Partnering with Parents in the Learning of English Language How to support and enrich your child’s learning and cultivate the love for the language 26 April 2013

A Strong Foundation for Rich Language & Life Teaching English in RVPS ! A Strong Foundation for Rich Language & Life

Overview Why change? What we want for our children What is changing for the better? New ways to teach and learn

WHY change? The Child & The World

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

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

EL Syllabus 2010 Rich Language For All Emphasis on Strengthening the foundation of language learning Enriching the EL curriculum in our schools

Strategies for English Language Learning and Reading STELLAR 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 lessons Language Skills STELLAR lessons develop … Listening & Viewing Speaking & Representing Reading & Viewing Writing & Representing

What is a LOWER primary STELLAR lesson like? 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.

What we are doing in RVPS Opportunities for cooperative learning Emphasis on independence in listening, reading and viewing as well as speaking, presenting and writing

What we are doing in RVPS Shared Book Approach (SBA) SBA an integrated and balanced language teaching approach Uses motivating and enjoyable “big books” of enlarged print and illustrations

What we are doing in RVPS The goals of the SBA : Provide an enjoyable experience with books for all of the children. Encourage pupils to try out the language in non-threatening situations. Teach and reinforce word identification skills, vocabulary and language structures as specified in the MOE English syllabus.

What we are doing in RVPS The goals of the SBA : Provide additional experiences with the text for those pupils who do not learn as quickly as the others. Provide opportunities for those children who are ready to read the stories independently in pairs, individually, or in small groups.

What we are doing in RVPS Modified Language Experience Approach (MLEA) An integrated and balanced language teaching approach Uses motivating and enjoyable experiences Extend and expand on the language skills learned from the Big Books of SBA.

What we are doing in RVPS The goals of the MLEA : to provide enjoyable and motivating shared experiences that can be thought about talked about written about read and reread

What we are doing in RVPS The goals of the MLEA : Shared experiences to generate oral communication Reinforce word identification skills, vocabulary and language structures taught in the SBA lessons Encourage pupils in their acquisition of writing skills Scaffolding through Class and Group writing

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

What is a UPPER primary STELLAR lesson like?

What we are doing in RVPS Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) Supported Reading (SR) Know - Want to know - Learnt (KWL) Retelling (RT) Language Activities and Sentence Manipulation Speaking Writing Process Cycle (WPC) Differentiated Instruction (DI)

How parents can support and enrich your child’s learning Read with your child Listen to what your child says   Respond to your child’s questions and ideas Write with your child

Reading - activities Let your child see you reading both for pleasure and for information Set aside a quiet place in your home for you and your child to read without distractions   Read aloud your child's (and your own) favourite stories Keep these reading sessions fun and do not "test" your child with too many questions

Reading - activities Encourage your child to retell familiar stories in his/her own words Read aloud new stories and encourage your child to talk about the characters or what they think might happen next When the book becomes familiar, encourage your child to read it aloud to you Visit the library frequently

Listening and Speaking - activities Listen to your child Your response to your child’s questions and ideas will get him thinking Before reading a new book, talk about the covers and the title page and ask what it might be about. Boost your child’s confidence in expressing himself

Writing - activities Model writing to your child Short notes, reflections, personal responses Encourage self-expression

"Language acquisition does not require extensive use of conscious grammatical rules, and does not require tedious drill." - Stephen Krashen

As parents …… Create a home environment that constantly offers opportunities for learning Play games that bring out the beauty and fun aspects of the language Reading together of newspapers, Little Red Dot (LRD), discuss interesting articles with your child to keep abreast of current affairs, reflect and write short personal responses

Online Learning Resources 1) http://parents-in-education.moe.gov.sg// 2) STrategies for English Language Learning and Reading (STELLAR) Resources for Parents http://www.stellarliteracy.sg/cos/o.x?c=/wbn/pagetree&func=view&rid=1145438 Iphone app to improve your English 3) http://www.goodenglish.org.sg/improve/features/iphone-app-to-improve-your-english 4) Recommended list of books and audio/visual materials for your child (NLB) http://www.goodenglish.org.sg/category/workshop-resources/books

Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the learning experience together with your child…… Thank you !