For Parents Of IB Students
The following are situational examples for parents for their reference. This will allow them a realistic gauge of the numbers of hours of tutoring they need to invest per week. Please browse the situations, find the ones most relevant to your predicament and use it as a guideline for your classes at USOL.
Q1)Ā My child has received the scores of (3, 3, 3) or (3, 3, 4) or (3, 4, 4) in his/her Higher Level subjects in his/her first term of the IB curriculum. He/She has great ambitions. The universities to which he/she is applying require better predicted and actual IB scores. What is the recommended course of action for my child?
Answer:
This student probably requires immediate attention. Please set up a meeting with Ms Richa MahajanĀ at the earliest. She, along with you (the parents) and the student, will draw up a cogent and deliberate game plan for the student. This plan will be designed with the consultation of all the Subject heads.
A mentor shall constantly oversee the progress of the child. The mentor shall regularly update the parents on the studentā€™s progress. Along-side organizing bimonthly meetings between the parents and Richa Mahajan, the mentor will ensure that the student follows through on all his assignments and will give the struggling student all the additional help he or she needs.
This mentor will regulate the number of hours a student spends on each topic, assess the speed and efficiency of classes and will provide detailed and critical feedback to the parents every week. Once a student has begun performing well in the following months, we can lift him/her out of the Mentorship Program, with the expressed consent of the parents.
For further understanding of why this must be achieved, read this recommended to-do-list for theĀ 11thGraders.
Q2)Ā My child has received the scores of (4, 4, 4) or (4, 4, 5) in his/her Higher Level subjects in his/her first term of the IB curriculum. The universities to which he/she is applying require better predicted and actual IB scores. What is the recommended course of action for my child?
Answer:
In the above case, the term breaks must be fully utilized by the student. More subject material ought to be covered by the student during breaks to compensate for prior lapses in learning. During term breaks the student should attendĀ 4-5 hoursĀ of class for every working day. Tests, too, must be taken with great frequency, in order to gauge the incrementing standards of learning and to assess ability of the student to grasp learning material.
Once school commences, the students should attend classes forĀ 6 hours a weekĀ in order to complete the syllabus and have a good grasp of the requisite learning material.
As mentioned above, this pattern must be continued diligently till the forthcoming examinations. The slightest deviation might be detrimental to the studentā€™s results.Ā For further understanding of why this must be achieved, read this recommended to-do-list for theĀ 11thĀ Graders.
Q3)Ā My child has received the scores of (5, 5, 5) or (5, 5, 6) in his/her Higher Level subjects in his/her first term of the IB curriculum. The universities to which he/she is applying require better predicted and actual IB scores. What is the recommended course of action for my child?
Answer:
In the above case, the term breaks must be fully utilized by the student. More subject material ought to be covered by the student during breaks to compensate for prior lapses in learning. During term breaks the student should attendĀ 4 hoursĀ of class for every working day. Tests, too, must be taken with great frequency, in order to gauge the incrementing standards of learning and to assess ability of the student to grasp learning material.
Once school commences, the students should attend classes forĀ 6 hours of class Ā a weekĀ in order to complete the syllabus and have a good grasp of the requisite learning material.
As mentioned above, this pattern must be continued diligently till the forthcoming examinations. The slightest deviation might be detrimental to the studentā€™s results.Ā For further understanding of why this must be achieved, read this recommended to-do-list for theĀ 11thĀ Graders.
Q4)Ā My child has received the scores of (5, 6, 6) Ā or (6, 6, 6) or (6, 6, 7) in his/her Higher Level subjects in his/her first term of the IB curriculum. The universities to which he/she is applying require better predicted and actual IB scores. What is the recommended course of action for my child?
Answer:
Such a student is not in need of any immediate or urgent attention. However, the student is probably capable of achieving superior results with only a little more guidance and motivation. This student is on the edges of academic excellence, and is a short distance away from achieving it.
For this student we will provide an additional push. More efficient learning and better planning will help boost the studentā€™s score sufficiently to open the doors for him/her to the best universities and schools of the world. A concretized game plan and just a little more determination are all the student needs.
In the above case, the term breaks must be fully utilized by the student. More subject material ought to be covered by the student during breaks to compensate for minor lapses in learning. Tests, too, must be taken with great frequency, in order to gauge the incrementing standards of learning and to assess ability of the student to grasp learning material.
As mentioned above, this pattern must be continued diligently till the forthcoming examinations. The slightest deviation might be detrimental to the studentā€™s results.Ā For further understanding of why this must be achieved, read this recommended to-do-list for theĀ 11thĀ Graders.
Q5)Ā My child has received the scores of ( 6, 7, 7) or ( 7, 7, 7) in his/her Higher Level subjects in his/her first term of the IB curriculum. What is the recommended course of action for my child?
Answer:
It is heartening to know that your child is succeeding so wonderfully at his/her academic schoolwork. The critical factor in his/her success is ensuring that he or she maintains his/her levels of academic excellence.
The student should continue to study diligently with only as much help, as he/she requires. However, if the studentā€™s grades lapse, even momentarily, it is time to schedule a meeting with Richa MahajanĀ to ensure that such a lapse does not occur again.
For further understanding of why these high standards must be resiliently maintained, read this recommended to-do-list for theĀ 11thĀ Graders.
Q6)Ā My child has gotten all A*s in his/her IGCSE examinations. Should he/she opt for the Higher Level English?
Answer:
Absolutely! But it is highly recommended that the students commence preparation for the IB HL prior to the start of school.
Most students who opt for the IB HL examinations have completed the LiteratureĀ at the IGCSE level. The students need to learn many of the Literature topics with have their applications in the IB HL exams. It will equip the student to cope with the pace of the rest of the class.
To meet the aforementioned needs, IGCSE students are advised to attend intensive literatureĀ classes after the end of the IGCSE and before the beginning of the IB.
Q7)Ā My Child has taken the CBSE/ICSE examinations and has scored above 90% in Literature. He has also opted for Higher Level IB English Literature. What is the recommended course of action for such a student?
Answer:
In such a situation, it is of noteworthy importance that the CBSE and ICSE examinations are entirely different from the IGCSE literature curriculum.
If your child is moving from CBSE or ICSE to IB HL English, he/she needs to catch up on many literary analytic concepts that students of the IGCSE students take for granted. Such students are vehemently encouraged to take as any classes as is possible before the commencement of the IB program.
Those who fail to follow a vigorous training program often find themselves failing to keep up with the IB Higher Level EnglishĀ and subsequently downgrade to the Standard Level English program.
Q8)Ā My child has performed very well in his examinations and is, as a consequence, over-confident. What is the recommended course of action?
Answer:
It is very heartening to hear that your child is confident of his/her abilities. In such a situation, it is crucial for his/her real depth of knowledge is tested very frequently and his learning be directed in accordance with his/her needs.
Challenging questions papers and allowing the students to test his/her understanding byĀ teaching the teacher, are good ways to measure preparedness and ability of the student in his/her subjects.