Nowadays, it is not uncommon to see children as young as ten glued to their smart devices wherever they go – be it during class, on the school bus and even while in the midst of a “study session” at their desks. With the implementation of the National Digital Literacy Programme, every secondary school student will have their own Personal Learning Device (PLD). While digital devices offer access to a plethora of educational resources, excessive screen time can negatively impact your child’s health and academic performance.
Having healthy screen time habits is important throughout your child’s academic journey, but even more so during the examination period. Here’s why:
1. Enhanced Focus and Concentration
Limiting screen time can help your child be more focused on his/her studies, minimising distractions and allowing for more sustained and effective study sessions. The excessive use of screens, especially for non-educational purposes such as social media or games, can detract your child from his/her schoolwork. Although it might seem like the study session was long, it would not be as productive as compared to one without the unnecessary usage of digital devices. Additionally, screen time should be balanced with other activities to allow the brain to have opportunities to rest and reset, allowing for better cognitive functioning.
2. Improved Sleep Quality
Exposure to digital screens, especially right before bedtime, can reduce the quality of sleep and cause restlessness amongst children as they tend to be more alert and have raised heart rates. Furthermore, blue light emitted by our phones and tablets can also disrupt the production of melatonin, a type of sleep hormone. Hence, it is crucial to reduce screen time especially prior to bedtime in order to increase the quality and consistency of your child’s sleep.
This is relatable to one of the PSLE 2021 Oral Questions. The picture depicted a girl sleeping even with her alarm clock ringing at 6am.
Q1: Look at the picture. Are you like the girl in the picture? Why or why not?
If you are interested in helping your child develop a well-planned response to this question, you can check out our YouTube channel where our teachers have crafted model responses to help your child ace their PSLE Oral examinations. Otherwise, check out our website for similar blog posts where we will cover PSLE English oral exam tips!
3. Improved Physical Health
The prolonged usage of screens can lead to postural problems and back and neck strains. This is because when children hunch over screens, the shoulders tend to round forward, leading to a slouched posture. Moreover, staring at digital devices for hours can lead to eye problems such as eye strain and dry eyes, even myopia in the long run. Cutting down your child’s screen time can help mitigate these problems.
It is also found that children are more likely to lead sedentary lifestyles with an increase in the amount of time spent on their smart devices. This increases their risk of obesity and related health issues such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
After knowing more about why we should help children reduce their screen time, let’s explore some practical tips you can adopt to help your child develop these healthy screen time habits:
1. Set Clear Limits
Have discussions with your child on their usage of digital devices and set clear rules about daily screen time, reducing it appropriately during exam season. You can monitor these via parental controls and also ensure that your child is not visiting inappropriate and unsafe websites. You should also set clear expectations on putting away devices during mealtimes and 1 hour prior to bedtime.
2. Encourage Screen-Free Breaks
After your child uses his/her device for 20 minutes, encourage them to rest their eyes for at least 5 minutes by looking at objects a distance away. This prevents eye strain and helps the eyes refocus. Reiterate to your child that not every break from studying has to have a tablet or phone involved. Instead, balance screen time with other offline activities that they enjoy, like playing sports or reading storybooks. Developing a daily schedule and ensuring your child adheres to it can encourage them to have self-discipline as well.
Helping your child develop healthy screen time habits is crucial for their personal development and academic success. Stay tuned to our website for similar blog posts where we will share more tips and strategies that you can adopt to support your child during their examinations.
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English is a compulsory subject which all students must undertake. However, mastering the English language is not something which happens overnight – it takes consistent practice and effort to learn the nuances of the language. Students must read more and practice writing to gradually improve. Cramming for a language subject nearer to the exams is an impossible feat. After all, Rome was not built in a day! Attaining such a skill will have positive implications for not only your child’s education in school, but also employment prospects in future.
At WRITERS AT WORK, we are committed to providing the smoothest learning experience for your child sitting for their English exams. With our carefully curated methods of teaching your child how to write well, your child will learn how to present their thoughts and arguments in a coherent and concise manner. WRITERS AT WORK reinforces your child’s language skills and provides a strong foundation for their academic success, keeping up with all aspects of their progress both inside and outside of the classroom to nurture them holistically. For more information about how WRITERS AT WORK makes a difference, feel free to explore our website, watch our YouTube videos and catch us LIVE on TikTok!
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
1. How Long Should You Study for PSLE?
Parents should take around a year or two to prepare for PSLE as learning about subjects like English requires a long-term effort, as opposed to short cramming.
2. Is PSLE Compulsory?
PSLE is compulsory for everyone to enter secondary school in Singapore.
3. How to Study for PSLE?
Parents should make a list of everything a child should study for all their PSLE subjects. Engaging a tuition teacher or practicing with workbooks and past year papers may help students tackle the exam format of PSLE and feel more confident taking the exam.
4. How Do I Motivate My Child to Do PSLE?
Children should be motivated to do PSLE by being taught that it is important for their future. Explaining to them the reasons to do the exam may work better than forcing them to study.
