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Read about South View Primary’s Literature Appreciation Programme (LAP) that blends with other disciplines seamlessly. The project beat many entries from other Ministries to come in as first runner-up at the 2006 PS21 Excel Convention and also won the prize for best display.
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| South View Primary’s Literature Appreciation Programme (LAP) aims to spark intrapersonal intelligence and teach pupils to appreciate nature through reading selected story books and open discussions among peers. |
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Literature is a means to develop a child’s ability to feel and think. It helps to spark intrapersonal intelligence and allows the child to appreciate nature. It also provides the context for language enrichment. Based on the conviction that literature is beneficial for the cognitive development of a child, South View Primary embarked on a pilot project to introduce the subject to selected groups of Primary 4 and 5 pupils.
Learning through Stories
First, checks were made to ensure the suitability of selected books for the 10 and 11-year-olds. Based on our Vice Principal’s recommendation and after searching through the library and Internet, ‘Butterfly Lion’ by Michael Morpurgo was selected for Primary 4 pupils; while ‘Water Buffalo Day’ by Huynh Quang Nhuong was chosen for Primary 5 pupils. The main characters in both books are young children, about the ages of our own pupils. As the stories develop, one gets to understand why and how the friendship and trust between the children and the animals can be so strong.
Interpreting Experiences with Clay
The LAP is more than just English lessons. In essence, it’s a ‘melting pot’ of academic disciplines: History, Art and Craft and English lessons are integrated into this programme.
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| Pupils engage in active learning strategies—such as constructing a timeline on the series of events that took place during the Vietnam War. |
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The development of reading and comprehension skills forms the basis of the LAP. Pupils are given some time to read and understand the books. This is followed by teacher-facilitated discussions which provide a platform for pupils to examine human interactions with animals, and human relationships within the intertwining of events, conflicts, and societal realities.
In relation to Teach Less, Learn More (TLLM), active learning strategies are integrated into the literature lessons. Pupils learn about historical events, like the World Wars and Vietnam War. Teacher-facilitated classroom discussions enable pupils to gain a good understanding of the texts and allow them to rewrite and tell the story using claymation. (Animation of models constructed from clay or Plasticine, the more generic term is ‘clay animation’.) Using their creativity, pupils also create 3-dimensional pictures, known as ‘diorama’, which depict their own interpretations of the scenes in the story.
The Literature Race
Another element of fun was also woven into the LAP as South View Primary believes that a fun-filled programme
will motivate young readers to read the texts in detail and with understanding. Hence, a group competition, ‘The Literature Race’, was organised to achieve this objective.
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| Pupils participate in various fun activities in LAP, like this team-building game in ‘The Literature Race. |
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This race was inspired by the popular reality programme, ‘The Amazing Race’ and ‘The Little Red Dot Challenge’ organised by The Straits Times in 2005.
All pupils involved in LAP participated in the race. To be able to proceed from one station to another, pupils had to answer questions related to the books they had read. In addition, they were required to participate in another activity (e.g. solving a higher-order thinking mathematical question, an activity involving team-building, role-playing a scene from the book, etc.) before the clue for the next station was handed over to them.
Encouraging Feedback from Pupils
The LAP received positive feedback from the pupils who were keen to continue with the programme after the pilot phrase ended. Many felt that they were given ample opportunities to move beyond text-based learning. They added that LAP had broadened their experience and furnished them with new insights into cultural and traditional diversities. 85% of them felt that they had learnt to value the importance of friendship and values such as care and concern.
During a post-programme discussion, the teachers revealed that they had been greatly encouraged by the enthusiasm and excitement shown by the pupils during this LAP journey. It reinforced the teachers’ belief that life and fun should be incorporated into the teaching of English.
It has certainly been a great learning experience for everyone; showing that Literature can be a means to an end and that Literature is LIFE.
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