Congratulations to Juniza!

Juniza Binti Juhid from SK Tuanku Fatimah prepared a fun, interactive and informative lesson for Year Three.  The topic was 'In School' and the pupils really enjoyed the materials and activities that Juniza had prepared.  It was great to see a teacher preparing their own flashcards and worksheets and tailor making a lesson plan to suit her class of very able, active pupils!

"I like to prepare materials for the lessons to see how the children react.  By preparing materials I can see how they learn.  Pupils who are not normally interested enjoy the lessons." (Juniza Binti Juhid)

Juniza typed up her lesson plan so that it can be easily stored and shared with other English teachers in the school.  The accompanying materials were of a high quality and laminated so they could also be added to a library of shared resources that can be used time and time again by the English teachers in SK Tuanku Fatimah.

The class started with pupils fitting together the pieces of a jigsaw, the complete picture (a school) would hold the answer as to what would be the topic of the day's lesson.  The pupils were evidently excited about this idea and the whole class reacted positively to the activity.

Juniza went on to use a matching flashcards activity to practise using full sentences about the different places in a school and the activities that take place in each of them.  Pupils really enjoy getting involved with the language so this matching activity was perfect for such a lively class.  

The visual impact of incorporating images relating to the target vocabulary in an English lesson helps pupil visualise the concepts being taught.  Juniza's preparation really did pay off and as she told me it didn't take that a time to do.  When we are faced with large classes of pupils with individual learning styles the more colourful and interesting the lesson the better the reaction and content comprehension will be.

This listening and speaking lesson was about the pupils using full sentences to talk about the different places in a school and their functions. Juniza introduced the topic in an interesting and novel way, followed by pupils interacting with and enjoying the target language.  She then created a tailored worksheet so that her pupils could practise what they had learnt individually as well as with the rest of the class.

Juniza's preparation means that she has a ready made, tested lesson to use again next time she teaches this topic.  It also means that she can easily share her lesson plan and materials with other teachers. GO JUNIZA!

Materials Preparation at SK Tuanku Fatimah!

The TELL2 teachers at SK Tuanku Fatimah got together with Charlotte Lewis to print, laminate and cut all the materials they would need for the up and coming units in the respective text books.  Their mentor, Charlotte, provided the print outs whilst Shafida Hazlin Bt Safee, Azimah Bt Yusoh, Juniza Binti Juhid, Noraniah Mohd Yusof and Nor Ashikin Bt Hussin provided the laminating film and the scissors!

We arranged a date and stayed after school to focus on material production.  Working together meant that materials for Year 1, 2 and 3 classes were produced in a short amount of time- it also allowed us the opportunity to converse in English and to enjoy time together outside of the classroom.  

Laminating the flashcards ensures that they will last for many English classes to come.  It was discussed and decided upon to steadily build on the materials unit by unit, then to find a safe place to store them.  The idea is to organise the materials by year group and by unit so that teachers can easily access and share the materials they need for their lessons.

Putting in some extra effort to produce colourful, adaptable and sustainable flashcards means that you are saving yourself time in the future and that you are ensuring an improved learning experience. 

Simple flashcards can be used for many language games and activities, they can be displayed to support teaching and they can be used to review what has been previously taught. Pupils respond well to the colourful pictures and prompts so keep up the hard work SK Tuanku Fatimah...that resource library is just around the corner!

If your school is interested in building on materials please feel free to get in contact...

English Display Competition 2014!

Work is under way to complete the English displays for this year's competition and there is some INCREDIBLE work being produced! So first and foremost a huge applause for all those teachers and schools that have been working tirelessly to really make a difference to the school environment and to promote English language learning beyond the classroom.

Twenty schools from TELL1 and TELL2 are creating interactive, informative and decorative English displays that will benefit Level One Pupils.  A workshop was carried out in April to encourage teachers to think about what they want their pupils to gain from the displays, what would work in their school and what they were capable of achieving.  

There are ten factors to take into consideration when designing and creating the displays and these factors will be what the judges are looking for when they visit the schools. 

