2016 PSLE Composition Topic

Our Primary 6 tutees were very happy after the English PSLE as we covered the PSLE Composition topic this year, A Secret, during our Writer's Craft classes. Some kids told us, "Bingo!" 

The pictures given for the PSLE examination were:

Picture 1 - girls whispering to each other

Pic 2 - a sealed envelope with the word secret on it

Pic 3 - out of bounds area with gate

After the PSLE, I checked with a few tutees on their story plots. Although we had done the same topic before, they did not write the same stories. Some of them adapted the story plot that we went through for the topic, "A secret" while others adapted story plots that we had gone through for other topics. Well done! We're really proud of their progress and achievement! 

2015 PSLE New English Composition Format - A Different Ball Game

In 2015, the P6 pupils were the first batch that had to write a story based on one. two or three random pictures given. The topic for the 2015 PSLE composition was "Being Considerate" and the pictures given were: reserved seating, tray return point and adjusting the volume of the television to the maximum.

Some pupils lamented that there was "nothing much to write about". However, when I asked some of my tutees, they told me that they were able to apply the writing skills that I had taught them. For example, many chose to write on the picture of "reserved seating". One wrote that a girl saw an elderly woman board a crowded MRT train. Nobody gave up their seat to the old lady. The girl had an internal conflict at first. In the end, she decided not to give up her seat. Just then, a younger child gave up the seat to the old lady and the girl was ashamed of her own actions. It took someone who was younger to teach her how to be considerate.

My tutee went on the tell me that she applied the technique of characterisation and elaborated on the elderly woman's physical appearance using vivid descriptions and similes. She also slowed down the moment when she described how the old lady was struggling to balance and steady herself while carrying a heavy grocery bag.

Another tutee wrote on the picture of the tray return point and managed to include an unexpected twist in the end. One more tutee managed to use two pictures, the one on someone adjusting the volume of the television to the maximum and reserved seating, appropriately.

In conclusion, for the new 2015 PSLE English Composition format, it is important that pupils be taught writing skills explicitly. The ball game had changed. It is no longer about memorising whole stories in the hope that they can use the whole story for the PSLE. It is about thinking on their feet and applying the writing techniques that they have learnt.

Topics for New 2015 PSLE English Composition Format

Some parents have commented on the lack of available resources on the new PSLE English Composition format at the bookshops. I have compiled a few composition topics.

(1) A Mistake

What was the mistake?

What was the outcome?

(2) A Well-deserved Reward

What was the reward?

Why was the reward well-deserved?

(3) A Dream Come True

What was the dream?

How did the person realise the dream?

(4) A Surprise

What was the surprise?

What happened in the end?

(5) A Disappointing Experience

What was the disappointing experience?

Why was it disappointing?

As educators or parents, you can create your own composition questions based on these topics to better prepare your pupils or children for the new composition format for the PSLE. You can think of three random pictures that can be linked to the topic and include them in the question for your pupils or child to attempt.

For example, for the topic, "A Mistake", the pictures can be the following:

- an ajar door

- a man whose hands are handcuffed

- a pedestrian crossing

Brainstorm with your pupils or child some possible plots. Include a conflict in the story (if possible). Then discuss the merits and shortcomings of each plot and how each plot can be improved on.

Remember, a story with a creative plot will have a higher score. 

Writer's Craft: Types of Conflict in Narratives

Many parents and pupils are jittery about the new 2015 PSLE English syllabus. For example, many have expressed concern about the new format for English Paper 1.

We believe that it is important to teach pupils the craft of writing explicitly and to show them models of good writing. We will be blogging about some of these writing skills.For instance, pupils attending our Writer's Craft classes are introduced to the elements of a narrative. One of the elements of a narrative is a conflict/ problem. In this post, we'll be sharing more about what a conflict is.

What is a conflict / problem in a narrative?
A conflict/ problem arises when the main character wants something but something else stands in his or her way.


