Active Phonics at SJKT Bentong

Thevagi is a lucky lady!  Her Year One class has a lot of enthusiasm for English and they are all very excited to take part in classroom activities...very excited.  

Thevagi's classes are always interesting as she uses many engaging methods and techniques to teach phonics to her pupils.  She is willing to move away from the textbook and adapt available materials so that lesson content is suited to the specific needs of her class.  Pupils respond well to her active teaching style, her colourful materials and the use of 'Total Physical Response'.  Coordinating language and physical movement is perfect for a class so eager and lively.

Before talking about the lesson I would like to take a moment to congratulate Thevagi on her artistic skills and her willingness to put them to use to produce engaging teaching resources.

These flashcards can be used in so many different activities and games and once they are made they can be stored and used again next year.

This lesson was all about the letter 's'.  Pupils were to become familiar with chosen 's' words and their meanings.  The sounds and words were pre-taught using actions to indicate meanings.

Pupils were taken outside to the playground where they were instructed on how to carry out the activity.  

The teacher had two boxes; one filled with picture flashcards, the other with corresponding word cards.  The boxes were placed on opposite sides of the playground.  Hoops were placed on the playground floor in a large semi circle between the boxes.

The pupils were divided in to two groups and were instructed to line up opposite each other. One group was to choose flashcards from the picture box, the other were to choose flashcards from the word box.

On the teacher's command the groups raced to their respective boxes and picked a flashcard.  Pupils then returned to their lines to hold up their flashcards for the rest of the class to see. 

As pupils regrouped with their individual flashcards the information was reviewed; the teacher asked individual pupils about their picture or word.

The teacher then counts to three and the pupils race to find a friend with a matching picture card or word card.  This caused much excitement and discussion amongst the Year One pupils as they rushed to find a partner and make a correct match.

Once pupils found their partners they had to find an unoccupied hoop and stand in it.

If the picture did not match the word they had to leave their hoop and start the search for a partner all over again.

This was a great activity and really worked towards reinforcing the chosen vocabulary/ meanings.   Although time had to be spent giving instructions the Year One pupils now know how to play the game and will be ready for next time!

The basic materials used (flashcards, hoops) and the space available in the playground offer countless opportunities for making learning fun and interactive.

Learning Outside of the Classroom

It's language arts with Year One in SK Sulaiman and with ninety minutes to fill and a class full of eager pupils Komathi Ananthan has her hands full! The topic is 'Sounds Around Us' and Komathi has come up with a relevant language arts project that will enable her pupils to hear those sounds more effectively!  Well, kind of.

With large classes of pupils language arts projects can be tricky.  Available resources, time restrictions and relevance to what is being taught are factors that all have to be considered...and sometimes the simplest ideas can be the most effective.

In this case Komathi had drawn large sets of ears of different designs on A4 paper.  These were to be decorated by the pupils and stuck to manila card head bands.  The instructions were simple and pupils completed the task in around the same time.  So what to do with a class full of restless Year One pupils wearing giant ears?  What can be done that is relevant to the topic 'Sounds Around Us'?


Time to put those ears on, get out of the classroom and listen to the sounds that surround us!

This is a great idea and an effective way of dealing with a ninety minute lesson. A change of environment refocused and refreshed the pupils and their curiosity was sparked as the command to line up was given.

Taking language learning beyond the classroom is a great way to demonstrate to pupils that what they are learning is relevant to the world around them.  For larger classes where space is a problem there are many more activities that can be done outside. Changing location also breaks up the usual classroom routine making a lesson different, more memorable and interesting.  

Pupils were asked to close their eyes and listen carefully to the sounds around them.  They could pick up on the sounds of the birds and the insects in the surrounding garden areas.  They could hear their friends and teachers in the school buildings.   They talked of the car horns and of other sounds coming from the town beyond the school gates.  

This simple activity demonstrated aspects of the topic in focus wonderfully and effectively.  Moving away from the pages of the book and the constraints of the classroom brought subject matter to life...it made it relevant and real.

Teachers should not be afraid to take their pupils outside of the classroom  As long as activities are relevant, planned and interesting moving outside can be of real benefit for all those involved. Whether it be a treasure hunt, language games on the field or a different setting to tell a story- give it a try!