1. The displays should support the learning process.
2. The displays should be easily accessible.
3. The displays should be interactive.
4. The displays should be meaningful to the pupils.
5. The displays should reinforce skills learnt by the pupils in English lessons.
6. Pupils should be able to contribute work to the displays.
7. Visuals are used in the creation of the displays.
8. The pupils can actively engage with the displays.
9. The displays should have clear learning targets or learning intentions.
10. The displays should be decorative. 

There is a lot to consider and teachers are having to think outside of the box in order to incorporate these factors into the final designs.   

Of course at this point what is being produced in schools is top secret. There are some original and imaginative concepts and it's understandable that schools want to keep these under wraps!  

It's been a challenge that has brought school communities together creatively and pupils are eagerly awaiting the time when the work is finished so they can use the language games and challenges.  

It's too soon to share pictures of what is going on but we can take a look at what was achieved last year.  The schools that were involved with TELL1 took on the challenge with enthusiasm and their mentors were very proud of what accomplished.

SJKT Karak were the winners of the English Display Competition 2013.  English was visible everywhere and in a way that pupils could really engage and interact with.  They made a large 'Phonics Tree' that pupils used to make words in recess or if they had completed their work.

Bright and colourful murals were painted to support the teaching and learning from English lessons.

SJKT Karak also created a relaxing reading corner where pupils could access and read English language storybooks.  There was also a place for pupils to look at up to date newspapers and complete language challenges using the reading materials provided.  The pupils enthusiasm to do so was evident, the fact that they were using the materials meant that the teachers had achieved what they were meant to...the displays were facilitating independent language learning!

Other schools involved were SK Sertik, SK Mempaga 1, SK Mempaga 2, SK Lebu, SK Lurah Bilut, SK Karak, SK Jambu Rias, SK Sungai Dua and SJKC Karak.  All the schools produced brilliant work which was sure to benefit their pupils and their schools.  

After such amazing results last year we eagerly await to see what will be carried out in 2014.  All the hard work is worth it when pupils grow, learn and enjoy discovering English language learning outside of the textbooks.

The completion date for the displays is 1st October 2014.  Good luck and please do not hesitate to get in contact with your TELL2 mentor, Charlotte Lewis, if you need help or if you have any problems!

TELL2 Program Helps Pupils Learn English

From: Mdm. Ng Wee Gwek, SJKC Bukit Tinggi, Bentong, Pahang

This year level-one students at SJKC Bukit Tinggi in Pahang have had the pleasure of an extra English teacher every week.  TELL2 is a program placing native English teachers in mentor rolls. Each mentor has five assigned primary schools in a given region, and all level-one English teachers are paired with the mentor. Mentors help with lesson-planning, material creation, and creating a more learning centered environment for the students.

Mentor Evan Eames from the USA comes every Monday to work with SJKC Bukit Tinggi’s level-one English teachers. The kids get to sing songs, play language games, role-play and also write poems in English. Students find their time with Mr. Eames as exciting as getting a new toy. Having a day of the week to change up the common lessons gives teachers and students an opportunity to gradually shift the teaching style to a more learner-centered atmosphere.

Bringing his guitar to the lesson, Mr. Eames guided the students through a song and story. According to Mdm. Ng the year 5 class is rather hard to tackle; they are despondent and uninterested. Mr. Eames’s style is animated and humorous. He gives the students nicknames and helps them feel like they are all peers in the classroom.

Mdm. Ng said she was very surprised by the change in attitude when in the presence of a native speaker. The students learn English in English, and they know that he will not be translating anything that he says into Mandarin. “I noticed that even the sleepy boy, Hin Hin, sings happily with [Mr. Eames]” Making the students feel like the class was more of a group effort than a teacher centered lecture allowed the children to have a wonderful time, all the while learning.

Mr. Eames also took the time with Mdm. Ng to teach the students how to write Haiku poems. At first they had a hard time grasping the concept of the 5-7-5-syllable structure, but after using examples of the students themselves they caught on. They even had fun.

Once again, Mdm. Ng was impressed that the students understood so quickly. “I dare not try,” she admitted, ”guiding the children to write Haiku poem.” However, after seeing the step-by-step guidance, and the kids gain in confidence, Mdm. Ng had no problem participating in the lesson and having the students come up with pomes for the English walls throughout the school.

