For our latest timetable, click here => 
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ORIGINAL POST(OUTDATED):
After conducting the PSLE Math Intensive Revision workshop during the recent March holidays, where I taught a wonderful group of students some of the more difficult concepts found in PSLE Math as well as metacognitive approaches to problem solving, some parents have asked me to continue conducting a weekly challenging PSLE math programme, as the next PSLE Math Intensive Revision in June is too far away.
For this challenging math program, I will be teaching students the more difficult concepts necessary to excel in PSLE Math, as well as the strategies and heuristics commonly employed to solve them. I will also be exposing students to P6 Math Olympiad questions as some of the most difficult PSLE Math questions are modified Primary Math Olympiad questions. Details of the weekly programme are as follows:
Level/Subject: PSLE Challenging Math
Day/Time: Every Saturday, 9.00 am to 10.30 am ( 1.5 hrs)
Location: Blk 627 Bukit Batok Central #07-640
Focus: Difficult Concepts, Strategies, Heuristics, Olympiad
Fees: $150 for every four sessions.
Class Size: 2 to 8 students.
Tutor: Mr Ilyasa; M.Ed (NIE), PGDE (NIE), BSc (NUS), Ex-RI/RJC; ex-sch teacher, full-time tutor of PSLE, O and A Level Math and Physics. (h/p: 97860411)
A former secondary school Physics teacher, Mr Ilyasa has been coaching students in ‘A’ Level (H2/H1) Physics and (H2/H1) Mathematics for more than 7 years, as well as ‘O’ Level Physics, Additional Math, Math and PSLE Math for more than 10 years. An alumnus of RI and RJC, Mr Ilyasa holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Merit from the National University of Singapore, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education with Credit from the National Institute of Education, Singapore, and a Master of Education (Curriculum & Teaching) degree also from the NIE, Singapore.
To register, kindly call or send an sms to 97860411.
S4 Pure Physics O-Level Intensive Revision beginning 6 April 2013
For our latest timetable, click here => 
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ORIGINAL POST(OUTDATED):
From my experience as a Physics teacher and tutor, Sec 4 students need a systematic way of revising their Sec 3 Physics topics for their SA1 or first Prelim exam. Thus I will be conducting the following 3-hr workshops at my home centre for Sec 4 Physics students (for registration, sms or call 97860411):
Level/Subject: S4 Pure Physics
Day/Time: Saturdays, 4 pm to 7 pm ( 3hrs)
Location: Blk 627 Bukit Batok Central #07-640
Dates: 6, 13, 20, 27 April
Topics: 6 Apr – Measurement & Kinematics; 13 Apr – Forces, Mass, Weight & Density; 20 Apr – Moments, Energy, Work & Power; 27 Apr – Pressure.
Target Group: This series of revision workshops is suitable for low to medium ability Sec 4 or Sec 3 Physics students who need to revise their Physics in a systematic and effective way.
Focus: Conceptual Understanding, Solving Challenging or Tricky Physics Problems, Exam-Answering Techniques.
Format: Lecture + Worksheets + Discussions
Fees: $360 for whole revision package (inclusive of refreshments and materials)
Class Size: 2 to 8 students.
Tutor: Mr Ilyasa; M.Ed (NIE), PGDE (NIE), BSc (NUS), Ex-RI/RJC; ex-sch teacher, full-time tutor of PSLE, O and A Level Math and Physics. (h/p: 97860411)
A former secondary school Physics teacher, Mr Ilyasa has been coaching students in ‘A’ Level (H2/H1) Physics and (H2/H1) Mathematics for more than 7 years, as well as ‘O’ Level Physics, Additional Math, Math and PSLE Math for more than 10 years. An alumnus of RI and RJC, Mr Ilyasa holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Merit from the National University of Singapore, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education with Credit from the National Institute of Education, Singapore, and a Master of Education (Curriculum & Teaching) degree also from the NIE, Singapore.
To register, kindly call or send an sms to 97860411.
New PSLE / P6 Math class every Thursday 5.45 to 7.15pm
For our latest timetable, click here =>
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ORIGINAL POST(OUTDATED):
Level/Subject: PSLE / P6 Math
Day/Time: Every Thursday, 5.45pm to 7.15pm
Location: Blk 627, Bt Batok Central
Focus: Metacognitive learning and problem-solving using Concept Learning’s worksheets plus additional materials.
