1. Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore. Integrity, the Foundation. People, our Focus. Learning, our Passion. Excellence, our Pursuit Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore. A WARM WELCOME TO ALL OUR PARENTS

2. Teaching English in Bukit Panjang Primary School A Strong Foundation for Rich Language & Life

3. Overview Why change?  What we want for our children  Competencies for a world in flux What is changing for the better?  New ways to teach and learn  A revised syllabus & curriculum How will we move to a new level?  Aligning the teaching and assessment  Education for Life

4. WHY change? The Child & The World

5. What we want … All children should enjoy learning English, develop good language skills, be effective communicators and lifelong learners.

6. New skills for a changing world  Need to prepare our children for life and work in the 21st century  Develop students to be  Effective communicators  Confident, self-directed learners

7. Key Messages April 2012 STELLAR Centre 21 st Century Competencies Framework Core R3ICH values Respect Responsibility Resilience Integrity Care Harmony Character and Citizenship Education

8. 21 st Century Competencies The outer ring of the framework represents the 21 st Century Competencies necessary for the globalised world we live in. Civic literacy, global awareness and cross-cultural skills Contribute to society and nation Develop a broader worldview and ability to deal with diversity (culture, ideas and perspectives). Critical and inventive thinking Think critically, assess options and make sound decisions Explore and think out of the box Information and communication skills Know what questions to ask and extract what is relevant and useful. Be discerning and adopt ethical practices in cyberspace.

9. WHAT is changing for the better? New Ways to Teach & New Ways to Learn

10. Emphasis on Strengthening the foundation of language learning Enriching the EL curriculum in our schools EL Syllabus 2010

11. Strategies for English Language Learning and Reading Aims to move EL learners towards independence using authentic texts and learning activities that motivate and engage different learners STELLAR

12. The STELLAR Vision Children who  love reading and  have a strong foundation in the English Language

13. Language Skills  Listening & Viewing  Speaking & Representing  Reading & Viewing  Writing & Representing STELLAR lessons develop … STELLAR Lessons

14. Social Skills  oral interaction among peers in non-threatening situations  working in partnership with other children  turn-taking & respect for others during class discussions STELLAR lessons develop …

15. What is a lower primary STELLAR lesson like? 15 1.Shared Reading Experiences 2. Shared Writing Experiences 3. Language Use Activities in Learning Centres Children read a storybook with the teacher and engage in discussion 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 writing independently.

16. Making the Transition P1 - 3a  P3b, 4-6 Learning to Read  Reading to Learn Shared Reading  Silent Reading Big Books  Range of Text Types From Lower to Upper Primary

17. What is an upper primary STELLAR lesson like? 17 Reading To Learn Writing As Process Differentiated Instruction The teacher modifies her teaching to cater to the specific needs of children to build their language skills. The teacher models the writing processes for different text types. Children engage in writing together and writing independently. Teacher uses different strategies to help children read and understand different types of texts.

18. What is getting better? Children will have more opportunities to develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills using a wide variety of different types of texts.

19. Rich Texts

20. P4: Explanation

21. P5: Information Report

22. P6: Information Report

23. P6: Narrative

24. P6 EL: Argument

25. Teaching Strategies

26. Ways to Teach Reading for Understanding 26 Supported Reading Retelling K-W-L K= what I Know W = what I Want to know L= what I have Learnt

27.  a strategy where a passage is chunked into smaller parts to help children to read  opportunities to make predictions, read silently, discuss ideas and difficult words Adapted from Guided Reading (Fountas & Pinnell) 27 Reading for Understanding: Supported Reading

28. K= what I Know W= what I Want to know L= what I have Learnt Ogle, Donna M. (1986). The Reading Teacher Reading for Understanding : K-W-L A way to teach children how to read information texts. Children brainstorm, ask questions and read a text on their own to find out more about a topic.

