them to be unable to allocate time for revision, it also causes exhaustiveness. For example, I am at school since 7.00 a.m. Classes end at 2.30 p.m. and carried out from 3.30 to 5.30 p.m. The total hours for me to be at school is approximately 9 hours. On Wednesdays, students even have to return to the school in the evening to join co-curriculum activities. Hence, excellence in both academic and co-curriculum is indeed a big task to be accomplished by youths.

TO OVERCOME: THE ROLES OF SCHOOLS & PARENTS
One of the ways that parents can play their role is by monitoring their children. According to Datuk Dr Fadzillah Kamsah, parents’ attention towards their children is indeed important in disciplining them. Parents should try their very best to spend quality time with their children and inculcate moral and religious values when they are still young as there is a saying which goes ‘strike while the iron is still hot.’ For instance, advice should be given to them and parents have to monitor their children’s behavior. This is essential so that parents are clear with their children’s development from time to time in order for them to take measures or steps of prevention can be taken at early stage as prevention is better than cure. On top of that, schools have to play their role as well. I, who was the Head Prefect of the school always strive hard to encourage the Prefectorial Board to try to understand students who have disciplinary problems in schools. At the same time, counselors ought to always be ready to listen to them and find out their thoughts and opinions. These are some of the steps which I believe to be effective in handling the challenges that youths face.

LET’S OVERCOME THEM!
“Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze us, they are supposed to help us discover who we are”, said by Bernice Johnson Reagon, a singer, compose, scholar cum social activist. Therefore, we, as youths should never be afraid to take up challenges throughout our growing process. Youths themselves ought to always strive hard to overcome every obstacle in life. Always believe that ‘When there is a will, there is a way.’ In a nutshell, one should never feel hopeless and always be optimistic to face life challenges.

This article was written by Ng Ray Man. Ray Man was a Head Prefect, a national-level debater and a straight-A scorer all his life. He shares his thoughts on excelling in academic and extracurricular activities in his guest posts for Peekabook.

The Teacher’s Challenge

Being a teacher in Malaysia is not easy. Regardless of the perception of the public, being a teacher is not a job that I would recommend to anyone unless you can profess to be extremely passionate about helping young minds to develop. If you are hoping to earn some big buck here, this is definitely not the place for you. Unless of course you are going to use your position as a teacher to make big bucks giving tuition in your own free time. If you are hoping for those long stretches of holidays and uninterrupted weekends, forget it. What most folks out there don’t realize is that although it seems like teaching as simple job, the reality is quite different. Most schools have programs on Saturdays, teachers attend courses during holidays and co-curricular activities keep teachers in schools until late evening.

Before I am accused of bitching about the job, let me assure you that this is not my intention. I have already left the system because what it offers is just not for me. Perhaps, I am ‘old school’ and I find it difficult to internalize the frequent changes that the system requires. I know that I am a really good teacher and I have made a positive impact in the lives of my students. This is enough for me. I am not bitter in any way but in retrospect have pleasant memories of my years as a teacher.

So, let me give you a clear perspective of the challengers of teachers today.

The Training
Generally, teachers become teachers either by attending Teacher Training Colleges or from the University. During this period, a ‘to-be teacher’ is already assigned the subject he/she will be specializing in. I did my basic training in Maktab Perguruan Kota Bharu and I applied to be a teacher of the English Language. I was to be trained as a teacher of secondary students and my core subjects were English Language and Geography. Later, at the university, my degree was the Teaching of English as a Second Language. At the Masters level, my focus was on English Literature.

In both the Teacher Training Colleges and the Universities, teachers are trained well in relation to their core subjects. The teachers to be are introduced to the curriculum and they are given a clear insight of the requirements of the syllabus and how to effectually go about teaching the content. They are taught to be effective teachers. They are also introduced to co-curriculum activities as to know the basics of some games and societies. Hopefully with this comprehensive training, a teacher will be able to do a good job when he/she is assigned to a particular school.

I wish to stress that there is no real problem at the training level. If at all there is an issue, it is merely a hope the Government would do something to the teaching job so that good students who are looking for a good income will be able to regard teaching as their first choice rather than their last choice. When we are willing to pay well we will get the quality we seek. This is the reality.

The School
When a trainee teacher is assigned to a school, this is where the problems begin. When she/he arrives at the school, she/he is told, ‘We have enough English Language teachers. We need you to teach History.’ Imagine this scenario carefully. The teacher has been trained for the past three years to teach English and is now required to teach History. Are you still surprised when your child comes home complaining about his/her History teacher who is so boring and incompetent?

The teacher was all geared up to teach one thing and now has to teach a subject she knows nothing about and has no interest in. It is easy to say, “Just read it up and teach!” I still remember the time I tried to teach my daughter her Form Three History. It was a nightmare.

The same happens in the co-curriculum aspect especially in sports. There must be some passion in the part of the trainer if he/she wants to instill the love of the game to the students. The mismatch continues in this area too. Most people also forget that being a good athlete does not make a good trainer. The teacher will try her/his best to train her students but somehow she/ he will fall short.

The Self
Happiness comes from within. It is only when we are at peace with ourselves will we be able to reach out for others. This is true with, more than any other job in relation to teaching as we are dealing with young impressionable minds.

Just talk to any teacher and what is your impression. Have an open mind and don’t look at them as a group of people who are only complaining. Listen closely and you will begin to understand. All teachers know that they will have to serve in the rural areas even in East Malaysia for a period of time but should they not be sent back to their hometowns after a while? We have teachers traveling daily for two hours one way to get to schools simply because their transfers were denied. Husbands and wives, separated from their parents and children are common among teachers. The physical and emotional strain will take its toll eventually. Teachers don’t choose their jobs according to where they stay, they are sent to their jobs and this can be heartbreaking at times.

So the next time you meet a teacher, try to understand the real story from his/her end. It may answer many of your own queries about your child’s education. This is the reality.

This article was written by Madam Kalai Lingam. Madam Kalai has 27 years of teaching experience in government secondary school. She opted for early retirement in 2013 to pursue her love of writing, and is currently writing a book. Madam Kalai is well versed in the Malaysian Education system, having been a senior English teacher and school administrator for many years.