Why is a conflict important?
Most of the action centres around the main character trying to find a solution to solve the conflict. A conflict drives the plot. It makes the story more interesting.

How do we identify a conflict?
The easiest way to identify a conflict is to write a conflict statement. A conflict statement is a statement that briefly tells us what the main character wants and what is preventing him  from getting what he wants.
Example:
Cinderella wants to go to the ball but her evil stepmother does not allow her to do so.

Types of conflict
There are five main types of conflict.
(1) Person versus Self
The main character has trouble deciding what action he should take.
Example:
Tim saw his friend stealing. He was in a dilemma. Should he tell his teacher about his friend's misdeed or should he just feign ignorance?

(2) Person versus Person
The main character has a problem with one or more characters.
Example:
Ben and his best friend saw a gang abusing an animal. Ben did not want to get into trouble and suggested walking away. However, his friend wanted to stop the gang. As a result, Ben and his friend argued.

(3) Person versus Society
The main character does something that he wants to do but it is against the law or the school rule or is an unaccepted behaviour.
Example:
Ben's parents were very busy and neglected him. Ben decided to use a spray can to spray graffiti to get his parents' attention but this action was against the law.

(4)Person versus Nature
The main character struggles with the elements of nature such as a thunderstorm, an earthquake, a wild animal etc
Example:
Pete was hiking in the forest when he encountered a wild bear.

(5) Person versus Fate
The main character comes face to face with a situation that is beyond his control.
Example:
Mary was involved in a serious accident and the doctors did not think she would pull through. Miraculously, she survived.

Once pupils know what the different conflicts are, they can decide for themselves the type of conflict that they will include in their own narrative. This will lead to a more interesting story plot.

We hope you have a good understanding of what a conflict is in a narrative and what some types of conflicts are. Tune in to our next post. We'll be writing a post on how parents can help their child to be better prepared for the new PSLE Oral format.

Writer's Craft : Using Characterisation to create memorable characters

My sister-in-law was reading an extract from the book, "James and the Giant Peach", to my nephew who is in Primary 2. She was sharing with my nephew how Roald Dahl used characterisation effectively to create memorable characters. The following extract is on Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker, two characters in "James and the Giant Peach".

"Aunt Sponge was enormously fat and very short. She had small piggy eyes, a sunken mouth and one of those white flabby faces that looked exactly as though it had been boiled. She was like a great white soggy overboiled cabbage. Aunt Spiker, on the other hand, was lean and tall and bony, and she wore steel-rimmed spectacles that fixed on to the end of her nose with a clip. She had a screeching voice and long wet narrow lips, and whenever she got angry or excited, little flecks of spit would come shooting out of her mouth as she talked. And there they sat, these two ghastly hags, sipping their drinks, and every now and again screaming at James to chop faster and faster. They also talked about themselves, each one saying how beautiful she thought she was. "

It is never too early to expose the kiddos to good writing. It is also never too early to expose the kiddos to effective writing techniques. Roald Dahl often creates very memorable characters in his stories. Hence his stories are good mentor texts for teaching kiddos characterisation. 

Writer's Craft: Slowing Down the Motion (Part 2)

Watch this TED video which describes how and why Hollywood movie makers use slowing down the motion to create suspense. The video also shows how the same convention can be used to slow down the motion in narrative writing. There is a very good example in the video on how to slow down the motion when we write about a basketball player shooting the ball into the hoop.

Writer's Craft - Slowing down the motion (Part 1)

During my Writer's Craft lessons, I believe that it is important to show pupils samples of good writing and discuss with them why certain phrases or writing techniques are used.

During one of the lessons, I was sharing with the P5 kiddos how authors slow down the motion to create suspense or tension. Firstly, I shared with them how films slow down the motion to create tension. The kiddos nodded their heads and agreed that they had watch such movie scenes before.

