English

Cognitively Capable

Department Vision:

Every Student A Confident Speaker and Writer

Department Mission:

To promote a positive attitude towards English learning in students while strengthening both their language and reading skills

Stellar Programme

Endeavour Primary School has implemented the national English language curriculum known as STELLAR (Strategies for English Language Learning and Reading). This initiative by the Ministry of Education
has been running well in the school since 2008.

STELLAR places an emphasis on reading and enjoyment of the language. Thus, in place of English textbooks,
prescribed thematic story books are used to teach students the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking.
The use of engaging stories helps to maintain the students’ interest in the language. The STELLAR Pedagogic Model
is made up of a few major teaching strategies.

For each of these strategies, there will be a range of activities that will approach language both
‘holistically’ as well as in parts. This is where phonics, grammar, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation
can be taught explicitly. In this model, there is a weaving between ‘whole’ and ‘parts’ in the teaching and learning
of English.

Learning Support Programme

The LSP Programme aims to help students improve their literacy skills. This is achieved by placing students into a smaller and more focused group teaching during curriculum. LSP students also attend Buddy Reading sessions conducted in the mornings. They are guided by better readers from the P3-P4 levels. These sessions are monitored by the LSP teacher and assisted by volunteers from the Parent Support Group (PSG).

School-based Dyslexia Remediation

The School-based Dyslexia Remediation (SDR) programme aims to provide support for P3 and P4 students who have been identified as at-risk of Dyslexia. This programme seeks to enable the selected students to acquire coping strategies in reading so that they will be better able to cope with their learning in school. The programme relies on a systemic set of strategies and activities which have been carefully designed by MOE.

Reading Remediation Programme

The Reading Remediation Programme (RRP) aims to provide support for P3 and P4 students who still face consistent difficulty in reading in the English Language despite having completed the Learning Support Programme in P1 and P2. The programme exposes students to a range of coping strategies for reading comprehension which will enable them to better manage their learning in the regular classroom.

Library Programme

Our Endeavour Media Resource Library has a full-time Library Assistant who sees to the day-to-day operation of the school library. English teachers take their students to the library and teach them about library etiquette and how to use the library effectively. Termly thematic activities are conducted in the library to improve readership. Every month, the top reader and the class with the highest readership from each level will be acknowledged.

ALP – Nurturing Thinkers through Knowledge Building & Thinking Routines

The Knowledge Building pedagogy is used in the teaching of Stimulus-Based Conversation. Students collaborate with one another to build on and expand their knowledge on a given theme through the Knowledge Forum. This platform encourages self-directed learning where pupils can post their views online and read their peers’ comments using specially designed Conversational Scaffolds. Through Knowledge Building pedagogy, our students have deepened their knowledge about the theme and are able to express their ideas coherently.

The English Department has incorporated Thinking Routines (TR) in various components in the teaching and learning of English. Some thinking routines such as See-Think-Wonder (STW), Think-Puzzle-Explore (TPE) and Zoom-In (ZI) enrich our students’ learning and enhances their learning processes. STW is widely used in the teaching of oral and compositions via the visual stimulus. TPE is used for grammar and vocabulary lessons and  ZI is commonly used during the Big Book reading to promote rich discussions using visual clues to trigger thoughts. We believe strongly that these thinking routines help to develop thinking dispositions, interpretation and inference skills while exploring ideas. TRs also activate prior knowledge and uncover current understandings and correct misconceptions.

Every Child A Writer (ECAW) Programme

In Endeavour Primary, we value all our students’ writing pieces. Our ECAW is a platform in which all our students’ works are recognised. The Class Publication, in which we publish every pupil’s writing, is published online in our school’s website and Our Budding Writer’s Publication (booklet) seeks to celebrate the works of the outstanding writers in each class and level.

Harnessing Technology – Podcasting

We want our students to become self-directed and collaborative in their learning by harnessing technology to become confident users of the language. Our belief is that the move towards virtual learning will assist students in developing the 3Cs (Confidence, Curiosity & Cooperation). Our lower primary students are introduced to the software Audacity. Our students do their own podcasting to improve oracy. This initiative serves as an alternative assessment to oral. This approach allows for self-directed learning and brings about improvement in students’ reading skills through peer and teacher assessment. Students are involved in reviewing their own performance through self-checklists as well. This increases their confidence to communicate better.

Endeavour Reading Programme

Positive attitude towards reading is achieved through a range of interesting activities. Students visit the school library weekly during curriculum time and our teachers conduct reading sessions using guided readers to expand their reading diet. Thematic book displays and activities in the school are held to introduce students to books of different genres and themes. Students were highly engaged and the element of fun in these activities generated much curiosity

Our community partner, the National Library Board updates teachers and students on the current reading trends through our termly assembly sessions. To keep students informed of activities in the school library, our teachers introduce the planned reading activities and affirm students who have participated in these ongoing activities.

To fuel interest in reading, recess activities such as word games with creative craft work are organised. An annual parent workshop is conducted for P1 parents to equip them with strategies to engage their children in reading. Participants were highly engaged and the element of fun in these activities generated much curiosity and a deeper appreciation for reading.

Dolch List – www.sightwords.com/sight-words/dolch/

Starfall – www.starfall.com 

Cambridge Dictionary – www.dictionary.cambridge.org/