WELCOME
P3 AND P4
WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS
Thursday, 16.2.2012
P3 - P4 Stellar Workshop
For Parents
AGENDA
1. HOD’s Address
2. Focus of STELLAR at Middle Primary
3. Teaching Reading Comprehension using
Annotation/Visualisation/Sequencing
4. Teacher Demonstration
5. Home Support
6. Q&A, Feedback
Food for thought…
Children are made readers on the
laps of their parents.
- Emile Buchwald
STELLAR
Strategies for
English
Language
Learning
and
Reading
The STELLAR Vision
Children who
have a
love reading &
strong foundation in the
English Language
Mid to Upper Primary STELLAR
Conceptual Framework
Mid to Upper Primary STELLAR
Conceptual Framework
What is a STELLAR lesson like?
1.Shared Reading
Experiences
Children read storybook with
the teacher and engage in
oral discussions with teacher
and peers
3. Language Use Activities
in Learning Centres
The teacher prepares mini lessons
based on specific needs of children to
prepare them for reading & writing
activities; e.g. grammar, vocabulary,
word recognition, decoding skills,
spelling
2. Shared Writing
Experiences
The teacher models writing
using children’s language.
Children engage in writing
together and in writing
independently
Each STELLAR Unit includes…
• Development of the four
language skills
 listening
 speaking
 reading
 writing
Each STELLAR Unit includes…
• Development of social skills:
 oral interaction among peers in non-threatening
situations
 working in partnership with other children
 turn taking & respect for others during class
discussions
Each STELLAR Unit includes…
• Independent learning
 individual reading
 individual writing
 working at learning centres
Why Books?
• Books:
☼ open up the world for children
☼ help children think and wonder
☼ increase children’s vocabulary and knowledge
about the world around them
☼ provide good examples for reading and writing
Engaging with text: Strategy 1 (P3/P4)
Engaging with text: Strategy 1 (P3/P4)
Sample Lesson in
Supported Reading
Importance of Questioning
Techniques
Engaging with text at P4
Comprehension Strategies
• Annotation
• Visualisation
• Sequencing
Annotation
• A note made while reading any form of text
• “Highlighting or underlining passages”
• Annotating a text
- get involved with the passage
- encourage process of making notes
- scaffold process of making notes
- help students concentrate better
- monitor and improve comprehension ability
Annotation
“Without allowing students to interact with text in a
meaningful way, we miss the chance of allowing them to
see the value of what they are reading and to form new
ideas about who they are and how they fit into the world
in which they live.”
Brown, Matthew D
I’ll Have Mine Annotated, Please: Helping
Students Make Connections with Text.”
What to annotate?
5W 1H
 Characters
- What  Things / Items
- When  Time / Setting
- Where  Setting / Context
- Why  Reasons for Events
- How  Reasons for Actions
- Who
What to annotate?
Analysis of each paragraph
- the main point in each paragraph
- usually the first sentence
- the connections between paragraphs
What to annotate?
Vocabulary
- definition of words / phrases
(especially those in bold in the text)
- using contextual clues to decipher meanings
- writer’s choice of words
Visualisation
“Proficient readers spontaneously and purposely
create mental images while and after they read. The
images emerge from all five senses as well as the
emotions and are anchored in a reader’s prior
knowledge.”
Keene and Zimmeman,
Mosaic of Thought 2007
Visualisation
1.Form mental pictures
2.Connect to what they experience in the real world
3.Use the 5 senses to connect to characters, events and
ideas to clarify the picture
Visualisation
•
•
•
•
•
Useful for weaker and younger students
Reduces the fear of those who find writing difficult
Teacher to model to take the fear out
Need not be good artist
Let students talk about their drawings
Sequencing
“The ordering of events in a story, along with connecting
words such as once upon a time, then, later, afterwards, and
in the end, are good examples of textual features, an
understanding of which gives the reader a way of integrating
the story’s individual parts into its larger framework – and
thereby understanding the author’s purpose.”
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/reading/resource/48646.html
Sequencing
• Identification of the components of a story –
beginning, middle and end
• Good for narrative texts
• Commonly used in the Lower Primary
• Given text can be broken down into smaller parts
Sequencing
1. Identify the beginning, middle and end
2. Look out for connectors
3. Number the points as you read
Students’ Feedback
Annotation makes it easier
for me to understand the
passages. Although it may
take me a longer time to
complete my work, it is
worth it as I am able to
answer the questions
better.
Tan Uharn,P5A
The annotation and
visualisation strategies help
to make the comprehension
of texts easier. We were
more aware of the passage
and it makes it easier for us
to answer the questions.
Annotation points out certain
important points in the text.
Nabilah, P5A
Teachers’ Feedback
The pupils definitely
understand the text better.
They are able to visualise the
story and thus answer the
questions more accurately. By
writing notes and highlighting
clues, they are drawn to
important points which allow
them to answer the questions
with more ease.
Mrs Kaan,P3A EL Teacher
Using comprehension
strategies, like annotation
and visualisation, has
enhanced my way of
teaching comprehension
skills to the pupils. My
pupils are now more engaged
with the text especially the
weaker pupils.
Mrs Kumar,P3D EL Teacher
Comprehension Strategies
Benefits (Combination of Strategies)
Students:
• use what they are best at
• read more independently
– allow for deeper reading and understanding, form ideas
and opinions
• use higher order thinking skills to ask themselves
questions
• read and apply accordingly and appropriately
• have more ownership
Acknowledgement
Koh, C. (2011) Presentation to the ELIS Conference –
Explicit Skill Instruction: Annotation, Visualisation,
Sequencing and Summarisation
STELLAR needs Parents’ Support
• Home support – help your child learn English
by providing English language reading
materials at home.
• Activate child’s interest – show your child
that you believe learning English is both
enjoyable and useful in your daily life.
STELLAR needs Parents’ Support
• Role models – read and write notes and messages in
front of your child.
• Understanding – English language learning
requires frequent exposure to listening, speaking,
reading and writing opportunities and activities
rather than use of worksheets alone.
Word of Caution…
• Children need support and encouragement
• Doing lots of worksheets and homework could
create negative association with school
How you can help your child
• Go to the library together
• Have lots of books, magazines and newspapers
in your home
• Give your child books about their special
interests
How you can help your child
• Allow your child to choose books to read and reread
• Read to and with your child (or, have your child read
to you)
– Remember that reading in a mother tongue language also
fosters a love for books and knowledge
• Talk about the books and characters read
Books that interest children have…
• Clear print and colourful, attractive
illustrations or photographs
• A strong storyline
• Interesting characters
Books that interest children …
• Are about everyday life
• Are repetitive and have rhyming
words to help children remember
words
Some language activities you can do with
your child include…
• Playing language games like word scavenger
hunt. (Looking for a word in print materials.)
• Reading aloud a book and asking your child to
identify words beginning with the same sound,
for example, ‘p’ – pancake, pick, put, police, pat, etc.
Some language activities you can do
with your child include…
• Helping your child learn more interesting words by thinking of
new words to replace known words, for example, ‘big’ – huge,
enormous, large, gigantic, etc.
• Getting your child to retell a story to you in his or her own
words
• Suggesting that your child give a different ending to the story
read