The TELL2 program is still new to the teachers of Bukit Tinggi, but they are learning that they can change the students attitudes as well as their own. Learning a language doesn’t have to be an arduous task that teachers and students dread; it can be fun, motivational, and an all around good time.

TEACHING TIP! Courtesy of Mrs. Yogesveri Tangavellu (SJKT Bentong)...

Reading

'Jigsaw Reading' is always a popular activity amongst the pupils.  It's an activity that encourages team work and focuses attention on meaning; pupils have to understand what they are reading in order to correctly arrange the text.

For all it's advantages a major disadvantage of this activity is the preparation time especially with large classes or more complex texts.  Mrs.  Yogesveri Tangavellu has found an ingenious way to combat the amount of time spent on preparing this particular reading activity...

In this instance the text was 'Ben the Bottle' from the Year Three textbook.  The story was broken down into seven parts and these sections of text were written in random order on a piece of A3 paper. Boxes were drawn next to each sentence.

The class was divided into groups and each group was designated a piece of paper.  Individuals from each group then took it in turns to approach the board, read the sentences on their teams' paper, find and number the next sentence.  The first team to correctly sequence the text wins!

This was a great way to simplify a popular reading activity.  The preparation time to include this reading task in an English lesson is minimal so please give it a try and share your experience!

LINUS Classes at SJKC Khai Mun Pagi!

Every week in Khai Mun Pagi the Year Two LINUS pupils spend some time with their mentor Charlotte Lewis.  Mr Foong Tow Choong and Madam Choong Wei Ping wanted to offer their pupils some extra support so weekly sessions were organised with the mentor.  These sessions give the pupils the opportunity to review and revise the basics of phonics, segmenting and blending in a more focused environment. Extra time is spent on making the sounds and recognising the graphemes.  As groups are smaller errors can be corrected more effectively and individuals have more opportunities to be actively involved in the learning process.

There has been a great increase in confidence amongst the participating pupils and this is having a direct effect on their improvement.  Pupils are now quick to try new sounds, face challenges and work together to complete activities.  The sessions have only been taking place for a few weeks but now these pupils can cope in a learning environment where there first language is completely absent and can follow directions and commands in English.

The nerves and reluctance that were present during the first sessions have gone.  The pupils are experiencing a new sense of conviction and self assurance.  Due to the simplified lesson content and hands on activities learning English is not as daunting as it once was.  

Large sets of grapheme cards are used to teach the pupils new sounds and their corresponding actions, smaller sets of cards are used for a variety of activities.  Activity examples include identifying the grapheme after hearing the sound, asking each other for certain sounds to collect a set and making simple CVC words. Once time has been spent preparing these materials there really is no end to the ways in which you can use them to support teaching and learning.

The process is in the initial stages but if the pupils continue to engage with the material and grow in confidence their English language abilities are sure to improve greatly.  This is an exciting project and all successes will be recorded and shared amongst the TELL2 teachers so that the LINUS pupils from all participating schools can improve their language schools and further their enjoyment in the subject.

If you have any tips, questions, activities or materials you would like to share relating to LINUS then please get in touch!

TEACHING TIP! Courtesy of Mdm. Yee Lai Charn (SJKC Perting)...

Classroom Control

Madam Yee's Year Two class are an energetic and enthusiastic group!  When it's time for pupils to volunteer to answer a question or take part in an activity their response is overwhelming and at times a little disruptive...

Madam Yee has found a way to combat this problem.  

This may appear to be just an envelope but it is actually a successful tool in combating the problem of over enthusiastic pupils!

All the pupils in the class have their names written on slips of paper which are folded and put into the envelope.

When it's time to choose an individual pupil the teacher chooses a name from the envelope.

Pupils eagerly anticipated who would be called upon and disagreements over who should be chosen came to an end.

A great tip for those teachers who's pupils' energy and spirited interest can sometimes prove to be disruptive...it's also a simple and objective way to include those who avoid centre stage :)