Then I shared with the class an excerpt from "January (Conspiracy 365)" to show them how the technique is used.

Telling: 
A shark bumped the boat a few times. Then it turned away. I thought it left but it returned.

Showing using expanding the moment technique:
"Then something bumped into the boat hard. I hoped we'd collided with something submerged, drifting in the water. I looked around. The sky was much lighter but I could't see anything but the chopping waves.

Another bump, this time so hard I almost lost my grip on the rope. I still couldn't see anything but I knew something was out there. I was freezing cold but broke out in a sweat.

A third bump, so hard that it knocked me completely into the water. I splashed and slipped, scrambling back to the top of the upturned boat, hauling myself up by the ridge. In the grey light, I spotted a three-metre shark rolling over, exposing its pale belly before disappearing again.

I waited, sick with fear, praying that it had gone away. I searched around for a weapon - anything to try and defend myself.

Tossing on the waves and just out of my reach, was the jag-hook of the boat.

Yet another powerful bump and the upturned boat and I, clinging desperately above, started to move over the water. The shark was under the boat, powering us along! Any minute now, it would bash through the hull and grab me. Then, just as suddenly as it began the motion stopped. I watched the dorsal fin speed away.

Was it leaving?

The shark had pushed me and the boat closer to the floating debris. I saw, again, the long wooden handle of the jag-hook floating nearby And then, in the background, I saw the vanishing fin slow, turn and flick around. The shark was coming back - and straight for me!"

MOE tweaks PSLE English Language paper for 2015 cohort

Primary Four pupils will face a revised English Language syllabus next year. In addition, the English Language Paper for the PSLE will be tweaked for the 2015 PSLE cohort.

Being an ex-teacher in school, I find that the textbooks and workbooks written for the previous syllabus are inadequate to address the learning needs of the pupils. Of course, they are even more inadequate when it comes to preparation for the PSLE.

MOE came up with the revised English Language syllabus in 2010. The STELLAR programme is aligned to the syllabus and is designed to address the learning needs of the pupils. As part of the programme, English is taught through stories and texts that appeal to children, with explicit grammar instruction. I think the STELLAR resources are gems.

Questions on parents' minds will likely be: Are schools ready for the changes? Are teachers equipped with the necessary skills to implement the changes?

There will definitely be some teething problems. I sincerely hope that MOE will look into teacher training to better equip teachers with the necessary content knowledge and skills so that they can impart their knowledge to their young charges. Why do I say that?

Let me share with you two situations that occurred last year. One of my P6 tutees was questioned about his use of a fragmented sentence in his composition. He had deliberately used the fragmented sentence for impact. Another P6 tutee was questioned when she used personification in her story. They were from different schools. The two children were confused as they were taught literary devices in my English classes and they had come across similar phrases in the story books that they had read. They wondered why they were questioned by their teachers.

I can understand why the above situations occurred. Some of the English teachers may not have taken English Literature in secondary schools. Hence they may not be as aware of literary devices as the rest of the teachers who have taken the subject before.

To implement the revised syllabus effectively, we must first ensure that the teachers are on a level playing field. The two anecdotes are a clear indication that at the moment, the playing field is not level yet. If we read through the revised 2010 English syllabus, in the focus area of writing,  pupils are expected to be able to appreciate and use literary language (metaphors, similes etc) at the Upper Primary level. Instead of being lauded for using literary devices, the two kids were questioned by their teachers.

The revised 2010 English syllabus clearly outlines the learning outcomes at the different levels. I am excited about its implementation. Let's hope that with adequate teacher training, all the children benefit from its implementation.

Click on the following link to read the announcement made by MOE on the tweaking of PSLE English Language Paper for 2015:
MOE tweaks PSLE English Language paper for 2015 cohort - Channel NewsAsia

Click on the following link to find out about the revisions that will be made to the PSLE English Language Examinations.
http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/files/2012/09/annex-b-pri-el-curr.pdf