ALS A&E Elementary common mistakes
ALS A&E Elementary · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
For English reading comprehension items, choosing an answer that repeats a word or phrase from the passage rather than the option that actually answers the question asked.
Beginning readers match surface words instead of building meaning, and time pressure encourages word-spotting over reading the question stem first.
What to do instead
Practise the 'question first' routine: read the question and underline the key word (who/what/why), then scan the passage for the sentence that answers it, and reject any option that only echoes vocabulary without answering the question.
Writing English sentences with subject-verb agreement errors and wrong verb tense, especially shifting tense mid-paragraph in the writing section.
The candidate composes in Filipino or the mother tongue first and translates word-for-word, carrying over structures that do not match English grammar.
What to do instead
Drill a short checklist before submitting any written answer: singular subject takes singular verb, pick one time frame and keep it, and read the sentence aloud to catch mismatches.
In Filipino pagbasa items, answering mula sa sariling karanasan o opinyon instead of sa teksto, lalo na sa mga tanong na 'Ayon sa teksto...'.
Sanay ang mag-aaral na sumagot batay sa personal na karanasan at hindi sa binasa; madalas ding minamadali ang pagbasa ng seleksyon.
What to do instead
Gawing rutina ang pagbalik sa teksto: hanapin at salungguhitan ang eksaktong pangungusap na sumasagot, at itanong sa sarili kung 'Sabi ba ito ng teksto o sarili ko lang haka-haka?'
Misidentifying bahagi ng pananalita (pangngalan, pandiwa, pang-uri) and confusing pokus ng pandiwa in Filipino grammar items.
The grammar terms are often memorised as labels without practice in real sentences, and the focus system has no direct English equivalent.
What to do instead
Build a one-page reviewer with a sample sentence for each term and each pokus, then classify ten sentences daily by labelling the word and the verb focus aloud.
Solving word problems by grabbing the numbers and applying a random operation without identifying what is asked and what is given.
Anxiety about word problems leads to skipping the analysis step, and the candidate may not be fluent in the language the problem is written in.
What to do instead
Use a fixed four-step template on every problem: write 'Asked', 'Given', 'Operation', 'Answer with label', and solve at least five problems a day using the template until it becomes automatic.
Making place-value and decimal errors, such as misaligning digits when adding or subtracting decimals or misplacing the decimal point in multiplication and division.
The candidate lines up numbers by their right edge rather than by place value, and the decimal rules were memorised without understanding.
What to do instead
Rewrite every vertical computation on grid or ruled paper with one digit per column, and before multiplying or dividing decimals, estimate the answer first so the decimal point placement can be checked.
Answering science items from everyday belief instead of scientific fact, for example treating heat and temperature as the same thing or saying heavier objects always fall faster.
Everyday language and folk explanations are reinforced at home and in conversation, and the exam vocabulary is confused with colloquial usage.
What to do instead
Keep a two-column 'belief vs. science' log for each topic studied, and for each item ask 'What is the evidence or definition in my reviewer?' before choosing.
Confusing the roles of the three branches of government and the duties of national versus local officials in Araling Panlipunan items.
The terms are studied as a list of names rather than as a system, and similar-sounding offices are lumped together.
What to do instead
Draw a simple three-branch chart with one function and one example per branch, plus a separate list of national and local officials, and quiz yourself by covering the functions and reciting them.
Misreading a Philippine map or timeline, such as confusing latitude with longitude or putting events out of chronological order.
Map and timeline conventions are assumed rather than taught explicitly, and the candidate has had little practice reading these graphics.
What to do instead
Practise with a blank Philippine map: label latitude lines as horizontal and longitude as vertical, locate five places, then arrange ten historical events on a hand-drawn timeline with dates.
In Life Skills items, choosing the socially pleasing answer over the safe or responsible one, for example agreeing to keep a secret about a friend's threat or ignoring a hazard to avoid embarrassment.
The candidate prioritises pleasing others and avoiding conflict, and has not rehearsed decision-making in risky scenarios.
What to do instead
Use a decision checklist on every scenario item: Is it safe? Is it legal? Who should be told? Then practise with ten realistic situations (fire, bullying, peer pressure, health symptoms) and justify each choice in one sentence.