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PSLE Math Heuristics: How We Teach Word Problems
Most marks lost in PSLE Math are lost on word problems: a long question, two or three changes, and a child who does not know where to start. Heuristics are the methods that give that start. At Outclass Education we teach them one at a time, each with its own worksheets, at 212 Hougang Street 21, a 3-minute walk from Kovan MRT. At most 6 students per class, $80 a lesson.
Why children get stuck on word problems
A child can know every formula and still freeze on a problem sum. The question does not say "use a model" or "find one unit". The child has to see that two quantities change but their difference stays the same, or that one side is unchanged while the other moves. Without a method, they guess without a plan, or write numbers in an order that earns no method marks.
The heuristics we teach
Each method has its own worksheets, written by our own teachers, with a model solution in the method we teach in class.
Primary 3 and 4:
Primary 5:
Primary 6:
A worked example: equal concept with ratio
Primary 6: At a carpark, the ratio of vans to lorries was 4 : 5. After 7 more vans came in and 2 lorries left, there were as many vans as lorries. How many vans were there at first?
- Vans to lorries is 4 units to 5 units, so the lorries had 1 unit more.
- After the change they are equal, so that 1 unit is made up by the 7 vans that came in and the 2 lorries that left.
- 1 unit = 7 + 2 = 9
- 4 units = 4 x 9 = 36
There were 36 vans at first. The skill is spotting that the gap of 1 unit is closed from both sides.
How lessons work
- Topical worksheets and heuristics worksheets take turns, so new methods are learned alongside the school topics.
- Each heuristic is taught with a model, then practised until the child can choose the method on their own.
- Near exams, full papers with mixed questions, where the child must decide which method fits.
- On the Outclass Learning App, quick quizzes on each heuristic show the full worked solution when an answer is wrong.
Every class has at most 6 students and follows the Outclass Approach: Understand, Apply, Master, Perform. Parents see the worksheet, the stage reached and a tutor's note after every lesson in our parent app.
Frequently asked questions
What are heuristics in PSLE Math?
They are problem-solving methods for word problems, such as model drawing, units and parts, guess and check, and working backwards. They help a child decide how to start a question and show working that earns method marks.
When should my child start learning heuristics?
From Primary 3. The early methods, like model drawing and guess and check, are the base for the Primary 5 and 6 methods used in PSLE Paper 2.
My child understands the topic but cannot do problem sums. Can heuristics help?
Yes. That is usually a method problem, not a content problem. We teach one heuristic at a time with its own worksheets, so the child learns to recognise the type of question.
Do you teach heuristics separately or within the topics?
Both. Each heuristic has its own worksheets, and lessons alternate between topical worksheets and heuristics, then move to mixed papers near the exams.
How much are lessons?
$80 a lesson, 2 hours, at most 6 students. A yearly registration and materials fee of $80 a subject covers our notes and the Outclass Learning App.
Ready to start?
Send us an enquiry to book a trial lesson, or WhatsApp us at 9637 2357.
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