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!

Jazz Chanting at SJKC Khai Mun Pagi!

It's the start of a new school year meaning that most Year One pupils are being introduced to English lessons and it's vital that we give them a head start- this means making sure they are comfortable and confident using phonics and that they are enjoying their English lessons!  It's important and at times challenging to harness the excitement and energy in the room and turn it in to productive language learning.  With planned lessons that incorporate interesting activities and include supportive materials pupils' energy can be used as an important part of the learning process.

At SJKC Khai Mun Pagi Pong Tze Ni was focusing on a jazz chant with her Year One class, the lesson was very successful due to several factors...

The vocabulary that was used in the chant was taught thoroughly prior to pupils learning the chant itself.  The pupils need to know how to recognise the words, pronounce them correctly and spell the words so drilling is necessary.  In order to make this process more effective the teacher includes several different drilling methods and techniques.  Initially the drilling methods applied are teacher led and attention is paid to ensure that all pupils are repeating the sounds and words correctly.

As pupils become more familiar with the vocabulary interactive methods can be used to build confidence and independent learning amongst the pupils.

Drilling has to be fun and varied in order for the pupils to engage and learn, especially at such a young age!

Pupils are then introduced to the jazz chant itself.  It's important that the jazz chant is on the board in large font for all pupils to be able to read together with their books closed - this goes some of the way to eliminating possible distractions!  In this case all the language needed was included on flashcards which were large enough for the whole class to see and remained on the blackboard throughout the lesson.

After reciting the chant as a class, in groups and as individuals the pupils are able to recite the chant without having to refer to any other material.  Actions were then introduced... much to the enjoyment of the pupils!

It is common amongst English teachers to be hesitant when teaching jazz chants, the chants included in the books are not always ideal and this can put both teachers and pupils off.

Jazz chants have to lend themselves to a regular beat, they should have actions, the content should be minimal and  include key vocabulary.  Teachers should not be afraid to alter the chants included in the textbooks or compose their own simple chants.  Composing original chants ensures that they will be suitable for your pupils and incorporate key or problem language points. 

Teachers should have a number of tried and tested techniques that they can use for pre-teaching, practising and performing jazz chants; these can be referred to and used for efficiently teaching jazz chants throughout Level One.

This class demonstrated an effective way to introduce, learn and enjoy a jazz chant.  Pupils were quick to pick up the words and understand the content which means there was more time to enjoy reciting the jazz chant! 

Thank you to the Khai Mun Pagi Year One pupils to Pong Tze Ni for a wonderful lesson!

There will be more information on composing and teaching jazz chants coming up, please get in contact if you need any help!

Goodbye and Good Luck!!

Unfortunately we have to say goodbye to our friend and mentor Matthew Windom. The Bentong cluster thanks Matthew for his hard work during the short time he was working with us. Matthew worked with SK Janda Baik, SJKC Bukit Tinggi, SJKC Ketari, SK Bukit Piatu and SK Sungai Marong.  I know I’m not alone when I wish him all the luck and happiness for the future! 

Thank You!

As we approach the end of the school year the TELL2 team would like to thank all the teachers and the Bentong PPD for making 2014 so productive and enjoyable.  The TELL2 teachers and schools have been welcoming, enthusiastic and responsive since the programme began in February ensuring that this year has been a success!

Highlights of the year include the 'TELL2 Teacher Workshop' in May.  The Bentong district was the first to carry out such a workshop and it was a challenge.  A lot of hard work went in to preparing the presentations and by working together and making use of individuals' strengths and talents the workshop was a complete success...and a lot of fun!

A major highlight and source of pride for all participating schools has been the 'English Display Competition'.  The results were really incredible. School communities came together to create informative and interactive displays throughout the school grounds.  

School environments have improved, empty spaces have been converted in to inspiring language learning zones where all pupils can learn independently.  We cannot stress how inspirational and innovative these displays were and all those who participated should be very proud of what was achieved.

We have worked together to create and carry out interesting and effective lessons and pupils have reacted well to all the new materials and activities.  Next year we can move onwards and upwards, but for now relax, refresh and enjoy the holidays, see you in 2015!!

Bentong English Display Competition

Throughout the year Bentong teachers have been working hard to create informative, fun and interactive English displays in and around their schools…the results have been amazing!  The Bentong English Display Competition 2014 has been very successful with school communities working together to improve school environments while promoting English language learning.

This year nineteen schools from TELL1 and TELL2 participated in the competition; SK Sertik, SK Mempaga 1, SK Mempaga 2, SK Lebu, SK Lurah Bilut, SJKT Bentong, SJKC Perting, SJKC Khai Mun Pagi, SK Tuanku Fatimah, SK Sulaiman, SK Sungai Marong, SJKC Ketari, SK Bukit Piatu, SK Janda Baik, SJKC Bukit Tinggi, SK Sungai Dua, SJKC Karak, SK Karak and SK Jambu Rias.

English teachers from participating schools attended a workshop in April, the workshop served as an introduction to the project and offered teachers an opportunity to think about what they wanted to achieve when creating a display and what would be suitable for their schools and their pupils.  

Clear goals were decided upon to provide guidance in the creation and construction of the displays.  The displays were to be interactive most importantly, this meant that  pupils were to be able to access them easily and they were to be visually attractive.  The displays were to reinforce language concepts and skills previously taught whilst supporting the learning process with clear targets.  When the judges visited the schools they were also looking for pupils’ contributions making the displays more meaningful and relevant.

The teachers had to keep all of the above factors in mind when deciding on the content and designs of their school displays.  When the judges visited the completed displays the thought, consideration, creativity and hard work that had gone into the project was plain to see and all the participating schools produced work that exceeded expectations.

We saw colourful vocabulary murals, giant board games, interactive puzzles, reading corners, inspiring poetry, grammar ball games, an ‘English Kitchen’, telephone booths, phonics hopscotch and in the case of SK Sungai Marong a refurbished, redecorated, remarkable English language room complete with it’s own grocery store!

These are just a few of the wonderful creations we saw as we visited schools- it all contributed to making judging a very difficult task…after a lot of deliberation the top five schools were decided upon and announced during a ceremony on October 16^th at SK Bukit Piatu.

Runners Up : SK Mempaga 2 and SK Bukit Piatu 

3rd Place : SK Sungai Marong

2nd Place : SK Tuanku Fatimah

1st Place : SJKT Bentong

It’s important to state that all the schools achieved something very special and all deserve a massive congratulations.  Parents, pupils and teaching staff all came together to improve learning environments with powerful results.  It was a pleasure to visit each school and witness the dedication of teaching professionals throughout the Bentong district.

The real winners of this competition are the hundreds of pupils who we witnessed playing, laughing and learning with their peers in constructive, creative and informative environments.  Due to the dedication of their English teachers and schools, informal and inspired spaces had been made for their pupils to progress, learn and grow.  

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!