29. Brown, H. & Cambourne, B. (1987). Read and Retell. Australia: Methuen Australia Reading for Understanding: Retelling A reading comprehension strategy using thinking skills. Children actively read to confirm their predictions and are given opportunity to share their ideas about a passage.  Read silently  Retell the story to a friend

30. Adapted from work by Robert Graves, and Flower and Hayes A step-by-step process where children learn to write as a class, in groups and then independently. Planning - Writing - Reviewing Teaching Writing: Writing Process Cycle Reading Passage ClassGroup Canoe Diary Diary entry about a class trip JournalDiary of my trip Example: Individual

31. Different Ways to Teach passages Amount of support given tasks Tomlinson, Carol A. (2001). How To Differentiate Instruction In Mixed-Ability Classrooms Differentiated Instruction : Ways to cater to the different learning needs of children.

32. What is getting better? Children will enjoy learning and learn better with the new EL curriculum that was implemented at P1 in 2010.

33. HOW will we move to a new level? Aligning Teaching and Assessment

34. HOW will we move to a new level? Assessment is part of learning and teaching. Children will be assessed on what they have been taught.

35.  Assessment is part of the learning process, and must be closely aligned with learning objectives, content and teaching.  Both school-based assessment and national examinations play important and different roles in our education system.  A balanced assessment system should have both Assessment ‘for’ Learning as well as Assessment ‘of’ Learning. Our Assessment Philosophy

36. Aligning Teaching and Assessment  Giving children greater scope for their own interpretation and personal response in speaking and writing  Greater attention paid to viewing skills with listening and reading

37. Assessment Assessmentfor Primary 4 from 2013

38. P4 Assessment  EL Guided Writing  EL Visual Text Comprehension  EL Listening Comprehension  EL Oral Communication These are examples of changes in assessment to give students greater scope for interpretation and personal response.

39. P4 Guided Writing: Picture Series Format similar to the 4- picture composition but with the last frame left blank Scope for different ways to end the story Questions and helping words provided Write a story of at least 120 words based on the pictures below. Give the story your own ending. You may use the words and phrases in the box. You are encouraged to include other relevant points to make your composition interesting. Consider the following points when you plan your composition: -When and where did the incident take place? -What happened before the incident? -Who was the victim? -Why did the culprit decide to carry out the act? -How was it done? -What happened in the end? Helping words:  mobile phone  attractive  recess time  tempted  reported the matter  ordered a search  culprit ?

40. P4 Guided Writing: Scope for different ways to sequence ideas and develop a storyline Questions and helping words provided Option for students to base their writing on one, two or all three pictures.

41. P4 Visual Text Comprehension: Text whichincludesvisuals Viewing skillsused whenreading Multiple-choicequestions

42. P4 Listening Comprehension: Show understanding by using listening and viewing skills ( )

43. P4 Oral Communication: Use of a visual to focus on a familiar topic To be engaged in a conversation

44. Assessment Assessmentfor Primary 5 from 2014 Primary 6 from 2015

45.  Giving children greater scope for their own interpretation and personal response in speaking and writing  Greater attention paid to viewing skills with listening and reading Aligning Teaching and Assessment

46. P6 Assessment P6 Assessment Revised Items  EL Continuous Writing  EL Visual Text Comprehension  EL Listening Comprehension  EL Oral Communication Viewing of PSLE specimen items via visualiser

47. P6 Assessment P6 Assessment Revised Items  FEL Continuous Writing  FEL Comprehension  FEL Listening Comprehension  FEL Oral Communication Viewing of PSLE specimen items via visualiser

48. Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore. STANDARD ENGLISH LANGUAGE ~ EXAMINATION FORMAT PAPERCOMPONENTMARKSWEIGHTINGDURATION 1 Situational Writing ------------------------ Continuous Writing 5527.5%1 hr 10 min 2 Language Use and Comprehension 9547.5%1 hr 50 min 3Listening Comprehension2010%About 35 min 4Oral Communication3015% About 11 min (5 min preparation time; about 6 min examination time) Total200100%

49. Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore. FOUNDATION ENGLISH LANGUAGE ~ EXAMINATION FORMAT PAPERCOMPONENTMARKSWEIGHTINGDURATION 1 Situational Writing ------------------------ Continuous Writing 4026.7%1 hr 10 min 2 Language Use and Comprehension 6040%1 hr 20 min 3 Listening Comprehension 2013.3%About 35 min 4Oral Communication3020% About 10 min (5 min preparation time; about 5 min examination time) Total200100%

50. Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore. Consists of 2 parts: Situational Writing Continuous Writing Tomlinson, Carol A. (2001). How To Differentiate Instruction In Mixed-Ability Classrooms P5 EL/FEL Writing ~ Paper 1

51. Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore. P5EL Writing ~ Paper 1  Part 1 (Situational Writing): Candidates will be required to meet the demands of a given situational context.  Part 2 (Continuous Writing): Candidates will be required to write a composition of at least 150 words on one of two given topics: a piece of narrative writing based on a pictorial stimulus or an account of a given situation.

52. Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore. P5EL Paper 1: Continuous Writing (40m)  One topic, but with greater scope for writing from different perspectives  Visuals to provide ideas for various perspectives  Flexibility for candidates to write in any appropriate text type, in continuous prose  Assessment is on writing skills, not on text type

53. Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore. P5FEL Writing ~ Paper 1  Part 1 (Situational Writing): Candidates will be required to write a short functional piece (e.g. a letter or an email) to suit the purpose, audience and context of a given situation.  Part 2 (Continuous Writing): Candidates will be required to write a composition of at least 120 words in continuous prose based on a series of pictures.

54. Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore. P5FEL Paper 1: Continuous Writing (30m)  Slight modification to the item – 4 frames instead of 3  1 st frame  picture and helping words  2 nd frame  picture and helping words  3 rd frame  picture and helping words  4 th frame  a question mark

55. Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore. P5EL / FEL Language Use and Comprehension ~ Paper 2  Candidates will be assessed on their ability to use language correctly and to comprehend graphic and textual information.  Visual Text Comprehension – new component of Paper 2  A merging of Graphic Stimulus and Comprehension MCQ  Comprehension O-E  Varied question types with mark allocation ranging from 1 to 4 per question

56. Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore. P5EL Listening Comprehension ~ Paper 3  Not a common paper with Foundation English Paper  This paper comprises 20 multiple-choice questions which test candidates’ ability to understand spoken English. The texts may be in the form of news items, announcements, advertisements, instructions, conversations, telephone conversations, speeches and stories. Graphic representations will be used for the first seven items. Each text will be read twice.  Time will be given for pupils to read the questions before each text is heard; options will not be read out.

57. Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore. P5FEL Listening Comprehension ~ Paper 3  Not a common paper with Standard English Paper  This paper comprises 20 multiple-choice questions which test candidates’ ability to understand spoken English. Graphic Representations will be used for the first six items. The texts may be in the form of announcements, advertisements, instructions, explanations, conversations, speeches and stories.  Time will be given for pupils to read the questions before each text is heard; options will not be read out.

58. Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore. P5EL / FEL Oral Communication ~ Paper 4  Candidates are assessed on their ability to pronounce and articulate words clearly, as well as their ability to read fluently with appropriate expression and rhythm.  For Stimulus-based Conversation, candidates are assessed on their ability to give a personal response to a visual stimulus and engage in a conversation on a relevant topic.

59. Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore. P5EL / FEL Reading Aloud & Stimulus-based Conversation ~ Paper 4  No change  Stimulus-based Conversation  A merging of Picture Discussion and Conversation  The themes in the topics under this section will be broadly linked to those in the reading passage

60. Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore. EL ASSESSMENT CRITERIA - information for parents EL FEL

61. Timeframe  Teachers will have adequate time to prepare children.  First year of revised P6 examination: 2015

62. In Summary:  Your child will benefit from changes to the way English is taught.  Assessment changes are aligned with teaching.  Teachers will have ample time to prepare your child for these changes.

63. Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.  STELLAR strategies – daily lessons in EL curriculum  Teacher-prepared exercises to supplement resources  ICT-infused lessons  Revision practices  EL activities in and around school  ‘Ask n Learn’ portal ––  http://www.bukitpanjangpri.moe.edu.sg/ http://www.bukitpanjangpri.moe.edu.sg/  http://lms.asknlearn.com/BPPS/web/startpage/I ndex.aspx http://lms.asknlearn.com/BPPS/web/startpage/I ndex.aspx  http://www.stellarliteracy.sg/ How are we preparing our pupils?

64. Enriched Education For Life

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