Primary English

Fundamental Years

Primary 2 programmes introduce your child to key concepts needed for middle primary school years. Your child will work on mastering the basics of each subject while exploring various topics that help them make a real connection between what they learn in school and the world around them. Communication, presentation of ideas and interaction with others remain an integral part of learning and development.

Your child will continue building on his or her foundation in the language by learning new concepts and expanding his or her vocabulary. There will also be increasing focus on his or her writing and reading skills.

Content and Language Mastery

Students will learn basic grammar rules and thematic vocabulary that will help them to build a strong foundation in the language. These include:

• infinitives
• “I” versus “me”
• prepositions of time, transport and place

Skills and Techniques

Students refine their skills in the following key areas:

Speaking

• Students will develop their own personal opinions and express themselves in a coherent and confident manner.

Reading and writing

• Students will learn to identify main ideas and key details of texts, as well as learn answering techniques.
• Students will be taught how to identify the structure of a story and write in sequence.
• Learn writing techniques such as show-not-tell, character voice, and dialogue tags to make descriptions more vivid.
• Practice using short and complete sentence structures to accurately depict people, places, things, and events.

For more on Smart Excel’s approach to honing writing skills, click here.

Contextualized Learning

Students will be introduced to a wide variety of themes that will help them to contextualize their learning in the real world and raise their social awareness. Key themes include:

• amazing animals
• our weird and wonderful world
• from awareness to action

Key Growth Years

Middle primary school years are about mastering component-based skills whilst honing learning sensibilities like refinement, precision, self-evaluation and time management. Our programmes aim to achieve these goals whilst continually expanding your child’s academic knowledge in each subject.

Primary 3 English allows your child to learn PSLE question types and examination techniques and skills related to exam-readiness and answer precision. Despite the steep learning curve, we also aim for your child to have fun in the classroom through contextualized learning and encouraging him or her to develop an interest in real-world affairs. Find out more.

Content and Language Mastery

Students will learn intermediate grammar rules and thematic vocabulary that will help them to build a strong foundation in the language. These include:

• tenses
• subject-verb agreement
• synthesis and transformation

Skills and Techniques

Students refine their skills in the following key areas:

Speaking Students will hone their communication skills through public speaking platforms such as individual presentations. Reading and writing

• Students will read a wide variety of passages such as expository and personal recount passages.
• Students will learn to write a good story with structure, using a range of techniques including simple characterization and slow-motion description.
• Learn how to create story ideas related to the theme and visual.
• Practise use varied sentence structure and accurate word choice.
• Introduction to the WISE method (Writing = Ideas + Structure + Expression)

Megacognitive Skills

Students will hone their metacognitive abilities and develop skills that will help them evaluate their own work. These include:

• clue sourcing
• error analysis
• answer precision

Contextualized Learning

Students will be introduced to a wide variety of themes that will help them to contextualize their learning in the real world and raise their social awareness. Key themes include:

• a class apart
• overcoming adversity
• great authors, great books

Key Growth Years

Your Primary 4 child should focus on refining key learning skills that help him or her to apply knowledge mastery. This year is about setting clear academic and personal growth goals that put your child in stead for managing upper primary.

Besides honing examination skills such as answering techniques and answer precision, your child will also focus on developing his or her critical thinking and metacognitive skills. Find out more.

Content and Language Mastery

Students will learn intermediate and advanced grammar rules and thematic vocabulary that will help them to build a strong foundation in the language. These include:

• relative pronouns
• question tags
• phrasal verbs

Skills and Techniques

Students refine their skills in the following key areas:

Speaking

• Students will hone their communication skills through public speaking platforms such as individual presentations and learn how to present their opinions in a persuasive manner.

