KSSR - AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

AIMS

The English Language Curriculum for Primary Schools aim to equip pupils with basic language skills to enable them to communicate effectively in a variety of contexts that is appropriate to the pupils’ level of development.

OBJECTIVES

By the end of  Year 6, pupils should be able to:

i.     Communicate with peers and adults confidently and appropriately in formal and informal situation;

ii.         read and comprehend a range of English texts for information and enjoyment;

iii.        write a range of texts using appropriate language, style and form through a variety of media;

iv.        appreciate and demonstrate understanding of English language literary or creative works for enjoyment; and

v.         use correct and appropriate rules of grammar  in speech and writing.

CURRICULUM CONTENT

The Listening and Speaking module aims to develop pupils’ ability to listen and respond to stimulus with guidance, participate in daily conversations, listen and demonstrate understanding of oral texts, and speak confidently on related topics with guidance. Pupils should be taught how to listen carefully and be encouraged to speak with the correct pronunciation, stress and intonation in various situational contexts. In addition, pupils are also encouraged to recognise, understand and use verbal and non-verbal communication.

Relationships are established through the ability to communicate. Pupils first learn to listen, then speak and share thoughts, ideas and feelings. They need to listen carefully and respond to what others say, and think about the needs of their listeners. Social conventions in listening and speaking such as turn taking, politeness and courtesy need to be observed. These are crucial especially in group discussions where viewpoints and opinions are exchanged. The use of various text types is recommended; ranging from teacher-simulated texts to media broadcasts and authentic dialogues. So, by the end of Year 6 of primary schooling, pupils will become confident speakers who can communicate effectively, appropriately and coherently in any given context.

Pupils are taught Reading strategies such as applying word attack skills to identify homographs and homophones, using contextual clues to get meaning of words and identify proverbs, phrasal verbs, idioms and similes. In addition, pupils are expected to apply dictionary skills to locate words to find their meanings and apply this knowledge to help them understand the meaning of words in context. Then, as pupils begin to read words, phrases and sentences from linear and non-linear texts, their reading skills should be supported by appropriate reading materials which will further develop their reading ability. This further enables them to increase the pace of their reading, and equally, enable them to comprehend a text more effectively and efficiently so that they become avid and independent readers.

In Level One, pupils were taught penmanship skills. From this, pupils developed their skills in the mechanics of Writing where they were first taught to write letters, then words before moving on to phrases and sentences in neat legible print. Along with this, they were also taught to use the correct punctuation when writing. In Level Two, pupils progress to cursive writing of words, phrases, and sentences in paragraphs. At this level, pupils are also expected to express their ideas clearly in writing with the teacher’s guidance and later progress to become independent writers.

The Contemporary Children’s Literature component is taught during the Language Arts lessons to expose pupils to different literary genres such as short stories, poems and graphic novels. Teachers are to exploit texts in these genres to create fun- filled and meaningful activities in language learning so that pupils enjoy the learning experience and gain exposure to the aesthetic use of language. The learning standards for Language Arts allow teachers to explore the texts through stories, poems, jazz chants and songs to activate pupils’ imagination, interest and creativity. This component provides opportunities for pupils in Level Two to explore a variety of literary works and engage them in preparing, performing and producing creative works.

The teaching and learning of Grammar starts from Year 3 and this continues on to Level 2. Teachers should employ various strategies in teaching grammar so that learning becomes effective, interesting, fun and relevant. Grammar should be taught in context as well as explicitly so that pupils learn the rules of grammar and how to apply these rules in speech and writing. Various activities such as language games, quizzes, grammar songs and meaningful grammar drills will make the learning of grammar more accessible and enjoyable. Through these, pupils will understand, grasp and apply grammatically correct structures in speech and writing.