Fee: $120 per month (To Register, call or sms to 97860411)
Tutor: Mr Ilyasa
A former MOE school teacher, Mr Ilyasa has been coaching students in ‘A’ Level (H2/H1) Physics and (H2/H1) Mathematics for more than 7 years, as well as ‘O’ Level Physics, Additional Math, Math and PSLE Math for more than 10 years. An alumnus of RI and RJC, Mr Ilyasa holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Merit from the National University of Singapore, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education with Credit from the National Institute of Education, Singapore, and a Master of Education (Curriculum & Teaching) degree also from the NIE, Singapore.
Interested in PSLE Math & Science Intensive Revision during Mar and June holidays? Click here.
A-Level & O-Level 2013 Preparation (morning classes, mainly for those re-taking)
We do provide coaching for students who are free to attend classes in the mornings or early afternoons. Such students are typically those who are re-taking their A-levels or O-levels. The levels and subjects offered are:
A-Level: General Paper, (H2/H1) Economics, (H2/H1) Math, (H2) Management of Business. (H2/H1) Physics (upon request)
O-Level: English, Math, Additional Math, Science (Physics/Chemistry), Pure Physics, Pure Chemistry, Economics, Business Studies.
Class type: Small group or Individual
Location: 3-min walk from Bukit Batok MRT station.
For other details, such as timings and fees, kindly call or sms to 97860411, or send an email to ilyasa@conceptlearning.sg.
The Tutors:
Mr Ilyasa: A former MOE school teacher, Mr Ilyasa has been coaching students in ‘A’ Level Physics, Mathematics and Economics for more than 7 years, as well as ‘O’ Level Physics, Additional Math and Math for more than 10 years. An alumnus of RI and RJC, Mr Ilyasa holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Merit from the National University of Singapore, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education with Credit from the National Institute of Education, Singapore, and a Master of Education (Curriculum & Teaching) degree also from the NIE, Singapore.
Mr Jay Lim: An experienced full-time tutor, Mr Lim holds a Master of International Management (USA), B.Sc (USA) majoring in Finance & Retail Management, Higher Stage Certificate in Economics, The London Chamber of Commerce & Industry. He was formerly a financial services consultant and an ex-bank officer. Mr Lim has been teaching English at various levels in an Integrated Programme school for about 5 years. He will be focusing on General Paper, Management of Business and Economics in Singapore Learner.
For details, such as timings and fees, kindly call or sms to 97860411.
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For our latest timetable, click here => 
Sec 4 Physics Tuition By Ex-Sch Teacher
For our latest timetable, click here =>
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ORIGINAL POST(OUTDATED):
Sec 4 Physics (Fast-Track): Sunday | 9.30 am – 11.15 am | Code: S4P1
Sec 4 Physics: Tuesday | 8.00 pm – 9.45 pm | Code: S4P2
Sec 4 Science (Physics): Tuesday | 8.00 pm – 9.45 pm | Code: S4P3
Sec 3 Physics: Friday | 4.00 pm – 5.45 pm | Code: S3P1
Sec 1-2 Physics (IP / Fast-Track): Thursday | 6.00 pm – 7.45 pm | Code: S12PIP
Related link: S4 Physics Tuition Schedule 2015
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The Tutor:
Mr Ilyasa: A former MOE school teacher, Mr Ilyasa has been coaching students in ‘A’ Level & IB Physics and Mathematics for more than 6 years, as well as ‘O’ Level & IP Physics, Additional Math, E. Math and PSLE Math for more than 10 years. An alumnus of RI and RJC, Mr Ilyasa holds both a Master of Education degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education with Credit from the National Institute of Education (NIE), as well as a Bachelor of Science degree from the National University of Singapore (NUS).
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Administrative Matters:
Location: Blk 644, Bukit Batok Central, #01-68. S(650644).
Our location is just a 3-min walk from either the Bukit Batok MRT station or the Bukit Batok Bus Interchange. Buses that stop along the roads surrounding our location are numbers 157, 178, 66, 506, 173, 174, 176, 187, 985. Buses services which terminate at Bukit Batok Bus Interchange are 61, 77, 106, 173, 177, 189, 852, 941, 945, 947.