Reading and writing

• Students will read a wide variety of passages such as expository and personal recount passages.
• Students will learn how to identify organizational patterns in a text such as chronological sequencing, compare-and-contrast, and topic sentences.
• Students will learn to write a good story with structure, using advanced techniques including simple characterization and slow-motion description.
• Learn how to create story ideas related to the theme and visual using a story curve to generate reader interest.
• Practice the precise use of varied sentence structure and accurate word choice.
• Learn the WISE method (Writing = Ideas + Structure + Expression)

Metacognitive Skills

Students will hone their metacognitive abilities and develop skills that will help them evaluate their own work. These include:

• error analysis
• answer precision
• the ability to identify logic gaps
• the ability to answer inferential questions

Contextualized Learning

Students will be introduced to a wide variety of themes that will help them to contextualize their learning in the real world and raise their social awareness. Key themes include:

• focus on the environment
• the world today
• the career series

Critical Years

Your child is making his or her preparations for the PSLE exams. In this year, programmes focus on sharpening your child’s focus on academic goals and exam skills. This year is about helping your child to pace himself or herself whilst empowering him or her to master key examination components.

Your child will begin intensive preparation for the PSLE with equal emphasis on developing real-world skills.

Content and Language Mastery

Students will learn advanced grammar rules and thematic vocabulary that will help them to build a strong foundation in the language. These include:

• sensorial verbs
• transformation of words in sentences
• direct to reported speech and vice versa

Skills and Techniques

Students refine their skills in the following key areas:

Speaking

• Students will reinforce their communication and interview skills through DSA preparation classes and public speaking platforms such as debates. They will learn how to engage with the audience and present their arguments in a convincing and coherent manner.

Reading and writing

• Students will learn how to write an engaging story with a clear structure and thoughtful use of writing techniques.
• Learn to plan stories in a sequential and logical manner as well as identify logic gaps.
• Practice creating story ideas that relate directly to the theme and visuals.
• Students will also refine their use of writing techniques such as flashback, foreshadowing, twist, and hook.
• Students will also be trained in situational writing and learn how to write different text types such as emails, letters, and reports.
• Employ the WISE method (Writing = Ideas +Structure + Expression)

Metacognitive Skills

Students will hone their metacognitive abilities and develop skills that will help them evaluate their own work. These include:

• error analysis
• answer precision
• the ability to identify logic gaps
• the ability to answer inferential questions
• analysis of assessment rubrics

Contextualized Learning

Students will be introduced to a wide variety of themes that will help them to contextualize their learning in the real world and raise their social awareness. Key themes include:

• politics and economics
• sport and entertainment
• arts and culture

Critical Years

In the PSLE year, students will meet the challenge of revising content knowledge accumulated from Primary 3 to Primary 6 whilst preparing for a series of examinations leading up to the national exam. Our Primary 6 programmes place a strong emphasis on evaluative learning and giving students the best academic and learning support to hone strengths and work on areas of progress.

Your child will be trained to execute key examination strategies and techniques in the run-up to the PSLE. Your child will reinforce his or her skills in examination components such as comprehension, composition, grammar, and situational writing.

Content and Language Mastery

Students will learn advanced grammar rules and thematic vocabulary that will help them to build a strong foundation in the language. These include:

• rule of proximity
• reported speech
• conditionals

Skills and Techniques

Students refine their skills in the following key areas:

Speaking 

• Students will refine their communication and interview skills through DSA preparation classes. They will learn how to engage with the audience and present their opinions in a convincing and coherent manner.

Reading and writing

• Students will learn how to write an engaging story with a clear structure and thoughtful use of writing techniques.
• Learn to plan stories in a sequential and logical manner, identify logic gaps and edit writing for clarity of expression.
• Practice creating story ideas that relate directly to the theme and visuals.
• Students will also master their use of writing techniques such as flashback, foreshadowing, twist, hook, and characterization.
• Students will also be trained in situational writing and learn how to write different text types such as emails, letters, and reports.
• Master the WISE method (Writing = Ideas +Structure + Expression)

Metacognitive Skills

Students will hone their metacognitive abilities and develop skills that will help them evaluate their own work. These include:

• error analysis
• answer precision
• the ability to identify logic gaps
• the ability to answer inferential questions

Contextualized Learning

Students will be introduced to a wide variety of themes that will help them to contextualize their learning in the real world and raise their social awareness. Key themes include:

• business and finance
• media and entertainment
• arts and humanities

Revision and Reinforcement

Students will go through intensive revision for the PSLE examination components. These include:

• recap of the requirements of the PSLE composition
• revision of grammar and synthesis and transformation rules
• recap of answering techniques and exam-savvy strategies
• emphasis on time management