English

OUR VISION

Passionate and Effective Users of Good English (PEG for Life)! 

English is a key language used in Singapore and is used in everyday situations. It is also used for functional purposes, such as giving directions, information or instructions and making requests. It is therefore important that our students be equipped with these skills in language learning:

• Listening & Viewing

• Reading & Viewing

• Speaking & Representing

• Writing & Representing

• Grammar
• Vocabulary

OUR MISSION
By creating a dynamic learning environment where students cultivate a passion for learning English, we seek to develop self-directed learners who are discerning readers, empathetic communicators and creative inquirers

OUR PHILOSOPHY
We believe that every student wants and is able to learn and quality teaching & learning is based on student-centric teaching approaches. In line with the English Language Syllabus 2020, our department focuses on the development, reinforcement and extension of language skills through an enjoyment of the language and the promotion of extensive reading; and leveraging oracy, reading and writing skills to develop knowledge and independent use of the language.

Key Programmes for English Language
Core Pedagogy for English Language:
Philosophy for Children (P4C)
What is P4C?

Thinking skills are explicitly taught and students are given opportunities to question and reason. It is a student-led, enquiry-based approach to learning where students work in Communities of Inquiries (COI). It builds on higher order thinking, speaking and listening skills as it improves students’ critical and creative thinking skills. This also builds on the students’ own wonder and curiosity about ideas or global philosophical concepts.

Since 2013, Huamin Primary School has been using Philosophy for Children (P4C) as a key pedagogic approach to develop critical thinking skills in our students. Seeing the challenge of our students being passive receptors of information, there is a need for students to “develop and effectively apply critical thinking skills to their academic studies, to the complex problems they face, and the critical choices they will be forced to make a result of the information explosion and other rapid technological changes” (Oliver & Utermohlen, 1995).

When students are involved in inquiry, they learn first-hand as they co-construct and use language purposefully to explore thematic ideas, language features and multiple perspectives. Such an approach foregrounds the development of oral communication skills, mutual respect, exploratory talk, peer engagement and constructive feedback. As part of exploratory talk, teachers will facilitate student collaborative learning, either in pairs or in groups, and engage learners through a diverse range of strategies, including the use of questioning techniques and thinking routines. This collaboration can strengthen both receptive and productive skills during active knowledge construction when appropriate classroom behaviour and supportive team roles and peer support become part and parcel of classroom routines. (Extracted from syllabus 2020).

MLEA Experiences (Primary 1-4)

Following Modified Language Experience Approach, students get to experience outdoor lessons with their teachers and peers and write about them. With activities ranging from a digital learning journey that delves into the life cycle of a cockroach and creating eBooks to observing the fauna and flora in the school’s eco-garden and drawing on canvases, students work collaboratively to experience the joy of learning. 

Reading Culture @ Huamin
Reading Culture Through a variety of reading programmes, students are immersed in a world of reading and fun. Reading activities are then extended to discussions to stretch students’ learning beyond books.

1. Library Instructional Programme (LIP/ Library periods)

2. D.E.A.R (Drop Everything And Read) for P1 & P2

3. Book Club for P3 – P6

4. Class Libraries

5. E-book Reading

6. Little Red Dot

Intervention Programme
1) Reading Remediation Programme - Primary 3 & 4

The Reading Remediation Programme 2.0 is aimed at supporting P3 and P4 students who still face consistent difficulty in reading in the English Language despite having completed the Learning Support Programme in P1 and P2. The programme exposes students to a range of coping strategies for reading and comprehension which will enable them to better manage their daily learning. This programme is held in conjunction with the remediation programme for the students at P3 and P4 students after school.

NLB Collaboration
The school collaborates with National Library Board (NLB) to enhance our reading culture. Librarians from NLB conduct activities in the school to promote a love for reading among the students. Some of the programmes are:

• Books Buzz
• Read, Swop and Share
• Read, Reap and Write
• Dare to Read
• Book Bugs
• Read for Books

Activities

Good English Week

Good English Week is an annual departmental event held over a week to promote the love of English Language through various exciting and meaningful activities. During the week, the school is abuzz with a wide array of activities through pre-assembly, assembly and recess programmes. Both students and staff are encouraged to participate in story telling events, games and quizzes which are specially planned to immerse the entire Huamin family in the application of English Language in daily life. For 2023, the theme was ‘Characters Come Alive’. The Primary 3 students participated in the Book Character Day. They dressed up in their favourite book character and did presentations of their favourite book character. 

ACHIEVEMENTS
We are constantly on the look-out for opportunities to expose our students to recognised English Language competitions that will provide them with platforms to excel in their written and spoken language skills. Our students will also get to interact and build on their existing knowledge with students from other schools.

Our Recent Achievement includes
Top 20 in Mythos (Junior Orators)
Maezyl Tan Enxuan (2022)

YMCA PESA 2022- Merit Award
Maezyl Tan Euxuan 5 Respect (2023)

Eurasian Spelling Bee Lexical Skills Competition in English Language 2022 – Silver award
Sim Kye Jun Emil 6 Integrity (2023)
Alia Qaisarah Binte Mohammad Khir 6 Courage (2023)

High Ability Learners (Primary 4 – 5)
Selected students are exposed to a variety of extension activities that expose them to discussion forums through Reading Circles and Philosophy for Children. Through these sessions, students learn to extend their learning to real life situations and see how language can be applied in various contexts.