There and Back Again

Cover Page of STELLAR Unit 6. STELLAR stands for Strategies for English Language Learning and Reading. The programme is designed specifically for Singapore children by Singapore teachers. It was rolled out in 2006 and after nine years, all the primary schools use for all levels. STELLAR is an instructional programme and not a syllabus, and therefore it offers materials and strategies rather than an outline of teaching outcomes. As a result, some parents complain that it seems unstructured. However, from what I can see, there is a certainly a pattern that only an experienced teacher can detect. There are elements of explicit grammar instruction (like the lessons taught traditionally). But wrapped around these basics are stories that interest the kids instead of the boring old textbooks during our time. How does STELLAR work? I will focus on STELLAR at the lower primary levels since that is where my son is studying. There are three stages - Shared Book Approach (SBA), Modi...

Back in November 2015, my wife enrolled my son in this Math school called Concept Math. He has had been in math tuition before, first in Jelic and than in MPM. I thought Jelic was quite good, it featured self-learning activities that combined logic, math, fine motor skills, inference and a host of other skills. But I am not sure about MPM as it is a worksheet based lesson. And if you have been reading my blogs, you will realise that I am not a fan of too many worksheets. The reason why my wife chose Concept Math was because of the recommendations of her friend whose children are currently studying in the school. Not to mention, his good friend is also studying in the same class! I am not sure if he will enjoy the lessons or the teacher, but I am sure he will enjoy the company of his good friend.  I cannot say much about its programme, this being the first day and the fact that I am not a math teacher by trade (in fact, I stopped taking math as a subject after my 'O' lev...