English Language

Learning Outcomes

The English Language programme at St. Andrew’s Mission School aims for the students to:

develop the love for the English Language;
develop social communication skills; and
enhance literacy skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing to help them acquire, construct and communicate meaning in their daily living.

Pedagogical Approaches

The school adopts the STELLAR (Strategies for English Language Learning and Reading) programme, explicit instruction, experiential learning (modified language experience approach) and drama play in a structured learning environment that enhances the academic development of our students.

STELLAR is an instructional programme that aims to strengthen the language use by linking explicit grammar instructions, oracy and reading comprehension skills to whole texts that provide contexts and enjoyment to the students. Learning tasks and activities are designed for students to learn the language in authentic and meaningful conditions. Guided practice is provided to students as they develop their language skills. The skills taught follow a spiral progression as they are revised and revisited at increasing levels of difficulty.

P2 students engaged in learning in the ‘Go Green with Frog’ workshop – an extension to the P2 STELLAR unit, A Butterfly is Born.

As part of the language experience, lower and middle primary also take part in experiential learning and learning journeys. These authentic experiences help students to communicate what they have learnt and generate ideas for writing.

Students taking part in experiential learning of growing a butterfly in P2 STELLAR unit, A Butterfly is Born.

Modified Language Experience Approach (MLEA)

P1 and P2 enjoying and learning during their learning journey

Drama Lessons

Drama puts language into context as it helps children to develop articulation and awareness of word meaning. It provides a safe space for children to explore the world and develop their social emotional skills. From Term 2 to the middle of Term 4, SAMS will engage a team of professional drama instructors with experience in SPED to help Primary 1, 2 and 3 students explore drama. For Primary 4 and 5 students, they will engage in Reader’s Theater that involves collaboration among students to bring the script to life, fostering teamwork and communications skills.

P3 Reader’s Theater (2023)

Moo-O Plus (P1 & P2) – Educational App

To put language skills into practice, SAMS will introduce Moo-O in Term 1. It is an educational app that enhances students’ reading fluency. The Moo-O learning cycle has four components, namely Listen, Spell, Speak and Act that complement the STELLAR unit. Besides STELLAR titles, the package includes stories from the other publishers such as McGraw Hill, Oxford and Marshall Cavendish. Learners become story characters to produce videos that demonstrate their reading fluency and help them improve perspective taking.

Reading Programme

1. Weekly Extensive Reading

STELLAR advocates extensive reading and viewing. Besides morning silent reading before school assembly, one period per week is ring fenced for extensive reading. Students borrow books from their class library and/or take part in reading activities organised by the teachers, such as using resources from the Moo-O app, Vooks (an online library with read-aloud narration) and Key Links Digital Readers (for lower primary).

2. Story Sharing

Every Thursday morning, one teacher will share a story connected to the school L.I.G.H.T. values with the students as a pre-assembly programme. Story sharing promotes and exposes students to story-based experiences that push them to make decisions that build on one another.

3. Reading @ SAMS

During recess, our students can bury their heads in books in a leisurely manner. The books are placed on a bookshelf tucked away in a “jungle”.

Reading@SAMS at the canteen

Support Programme

1. P1 EL Foundation Programme

This programme provides small group interventions carried out to build phonological awareness, print awareness and develop language comprehension. The concepts and skills are taught explicitly and reinforced over repeated practice and review. Students in this programme will complete Primary 1 to Primary 4 of the national curriculum over 5 years.

English Language