Laying a Strong Foundation in

Zhenghua Primary School

Mrs Lee Boon Kwang, Year Head P1/P2

Aim of Primary Education

To lay a strong foundation

To nurture the whole child

ValuesLife skillsSocial behaviour

Where is my child at this stage?• Formative years

• Early stages of learning

• Discovering abilities and talents

Emphasis on 21st Century Competencies

√ a Confident Person √ a Self-directed Learner

√ an Active Contributor √ a Concerned Citizen

Develop the WHOLE child

Every subject is important

Holistic Assessment To support the learning and development of the child

Assessment is part of learning

Assessment at Primary 1

Shorter

assessments

More and

richer feedback

Appropriate

types of

assessment

Short weighted

assessment tasks in

Terms 2, 3 and 4:

e.g.

•Topical Tests

•Short Writing

•Reading

•Performance Tasks

•Mid Year Exam

•Year End Exam

How will my child be assessed for English?

SHOW & TELL, READING ALOUD

How will my child be assessed for Mother Tongue?

Show and Tell Reading Tasks

Simple Writing Tasks

Teachers ask questions and give feedback to improve pupils’ learning

Descriptors

PronunciationPronunciation is unclear, with many errors

Pronunciation is somewhat unclear; with a number of noticeable errors

Generally clear pronunciation, with a number of noticeable errors

Clear and consistently good pronunciation

FluencyVery slow and jerky reading of words, with many words skipped or unread

Slow and hesitant reading with many words skipped or unread

Reading is somewhat fluent with some words skipped or unread

Consistently fluent reading without hesitation

READING ALOUD RUBRICS

Please tick()

Yes Sometimes No

I looked at my friends while

presenting.

I spoke clearly.

My friends could hear me.

I spoke in complete sentences.

Please tick()Yes Sometimes No

My friend looked at us while

presenting.

My friend spoke clearly.

My friend was well-prepared.

My friend knows the topic well.

How will my child be assessed for Math?

Performance Tasks Needs

improvement

Achieving Got it

Measure length

Use ice-cream

sticks to:

Measure the length

of the objects in

non-standard units

Compare the

lengths of 2 objects

Understanding

Concept

Appears to

have no idea

how to

measure

length using

non-standard

units

There were

gaps in

between non-

standard units

resulting in

inaccuracies

The non-

standard

units are

aligned

accurately

Solutions Not able to

compare

lengths of 2

objects

Able to

compare the

lengths of 2

objects with

slight mistakes

Able to

compare the

lengths of 2

objects

correctly

How will my child be assessed in

other subjects?

A range of appropriate assessment tasks and practices

How will you receive feedback on

your child’s progress?

1) Termly reports

• Rubrics to indicate key learning

outcomes

2) Mid-year and End-of-year report cards

• Marks and/or grades to show your child’s

attainment

• Overall qualitative comments on your

child’s learning

How will you receive feedback on

your child’s progress?

3) Holistic Assessment Portfolio

• Termly progress reports will be shown

with the portfolio

• Portfolio contains a good sample of your child’s

work and performance tasks in all subjects

- with graded rubrics

- with teacher’s qualitative comments

• Shown at Parent-Teacher- Conference (PTC)

sessions (May and Nov)

1. Term 1: Parental Workshops

2. Term 2 & 4: Parent-Teacher Conference

How will HA benefit my child?

More

opportunities to

show learning

Caters to wider

range of learning

styles

Regular and

timely feedback

More confident

Motivated to learn

Enjoys learning

My child will be prepared to take

exams after Primary 2 having

gained…

a strong foundation

confidence

a desire to learn

enjoyment of learning

steady progress

Will my child be prepared for exams?

Do…

monitor your child’s daily work

give encouragement and support in areas for improvement

praise your child for any progress made

How can I help my child?

Don’t …

put too much

emphasis on marks

and grades

compare your child’s

performance with

that of others

give more homework

than necessary, or

as punishment

Prepare our children for the test of life and not a life of tests

PAL

PAL is…

• Programme for Active Learning

• a major initiative to address the greater emphasis on non-academic programmes for P1 and P2 students

The 2 Broad Areas in PAL

1. Sports & Outdoor Education

2. Performing & Visual Arts

Objectives of PAL

• Provide students with broad exposure and experiences through fun & varied activities

• Facilitate holistic development in the 5 domains (cognitive, moral, social, aesthetics, physical)

• Provide varied avenues to develop social emotional competencies

5 Characteristics of PAL

• Experiential in Nature

• Learning in a Creative Way

• Opportunities for Children to Create

• Incorporates Values Education & SEL

• Fun & Enjoyable

PAL in ZHPS• For P1 and P2 students

• P1 - 3 modules, P2 - 3 modules

• Each module spans 7 weeks

• 2 hrs of PAL a week

• Lessons on Fridays, 8.30am

• PE attire

P1 Module

1. Outdoor Education2. Visual Art3. Sports and Games

What are students expected to learn through PAL?

3 Learning outcomes

1. Exhibit confidence in what they do and express themselves effectively

2. Exhibit curiosity and positive attitudes to learn

3. Enjoy group experiences and teamwork

What is the difference between PAL and Art, Music and PE lessons in the curriculum?

• PAL complements Art, Music and PE, and it provides the platform for students to extend, reinforce and apply their learning

The social sphere of children

requires them to interact

with their peers.

In a nutshell…

PAL offers learning experiences that are

active, hands-on and meaningful.

Children must have social skills and appropriate dispositions for

interaction with others from different backgrounds.

The End