A briefing by the English Department

2014 P1 EL Curriculum Briefing for Parents

The HGS EL Journey

Every Haig Girl a confident, creative and effective communicator.

Our Vision:

21st Century Competencies

What do we do in Haig Girls to make this vision a reality?

Primary 1:

Programmes and Activities to build

• a love for the language

• a strong foundation for the development of core language skills

Primary 2 to 6:

• Well-designed curriculum and programmes to enable progressive mastery of the core skills

• Platforms for our pupils to present their views critically and express themselves creatively through the language arts

Developing Oral Competence

P1-2: Show and Tell, Retelling of a story, Stimulus-based Conversation

P3-4: Oral presentation on a given topic, Stimulus-based Conversation

P5-6: Oral Presentation on a personal stand made (Pupils argue for and against a simple case and respond to rebuttals) , Stimulus-based Conversation

An Overview:

Primary 1 and 2 Show and Tell: Example

Prompts: Tell us:

(a) What you have brought to class to show us

Describe the item

(b) Why you like it so much

Tell us two reasons

(c) How you would take care of it

If you need/plan to share it with someone else, how would you help the person to take care of it?

My Favourite Thing

Primary 1 / 2 Stimulus-Based Conversation: Example 1

Stimulus-based conversation

Prompts for Stimulus-Based Conversation

(a) This is the cover of a story book. What do you think the story is about?

What do you think would happen at the end of the story?

(b) How did you celebrate your birthday this year?

How would you want to make it better next year?

(c) If it is your best friend’s birthday next week, what would you plan to do?

Would she like what you have planned? Why?

Developing Listening Skills

• Listen for Details

• Follow Instructions

• Listen and make meaning (Inferential Questions)

• Recognise beginning and ending sounds, rhyming words

- Through the use of the Listening Comprehension Booklets and class activities

Developing Writing Competence:

Term 1: Journal Writing

Developing Writing Competence:

Term 1: 1. Journal Writing (E.g. My First Day of School, My School, My Friends,

My Family etc. 2. Story Sequencing (5 Exercises) 3. Story Matching (3 Exercises) Term 2 to Term 4 Writing based on 4 pictures with helping words and guiding questions. Term 2 – (A Story-Telling Competition, A Lesson To Be Learned) Term 3 – (A Lost Pet, A Visit to the dental clinic, A Burglary) Term 4 – (An Accident)

Developing Writing Competence:

P1 to P2: A Gradual Progression in Learning - Continuous familiarization with the structure of

narratives - Introducing elements of interest - Self and peer assessment to reflect on one’s

thinking and progress - Critique others’ viewpoints

Developing Reading and Comprehension:

Comprehension Packages designed at every level to ensure progressive development over the years: P1-2: Inferential Skills, Answering “Wh” questions – What, When, Who, Why, Where etc. P3-6: Strategies (e.g. Socratic questioning, Use of drawings , Dramatisation etc.) -- to enable the pupils to ask critical questions and appreciate the depth of the writing -- to see beyond the obvious, to read between the lines

Learning Grammar and Vocabulary:

• 17 STELLAR Units

- Through the reading of 17 Big Books

(Parent’s Guide on EL to be given to parents in Term 1 Week 2-3)

• “About Grammar”(A recommended Assessment Book)

- As a guide for parents and children in their learning of grammar

In Conclusion,

Thank you for joining us in this special journey together to develop your daughter/ward to become:

A confident, creative and effective communicator.

Thank You

The English Department:

Mr Bryan Ong (HOD English) ong_sze_chong_a@moe.edu.sg

Mrs Esther Tan (Level Head English) esther_e_tzy_kwei@moe.edu.sg

Miss Sharene Foo (Head of Level, P1) foo_phang_khim@moe.edu.sg

Tel: 63440293