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Primary 1 English Briefing

• STELLAR Curriculum

• How parents can support STELLAR

• P1 English Holistic Assessment Plan

STELLAR: Strategies for

English Language Learning

and Reading

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A Parent’s Guide to

A new English Language Curriculum for Primary Schools

in Singapore

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The STELLAR Vision

Children who

• love reading

• have a strong foundation in the English Language

STELLAR (3 Approaches)

Shared Book Approach (SBA)

• SBA1

• Reading of Big Books in a non-threatening environment

• A variety of genres – fiction and non fiction

• SBA2

• Explicit teaching of grammar and vocabulary items using the context of the big books

STELLAR (3 Approaches)

Modified Learning Experience Approach (MLEA)

• MLEA1

• Experience it!

• Comes up with a story as a class led by teacher

• MLEA2

• In small groups, write a parallel story

• MLEA3 • Write about your own story using ideas and

vocabulary from previous lessons

Writing Lessons-MLEA

Learning Centres (LC)

I take charge of my own learning!

• Reading Centre

• Listening Centre

• Word Study Centre

Independent learning at the pupil’s own pace

STELLAR (3 Approaches)

Learning Centres

What is a STELLAR lesson like?

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1.Shared Reading Experiences

2. Shared Writing

Experiences

3. Language Use Activities in Learning Centres

Children read storybook with

the teacher and engage in

oral discussions with teacher

and peers

The teacher prepares mini lessons based on specific needs of children to prepare them for reading & writing activities; e.g. grammar, vocabulary, word recognition, decoding skills, spelling

The teacher models writing using children’s language. Children engage in writing together and in writing independently

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Each STELLAR Unit includes…

Development of the four

language skills

☺ listening & viewing

☺ reading & viewing

☺ speaking & representing

☺ writing & representing

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Each STELLAR Unit includes…Development of social skills:

☺ oral interaction among peers in non-threatening situations

☺ working in partnership withother children

☺ turn taking & respect for others during class discussions

Video

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Why Books?Books:

☼ open up the world for children

☼ help children think and wonder

☼ increase children’s vocabulary and knowledge about the world around them

☼ provide good examples for reading and writing

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How Parents can support STELLAR

Talk and listen to your child • Talk about daily activities in EL as much as

possible. • Ask what, why and how questions• Show them a picture and ask them to describe

what they see and how they feel about it.

Write with your child everyday • Include your child in actual writing tasks

(shopping lists, notes). • Display your child’s drawing and writing at

home. • Encourage them to keep a journal.

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How Parents can support STELLAR

Play language games • Who am I? Describe a character from a

recent story and ask who it is.• I spy with my little eye something that

begins with the same sound as boat. What do I see? (bed, box, banana)

Read with your child everyday • Providing EL reading materials at home• Reading aloud with them• Encouraging them to talk about the

characters, plot• Getting them to read aloud familiar

books to you

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Books that interest children have…

• Clear print and colourful, attractive illustrations or photographs

• A strong storyline

• Interesting characters

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Books that interest children …

• are about everyday life

• are repetitive and have rhyming words to help children remember words

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Some recommended books

Holistic Assessment Plan

Term 1Formative Assessment 1

Term 2Formative Assessment 2

Term 3Formative Assessment 3

Term 4Formative Assessment 4

Listening and Viewing

• Listening to instructions

Speaking and Representing

• Introducing self

Language Use

Grammar MCQ (10 marks)Vocabulary MCQ (10 marks)

Total: 20 marks (no weightage)

Listening and Viewing

• Phonics-Picture Matching, with consonant blends and beginning sounds Level 1 (CPS)

Speaking and Representing

• Show and Tell

Language Use

Grammar MCQ (10 marks)Vocabulary MCQ (10 marks)Word Order (5 marks)

Total: 25 marks

Listening and Viewing

Phonics-Picture Matching with consonant blends and recognition of sounds Level 2 (CPS)

Speaking and Representing

• Picture Discussion

Language Use and Comprehension

Story Sequence (5 marks)Grammar MCQ and FIB (15 marks)Vocabulary MCQ and FIB(15 marks)Comprehension (MCQ and OE) (10 marks)

Total: 45 marks

English SA2 Paper

Story Sequence- 5 marks

Paper 2- 60 marks

Total: 65 marks

Focus: Listening and Viewing, Speaking and Representing

Listening to instructions

Introducing Self/ Show and Tell

• In line with the English Language Syllabus 2010 ‘Speak with accurate pronunciation and appropriate intonation’ and ‘plan and present information and ideas for a variety of purposes’

• Build up child’s confidence

• Support by practising with a ‘smaller’ audience in class or at home

• Be familiar with rubrics and expectations

Phonics-CPS

Which picture has the same beginning sound as “star”?(A) brain (B) stair (C) crane (D) snail

(A) (B)

(C) (D)

Phonics-CPS

Picture Discussion

Story Sequence

He took out his garden hose and squirted the water onto the

candles.

Everyone was angry with the gardener for turning the cake into

soup!

1It was the king’s birthday. There were forty-six candles on his

cake.

The king blew the candles but the candles would not go out.

Finally, the candles on the cake went out.

The gardener came over to help the king.

Sequencing of story- An example

SEQUENCING (5 x 1 mark)Read the sentences carefully.Arrange the sentences in order to form a story. Write the correct number of each sentence in the boxes provided. The first sentence is already numbered for you.

Language Use• Read a variety of books to build up

vocabulary

• Be familiar with grammar items-Pronouns, Articles, Nouns, Adjectives, Prepositions etc…

• Comprehension – literal, inferential, application questions

Programmes for Primary 1

• Speech and Drama

• Learning Journey to the Zoo

Speech and Drama

• Starts in Term 3 – Term 4

• 8 hour module

• Once a week , 1 hour each, during curriculum time

• Module 2 will be conducted in Primary 2

• Payment from Edusave

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Objectives:• to teach pupils to speak clearly and confidently.

• to practise English Language.

• to make language learning fun and meaningful.

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Experienced Instructors

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PRIMARY 1-SEED

LEARNING JOURNEY TO THE ZOO STELLAR –Walking through the Jungle

THANK YOU!