TO REGISTER, SMS <STUDENT NAME>, <CODE> TO 97860411.
For enquiries, kindly call or sms to 9786 0411.
Sec 4 A. Math & Math Tuition By Ex-Sch Teacher
For our latest timetable, click here =>
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ORIGINAL POST(OUTDATED):
Sec 4 A. Math (Investment amt: $180 per mth):
Fri 5.45 – 7.15 pm;
Sat 2.15 pm – 3.45 pm;
Sec 4 E. Math (Investment amt: $180 per mth):
Tues 7.45 – 9.15 pm;
Tutor: Mr Ilyasa; M.Ed (NIE), PGDE (NIE), BSc (NUS), Ex-RI/RJC; ex-sch teacher, full-time tutor of PSLE, O and A Level Math and Physics. (h/p: 97860411)
A former secondary school teacher, Mr Ilyasa has been coaching students in ‘A’ Level (H2/H1) Physics and (H2/H1) Mathematics for more than 6 years, as well as ‘O’ Level Physics, Additional Math, Math and PSLE Math for more than 10 years. An alumnus of RI and RJC, Mr Ilyasa holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Merit from the National University of Singapore, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education with Credit from the National Institute of Education, Singapore, and a Master of Education (Curriculum & Teaching) degree also from the NIE, Singapore.
DETAILS:
Location: Blk 627 Bukit Batok Central #07-640
Average Class Size: 2-6 students
To register, kindly call or send an sms to 97860411, indicating the Student Name, the Subject and Level.
Yay, my H1 Economics tutee got a ‘B’.
My ex-tutee for H1 Econs, Jong Fei, was the first to give me good news today. Usually failing his econs tests, he just smsed me: “Thank you very much for guiding me through econs when I thot all hope is lost. I got a ‘B’ for my econs. Thank u : )”
It’s not easy to teach econs, and it’s even harder for 18 yr olds to understand economic principles and apply them to essays and case studies. I always tell my students that for microeconomics, you’d have to think like a business owner and for macroeconomics, you’d have to think like a minister. Unfortunately, most Singaporean students have neither the maturity nor experience to analyse economic issues.
It can be quite hard for JC or Poly students to master Economics because most Sporean students have not done Econs in secondary school before. However, Economics done in Spore is more a science than a humanities subject, thus it can actually be mastered, in almost the same way as you master Physics. In fact, there are only around 6 to 8 important concepts in A-Level Economics that you need to understand deeply, one of which is the concept of “margin” or being “marginal” (eg. marginal cost, marginal revenue etc).
Then you’d also need the general writing skills and the specific writing skills for Economics essays. You cannot get an ‘A’ just because you understand all the concepts in Economics. You’d need to be able to write fast and coherently, and write ‘economics’ statements that examiners want to see, just as in Physics or Chemistry.
Then you’d also need the economics acumen to answer Case Studies questions. It’s difficult at first, but after doing many case studies, you’ll begin to see the ‘pattern’ of answering.
Anyway, I wish all current Economics students all the best in your economic studies.
Rgds,
Ilyasa, M.Ed., B.Sc., PGDE, full-time tutor (h/p: 97860411)
JC Tuition:
A-Level: Math, Economics, General Paper.
(1) Economics Revision Package
(2) General Paper Resource & Practice Package
Related Links:
(1) Which subject combination to choose in JC?
(2) JC rankings by A-Level results 2012?
A former MOE school teacher, Mr Ilyasa has been coaching students in ‘A’ Level (H2/H1) Physics, Mathematics and Economics for more than 7 years, as well as ‘O’ Level Physics, Additional Math, Math and PSLE Math for more than 10 years. An alumnus of RI and RJC, Mr Ilyasa holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Merit from the National University of Singapore, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education with Credit from the National Institute of Education, Singapore, and a Master of Education (Curriculum & Teaching) degree also from the NIE, Singapore.
Improvement in a student’s math result …
Daniel, one of A. Math tutees, showed me his class test result yesterday: 34/40. The test was on Indices and Surds, Wow, excellent, I said to him. Daniel is from the N(A) stream, and usually fails his Math tests. That he could obtain 34/40 and top his class in just a few weeks of tuition was phenomenal. So I started reflecting on what went right, because there are many students, even those from top schools, who do not make such a giant leap in such a short amount of time.
