Primary 1 English syllabus: What parents need to know

You may find this useful if your little one is entering Primary 1 next year. We have compiled an overview of what is included in the English syllabus of Primary 1.

This information is courtesy of the Singapore Ministry of Education.

Listening and Viewing

1. A Positive Disposition towards Active Listening and Viewing

• Develop a positive disposition by listening and viewing attentively for a sustained period, with empathy and respect, and by indicating response appropriately

2. Listening and Viewing Skills and Strategies

• Develop perception and recognition of sounds and words in context
• Develop listening and viewing for understanding by comprehending and interpreting information through the use of a range of listening and viewing skills and learner strategies to process information from spoken, audio and visual texts

3. Extensive Listening and Viewing

• Listen to, view and respond to a variety of texts in different contexts, i.e., conversations, personal recounts, poetry, narratives and procedures

Reading and Viewing

1. Reading Comprehension and Viewing Skills, Strategies, Attitudes and Behaviour

• Develop Beginning Reading through word identification, including decoding through phonics
• Develop Close Reading and Viewing at literal and inferential levels with scaffolding and support from the teacher during Shared Reading of a variety of children’s literature
• Respond and make personal connections with what is read and/ or viewed

2. Reading and Viewing Different Types of Rich Texts

• Read and view closely reading-age-appropriate selections of literary and informational/ functional texts for children from print and non-print sources

3. Extensive Reading and Viewing

• Read, view and respond to reading-age-appropriate texts and readers, i.e., poetry, personal recounts, narratives, procedures and information reports

Speaking and Representing

1. Features of Spoken Language

• Develop an awareness of the basic features of spoken language

2. Speaking and Representing Skills and Strategies

• Speak clearly and fluently with accurate pronunciation and appropriate intonation
• Plan and organise simple presentations by identifying purpose, audience and context for appropriate delivery
• Plan and organise presentations by conveying facts, ideas and points of view and by integrating selected audio and visual resources, and verbal and/ or non-verbal cues for effective delivery
• Interact and discuss with, and present and respond to different audiences to communicate meaning while observing appropriate behaviour and social norms

3. Types of Spoken Texts

• Produce and convey in multimodal ways a variety of spoken texts, i.e., conversations, poetry, personal recounts, narratives and procedures for different purposes, audiences, contexts and cultures.

Writing and Representing

1. Mechanics of Writing

• Develop writing readiness and write in print script
• Apply spelling skills and strategies accurately for writing age/year level-appropriate high frequency words

2. Writing and Representing Skills and Strategies

• Learn to write about and represent a shared experience, by generating, developing, organising and revising ideas together with the teacher

3. Types of Texts

• Produce a variety of texts for creative and personal expression and for academic and functional purposes, using an appropriate tone and register
• Texts for creative and personal expression are poetry (for exposure only), personal recounts and narratives. Texts for academic and functional purposes are lists, procedures, notes,  letters, email and notices, factual recounts, information reports, explanations and expositions.
• Focus on enjoyment and learning to write. Construct texts jointly with the teacher and the class.

Grammar

1. Use of Terms

• Focus on the experience and enjoyment of language
• Begin explicit teaching of metalanguage in meaningful contexts, based on the needs and abilities of pupils

2. Grammar at Word, Phrase and Sentence Levels 

• Apply knowledge of grammatical rules at the word, phrase and sentence levels

Vocabulary

1. Use of Terms

• Focus on the experience and enjoyment of language
• Begin explicit teaching of metalanguage in meaningful contexts, based on the needs and abilities of pupils

2. Development of Rich Vocabulary

• Develop vocabulary through exposure to rich texts and extensive reading
• Use various learner strategies to deduce the meaning of words

3. Use of Vocabulary

• Use words appropriate for purpose, audience, context and culture

We hope you found this information useful. What are your thoughts on the Primary 1 English syllabus? Do let us know by leaving a comment below.