Primary 2 (Term 1, 2nd Post): Caterpillars In the Classroom

"Let's read the big book together!"

"See how brave we are!"

 "Look! It's moving!" 

Primary 2 (Term 1, 1st Post): Caterpillars in the classroom!

To excite and engage pupils in the reading of this non-fiction text, A butterfly is born, we have ordered 18 sets of caterpillar kits from Oh Farm! They will be placed in the classroom and pupils will be tasked with the job of feeding the caterpillars with leaves from the potted plants.

  

This activity will also serve as our Language Experience Activity which leads up to the class Shared Writing Activity. We are certain that this common experience will help pupils to participate more readily in the class discussion and write the recount (how the pupils took care of the caterpillars and what happened to them eventually) with better understanding.  

We will upload more photographs of this activity in the weeks to come!

Primary 1 (Term 1) : Hairy Bear Dramatisation

Primary 1 pupils at Greendale Primary had their first taste of dramatisation after reading the big book "Hairy Bear" by Joy Cowley!

Our pupils dramatised the story using finger puppets, based on the following scenes:

SCENE ONE:

Mummy Bear wakes Daddy Bear up and tells him she heard a noise. She thinks there are robbers in the house. Daddy Bear is afraid and wants Mummy Bear to follow him downstairs too, but Mummy Bear doesn’t want to.

DIALOGUE :

Mummy Bear : Daddy Bear, wake up!

Daddy Bear : Why? What’s the matter?

Mummy Bear : I heard a sound. In the kitchen.

Daddy Bear : What kind of sound?

Mummy Bear : Something opening. I think it’s robbers.

Daddy Bear : Robbers?!

SCENE TWO:

Two sibling bears complain about being hungry. Older Bear decides to raid the fridge. Younger Bear wants to come too. Older Bear says no, but Younger Bear refuses to keep quiet, so Older Bear has to agree. Younger Bear is very excited sand keeps forgetting to speak softly.

DIALOGUE :

Older Bear : I’m hungry. I’m going to the kitchen.

Younger Bear : Me too! I want to go too!

Older Bear : Sssh! Only if you promise to keep your voice down.

Younger Bear : (Softly). OK. I promise.

Older Bear : Ok, then follow me.

Younger Bear : (Very excitedly). Hooray! We’re going to have a midnight feast!

Older Bear : Ssssssssssshhh!

Younger Bear : (Whispering.) Sorry!

After the dramatisation, the pupils wrote down their favourite part of the dialogues onto a bear writing template. The writing pieces were then displayed in class for all the pupils to read.

Stage 3: Learning Centres

Pupils will also be given opportunities to work both interdependently as well independently at learning centres . Typically, three learning centres are set up in each classroom. At the reading centre, pupils are invited to immerse themselves in a world of book. At the word study centre, pupils get to practise their word recognition skills through games and activities. There is also a listening post for pupils to listen to good models of pronunciation.

Stage 2: Shared Writing Experiences

As for writing, pupils are purposefully scaffolded through a series of structured tasks before they attempt to write independently. Pupils will also go through a "language experience" activity which provides the teacher and the pupils a common topic to talk and write about. Such "language experience" activity can include making sandwiches in class or having a slumber party in class!

Pupils will then work collaboratively as a class to do a piece of class writing (based on the "language experience" activity) with the teacher as the scribe. When the teacher manages to elicit the targeted structures from the pupils, the latter will then be assigned a similar topic for the pupils to work on in small groups. Pupils will present their group writing to their classmates upon completion. Last but not least, pupils attempt to do their own individual writing based on the same topic though with a different slant to it.

Stage 1: Shared Reading Experiences

In the lower primary STELLAR classrooms, there are no textbooks.

In its place is high interest ‘Big Books’ which allow the teacher to read together with the pupils. Each ‘Big Book’ forms a unit of study which can span over a week or more. The first reading of the ‘Big Book’ is for enjoyment and appreciation. It is also during this phase when the pupils are asked to make predictions about the plot, sequence and order the events that unfold as well as rationalise the actions of characters. The skills for reading comprehension are taught insidiously and through the oratorical format. Subsequently, each rereading of the ‘Big Book’ is accompanied by follow-up activities that focus on different key teaching points, be it language structure, vocabulary or phonics. Language features are thus taught in a contextualised manner rather than as discrete items.

STELLAR in a nutshell...

STELLAR stands for Strategies for English Language Learning and Reading. This approach encompasses the use of three key pedagogies in the lower primary classrooms. They are namely Shared Book Approach (SBA), Modified Language Experience Approach (MLEA) as well as Learning Centres (LC).

Welcome to our blog!

This blog is set up in response to parents' queries about STELLAR lessons at Greendale Primary School!

Feel free to journey with us as we celebrate our learning.