So what was the major factor contributing to Daniel’s significant improvement? Well, it’s not some secret special technique. In fact, it’s a well-known technique that some students just don’t want to use – ask many, many questions, even “silly” ones, about the same topic until one is satisfied that understanding has been achieved. Daniel even questions me when he doesn’t understand the steps I show him, whereas many students simply copy or write down my solution. Daniel sometimes takes a while to process the information I give to him; he will pause and ponder, and then sheepishly asks a basic question. He will even ask questions periodically to affirm that his steps are correct.
Students need to make meaning out of what they hear or see; it’s not enough to just listen to teachers or observe what they do in class. And you make meaning when you have a dissonance in your mind; some pieces of the jigsaw puzzle don’t fit and you have the courage to ask and then ponder again.
Regarding asking questions, I have one advice though: you must attempt to answer your own questions first, for the struggle to answer your own questions will make it easier for you to understand another person’s explanation. : )
Good luck!
Rgds,
Ilyasa
Good Economics article to read, for those doing H2 or H1 Econs
If you are a H2 or H1 Econs student, please take time to think through the following economics article:
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/land-people-fit-singapore-economy-025020996.html
It’s important that you keep abreast of the economic challenges facing Singapore, our unique situation, and hence our micro and macro economic policies.
As an ex-Econs teacher and currently tutor, I dare say that our H2 and H1 Economics exams are the hardest in the world for 18 year olds. For microeconomics, you are expected to think like a business owner or CEO, and for macroeconomics, you are expected to think like a minister. Our Economics exam papers assume that you know and understand every basic economic concept, and you are straightaway expected to apply your Econs knowledge to analyse and answer case studies and essay questions.
Good luck.
Rgds,
Ilyasa
For our latest timetable, click here =>
“Models (drawing of) destroyed my life.” – Sec 3 Math student
I laughed when he said it. But it’s a significant statement by my Sec 3 Math student made two days ago. It’s something I’ve been warning parents and students about, in my earlier article Beware the Critical Years in Math.
This Sec 3 Math tutee is from a top government secondary school in the west. Being mathematically intelligent, he had found it easy to use models-drawing to solve PSLE Math problems. But he had a hard time coping with Algebra in Sec 1 and Sec 2, and it’s affecting both his Math and A. Math performance now. This situation is not unique to him.
The best years of learning by your brain is probably from the time you were born to just before your teenagehood. Singaporeans around my age or older were taught to use algebraic equations to solve math problems at the PSLE back then. I remember using simultaneous equations in 1984 to solve today’s “guess & check” problems in the PSLE. Thus our algebraic skills were good and it helped us, even those who didn’t do well at the PSLE, in doing O-Level and A-Level Math.
Algebra is SO important for Math at O-level and A-level, yet our dear MOE chooses not to introduce it for problem-solving in today’s PSLE. I still don’t understand why.
It is true that some young students may not be able to understand Algebra, due to it being very abstract. But it is also true that some young students are not visually or spatially intelligent enough to draw, cut and move rectangles to solve problems. For eg, what has rectangles got to do with mass or age? (you know, those problems involving age relationships between persons or mass relationships between objects). Using rectangles or boxes to represent age or mass is just as ridiculous or abstract as using letters such as ‘x’ and ‘y’ as in algebra.
The least the MOE should do is to allow the teaching of BOTH methods to solve problems. Since those boxes start appearing in P2 or P3, algebraic expressions should also be introduced at P2 or P3, algebraic expansion in P4, algebraic factorisation in P5, and algebraic equations in P6. Sec 1 students can straightaway start on algebraic fractions etc. Do we lose anything by introducing algebra earlier in our math curriculum?
I’m glad I started my Sec 1 Algebra course for post-PSLE students in Nov and Dec last year (see Sec 1 Algebra Headstart Holiday Enrichment Programme for post-PSLE students). I think students still don’t realise how ill-prepared they are for math in sec school and JC. I dare say that if you are weak in your S1 and S2 algebra, you don’t have to take Math anymore.
Good Luck.
Rgds,
Ilyasa
(M.Ed., PGDE, B.Sc, ex-teacher, full-time tutor: 97860411)
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