English

VISION

Students who are empathetic communicators, discerning readers and creative inquirers

MISSION

Instill a love of English Language in students by providing rich and authentic learning experiences

Programmes

The English Language department aims to achieve its goals through planned school – wide programmes.

STELLAR 2.0

The main pedagogical approach used in the teaching of English Language is STELLAR (Strategies for English Language Learning and Reading). The STELLAR programme aims to strengthen language and reading skills as well as promote a positive attitude towards learning. 

The Modified Language Experience (MLEA) is one of the three approaches adopted in teaching English at the lower primary levels. MLEA comprises a shared experience that is linked to a Big Book that the students have read. Some of these shared experiences include students watching a prata-making demonstration and making pratas as well as taking care of caterpillars and watching them transform into butterflies. These fun and enjoyable shared experiences provide both the context and content for students to practise the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. With instructional scaffolding from the teacher, students think, talk, read and write about their experiences as they are guided through to make the connections between oral and written language.

Reading Programmes

-Termly Library Activities
Students participate in activities that are based on themes. The activities encourage them to make use of books from the library and the completed pieces are featured in the library.

-What’s Up Newspapers (P5 & P6)
What’s Up is a monthly newspaper publication that explains current affairs in a way that children find comprehensible and compelling. Teachers conduct extension activities based on selected newspaper articles.  The newspaper is also used for supplementary reading.

Public Speaking Programme (P4)

Building Confidence: Increases self-confidence for various life aspects.

1. Enhancing Communication: Improves clear articulation and effective communication.

2. Improving Critical Thinking: Enhances organization and analytical skills.

3. Encouraging Creativity: Fosters creative expression and storytelling.

4. Overcoming Fear: Helps conquer the fear of speaking in public.

5. Building Empathy and Listening: Develops empathy and understanding of others' perspectives.

SingLit Programme (P4)

To introduce our Primary 4 students to Singapore Literature, the school conducts  a Singapore Literature Programme. As part of the programme, each student will read  ‘Sherlock Sam and the Digital Detectives on Instanoodlegram’ from the Sherlock Sam series of children’s books. Besides encouraging our students to read local literature, the programme also provides an opportunity for our students to develop creative thinking skills through a variety of reader-response activities.

Vlogging (P5)

Vlogging allows students to  improve their verbal and non-verbal communication abilities, express creativity through scripting and storyboarding. Additionally, vlogging fosters critical thinking and planning skills as students organize content, research, and analyze their audience to create engaging videos.

Moreover, vlogging encourages collaboration and teamwork, as students work together on projects, share roles, and provide constructive feedback. It helps them develop storytelling skills, problem-solving abilities, and adaptability.

Reading Circles [P5]

Reading Circles (RC) is a provision for advanced readers who are ready to read more widely, deeply and critically.

The instructional approach of Reader Response aims to engage advanced readers in extending their understanding of the world by exposing them to a variety of age-appropriate, rich texts. Through collective inquiry and fostering an active, inquiring stance towards reading, this approach encourages readers to make authentic connections between the texts and their own experiences. It also helps develop their imagination, perspective-taking, and empathy.

Characters Come Alive!

To celebrate World Book Day, teachers and students dressed as their favourite storybook characters. Students also had fun completing activities based on their selected books during English lessons.