English Language
Vision
Every Xinminite, an active reader, a confident speaker and a competent writer with a love for the English Language.
Mission
We strive to build a strong foundation in English for every Xinminite and provide a rich language environment for developing the language.
STELLAR Curriculum:
The school adopts STELLAR (STrategies for English Language Learning and Reading) programme in the teaching and learning of English Language. It targets to strengthen Xinminites’ reading skills and language as well as promoting a positive attitude towards learning. Learning tasks and activities are designed for Xinminites to learn language skills in authentic and meaningful contexts.
Teaching strategies include:
• Shared Book Approach (SBA)
The Shared Book Approach involves teachers reading captivating texts aloud to Xinminites, modelling effective reading strategies and prompting discussions about the text’s themes, characters and plot. Through interactive sessions, Xinminites learn to engage in meaningful discussions, widen their vocabulary and work on comprehension activities. Repeated readings and assessments for learning help reinforce language skills. This approach promotes collaborative learning, critical thinking and a love for literature.
• Home Reading Programme
Every fortnight, Primary 1 and 2 Xinminites will take home a storybook to read and discuss with their parents. We hope to foster partnership with parents and encourage all parents to spend time reading together with their child to inculcate the reading habit.
• Little Red Dot Newspaper Subscription
All students from Primary 3 to Primary 6 subscribe to the Little Red Dot Newspaper. The exposure to current affairs helps create awareness of local and global issues. It also widen their knowledge and broaden their perspectives to be receptive and open-minded to the thoughts and opinions of others. Xinminites then translate what they read in the LRD newspapers into personal written reflection and oral presentations in class.
• myON
An online digital library, myON provides a personalised reading experience. Xinminites can select books to read anytime and anywhere based on their reading level and interests. The myON platform also allows teachers and parents to monitor their reading progress and understanding.
To develop confident speakers, the Six Traits of Speaking is taught during Speak Up! lessons from Primary 1 to Primary 6. Adapted from a book by Eric Palmer, students learn how to speak confidently in front of an audience using the six traits.
• Eric Palmer’s Six Traits of Speaking
- Posture
- Voice
- Life
- Eye contact
- Gestures
- Speed
Having acquired the traits, students will then put them into practice in the following activities either individually or in groups as innovative collaborators:
Primary 1: Show and Tell, Moo O Digital Puppetry Primary 2: Read and Tell, Moo O Digital Puppetry Primary 3: Readers’ Theatre Primary 4: Storytelling Primary 5/6: Oral Presentations
To develop competent writers, a progressive and differentiated approach to writing is conducted in line with English Language STELLAR programme for primary schools.
• Modified Language Experience Approach (MLEA)
In the lower primary English lessons, Xinminites learn how to write independently by integrating the knowledge gained through reading the STELLAR big book and related learning experiences. They are taken through a guided writing process - class, group and individual writing. The group writing activities provide the Xinminites with an opportunity to work on becoming innovative collaborators before embarking on individual writing where they are empowered to express their own creativity.
• Mentor Texts
As Xinminites progress to upper primary, they are exposed to mentor texts in addition to the STELLAR texts to help them hone their writing skills. Through mentor texts, Xinminites examine how vocabulary is used in context, learn different types sentence patterns and discover various writing techniques.