English Programme

The Primary English Programme focuses on 4 main aspects of the language:

Basic Grammar Concepts

To build a strong foundation for students learning the English language, grammar items and concepts are given a great emphasis, especially in the lower primary levels. Grammar items will be clearly explained and students will master basic grammar concepts through rigorous practice.

Vocabulary

To strengthen students’ word power, there will be a vocabulary list selected for students at each level. There will be a target number of words that students in each level will learn in each month / term and the words will be progressive so as to match their learning abilities. Games, puzzles and quizzes are employed to generate their interest and help them in remembering words.

Comprehension/Reading

For every lesson, there will be a chosen passage for students to read. Texts from different genres will be included so as to maximize their exposure to different text styles. The teacher will read the passage with the class to fully explain the text. Questions will be given after the reading to test students in their comprehension of the text. Monthly comprehension tests will be given.

Writing

We place a strong emphasis on the student’s ability to write and express themselves in good English. If a student can write well, he/she will be able to handle any English test or question without worrying about mistakes in grammar and spelling. Primary 1-2 students are trained to write good sentences to express basic ideas and feelings. Primary 3-4 students move on to simple stories based on pictures or situations given. They are encouraged to write journals too. Primary 5-6 students progress to creative writing where they are encouraged to write creatively and explore different writing styles.

Mathematics Programme

Our Mathematics approach and curriculum is divided in to 3 main stages.

Stage 1 – Skills and Concepts

At the beginning of each topic, students will be introduced to the contents in an interesting way. Games, discussions and presentations will be carried out during our class activities. These help to build the students’ confidence and encourage them to question more in class. We believe that when students get involved during the classes and are eager to learn, they will absorb the concepts faster.At this stage, we also hope to cultivate their determination and willingness to learn. Practice makes perfect. Students will be given worksheets to strengthen their foundation on that topic. Worksheets given are on a progressive basis. With constant practice, the concepts will be internalized.

Stage 2 – Reasoning and Relating

Mathematical topics are mostly related to one another. In exams, questions are often set to test the students’ application skills. The ability to relate and make use to concepts learnt is very important. In this stage, the students’ foundation should be strong enough to handle questions from several topics confidently. We will introduce integrated sums from different topics for them to try. Guidance will be given for a start but eventually, we would want them to be independent and attempt difficult sums with logical reasoning.

Challenging and heuristics sums will also be discussed in class and practice of that similar sum will be given for reinforcement purpose. Students are expected to clearly state down and explain their workings to their tutors if being asked. When students are stuck at certain sums, we will slowly guide them by questioning, reasoning or suggesting a few solutions based on the situation. They will then decide for themselves which method they prefer. By choosing their own methods, they will remember it better.

Stage 3 – Understanding & Dealing with your Weakness

Willingness to learn is our main focus in every level. When students have the willingness to learn, they can pick up new concepts easily. After a period of practice and exposure, the students should be able to choose the most effective and efficient method of attempting Mathematical questions.When a student is able to tackle the questions confidently, he/she should then work on their weaknesses.

Some students have an ability to understand things fast, but they have a tendency to forget it fast too! Some of the students even miss their chances of scoring full marks because of silly careless mistakes!At this stage, students will be focusing on their accuracy of answers. Exam tips and techniques will also be taught. Students should be targeting at full marks for their exams!

Science Programme

Students often ponder why they are learning science when their ambition is not to be a scientist! With our approach in science, we aim to apply the knowledge learnt in class to our daily lives. Students will definitely find it interesting to learn science and their curiosity will be aroused by things they see around them everyday!

Knowledge

At the start of each chapter or topic, the tutors will come up with a scenario or even a simple skit in relation to the scientific theory or concept to spark off their interest. Tutors will explain in detail with lively examples together with some notes for each topic. We have different approaches for different topics.

-Topics related to Physical sciences (eg, energy, forces, electricity) will be taught in an interactive way through demonstrations and hands-on activities to let the children understand the scientific principles through observation.

-Topics related to Chemistry and Biology (eg. Plants and animals, cells, water cycle) are content-heavy, so we teach the students how to use mind-maps, mnemonics and other useful techniques to memorise and retain information and knowledge.

Usually, topics are taught ahead of school so that they will have a good preparation for school assessments and also build a strong foundation of scientific knowledge for students to advance their learning.

Practice and Discussion

After making sure that the students are familiar with the chapter or topic, worksheets are given for them to practice. They will be exposed to different question types to encourage them to think and make inferences according to the information given. We progress from Basic Process Skills (including classifying, observations, comparing, analyzing, evaluating and generating) to Integrated Process skills like decision making and investigation.

Simple experiments may also be conducted in class to let them learn experimental techniques as well as data interpretation and graph reading. Students are also encouraged to discuss questions and explain their responses to the tutor and classmates.

 

 

Testing

To fully prepare the students for their examinations, there will be topical tests as well as CA and SA mock tests. Students will be taught how to manage their time and to handle the challenging questions. With tests, tutors are able to monitor the students’ progress closely and also work on their strengths and weaknesses. Surprise quizzes and contests with prizes are also held every now and then, not only to test the students, but also to reward students for their effort in their learning.