A Study of Language and Literacy in a P1 Classroom in Singapore: Exploring Teaching and Learning Practices.

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A Study of Language and Literacy in a P1
Classroom in Singapore Exploring Teaching and
Learning Practices. Monica Sharma Menon
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Outline of Seminar Session

• Introduction
• Pre-school scene
• SEED and STELLAR
• Research questions and significance of study
• Literature review
• Deficit theory
• Singapore research
• Funds of Knowledge
• Methodology Case study using Interpretive
  Inquiry
• Preliminary findings

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Current Pre-school Scene

• Pre-school education is not compulsory
• Curriculum framework (MOE) is a guideline
• the framework is not meant to be prescriptive
  () I hope the curriculum framework will serve as
  a useful reference point to many in the field of
  early childhood education in Singapore (Ms Ho
  Peng, Director of the Education Programmes
  Division, MOE, A Framework for the Kindergarten
  Curriculum in Singapore, 2003 )

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Current Pre-school Scene

• MOE (kindergartens), MCYS (child care-centres)
• 488 kindergartens registered with the MOE, 266
  of them are PCF kindergartens
• 67 send their children to PCF
• 28 - Reggio-Emelia, Waldorf Steiner,
  Montessori, Madrasah etc
• remaining 5 - no pre-school education
• Cost factors- 6586 reported cases of families
  on the Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme
  (MCYS Website, 2005).
• concerns about disparity, varying standards

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From Pre-school to Primary one SEED
(Strategies for Effective and Engaged Development)

• part of TLLM initiative (2004)
• Piloted in 2004
• Full implementation (in phases) w.e.f 2005
• Effective and engaged development
• age-appropriate methods
• All subject areas
• Schools given autonomy, holistic learning,
  alternative assessment etc

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STELLAR within SEED

• STELLAR - Strategies for Effective Language
  Learning and Reading
• Feedback from lower primary SEED teachers
  greater standardisation, more structure and
  guidance
• Feedback from EL review committee EL standards
• STELLAR phase 1 - 2006
• STELLAR phase 2 2007
• Total implementation 2009

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More about STELLAR

• Similar to REAP implemented in 1980s Reading
  and English Acquisition Programme
• Big Book titles - REAP
• Activities centered around books SBA, MLEA and
  LC - 29 big books in P1, 25 in P2 MLEA, Learning
  Centres
• Mentor assigned to each school to ensure quality
  and standardisation
• 5 workshop sessions
• Books, worksheets and guidelines provided
• General Guidelines Specific Guidelines
• Specific questions are given for each page
  (sometimes with expected response)

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Some concerns about STELLAR
Researchers caution against carrying out the
lesson procedures in a very technical manner as
this may lead to a situation of deskilling of
teachers (Apple, 1980,1986 Breen,1995 Richards
1993, 2006) where the teachers role is
trivialised and marginalised to that of little
more than a technician (Richards,
1993,p.48). Thrust of the SBA approach -
collaborative, negotiated meaning-making and
joint exploration of the text is made possible by
the talk that is generated in an environment that
simulates bedtime reading with its secure,
comfortable and supportive environment
(Sripathy, 1998, p.271).
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Concerns about STELLAR
STELLAR revolves around the structure of
questioning, encouraging talk and negotiated
meaning-making around books. Such an approach,
therefore, is going to privilege children who
already possess school-type literacy practices
and who come from middle-class backgrounds having
had the opportunity to attend high end
pre-schools or enrichment classes. What about
children without such school-type literacy
experiences? What is being done to cater for them?
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Research Question
How does a Primary One classroom teacher access
childrens funds of knowledge in her daily
practices in developing literacy?
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Defining of funds of knowledge
The term funds of knowledge will be defined
those historically accumulated and culturally
developed bodies of knowledge and skills
essential for household or individual functioning
and well-being (Moll Gonzalez, 1994, p.443).
Examples cited by Moll and Gonzalez (1994)
include what families know about repairs,
carpentryknowledge related to jobs in the
working class segment of the labour
marketcultivation of plants, folk remedies,
herbal curesarcheology, biology (p.443). It
would therefore be an accumulation of the
household knowledgeits originsfamily members
employment, occupationsand household
activities (p. 443). It would also include
knowledge of EL, negotiated learning, experiences
with talk
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Other related questions

• At the administration/planning level
• What do the school administrators (HOD,
  Principal) understand by funds of knowledge?
  What is their view, opinion of it?
• What is being done to gather information on
  pupils funds of knowledge within the
  school/classroom?
• How is the school working with parents/homes to
  ensure school success?

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More questions

• At the implementation/classroom level
• What is the classroom teachers understanding of
  funds of knowledge? What is her view, opinion,
  understanding of it? Beliefs, practices?
  Knowledge of the language? Knowledge of skills?
• What opportunities do pupils have in the
  classroom to demonstrate and share what they
  know?
• Why does the teacher teach the way she does?
• How, if at all, does the teacher work with
  pupils and parents to optimise their home
  literacy practices and make connections in
  school?

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Significance of the study

• Advancement of researcher's own understanding
  more informed, sophisticated not just about
  pointing out teacher talk
• Insights into P1 classroom practices and
  pedagogy
• The study will document, map and describe common
  practices in the classroom.
• Used as a platform to study other P1 classrooms
• Whether implementation of STELLAR needs further
  analysis

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Literature Review
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Literature Review
Deficit Theory Children from diverse backgrounds,
minority groups and those who come from
non-English speaking homes, who are not
acculturated into school-type literacy practices
of the dominant discourse, are facing some form
of deficit in language and literacy acquisition
(Au, 1998 Heath, 1994 Luke Kale, 1997
McCarthey, 1997 Michaels, 1991 Moll Gonzalez,
1994 Moll et al, 2005). poor not only
economically but in terms of quality of
experiences (Moll, et al, 2005, p. 71) and thus,
they must be saved or rescued (Moll Gonzalez,
1994, p.444).
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Literature Review

• Incongruence between home and school
• Heaths ethnographic study Roadville,
  Trackton,
• Michales study (sharing time - Deena and the
  brown coat) topic centering vs topic
  associating
• McCarthy teachers focus were on the children
  who already had school type literacy practices
• Incongruence between home and school literacy
  practices leading to school failure

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Research in Singapore

• Reading Skills Project Team 1984 (REAP) headed
  by Ng Seok Moi looked at home backgrounds with
  a purpose to design the curriculum
• REAP first mooted at 1984 RELC Seminar on
  Communicative Language Teaching (Cheah, 2003)
• Cheah (1998) has also analysed the English
  Language Syllabus and noted that while
  learner-centredness and an appreciation of
  culture is mentioned, the syllabus is unclear
  about focus

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Research in Singapore

• Sripathy cultural scripts (1998, 2007)
• cultural scripts an ethnic DNA that the
  individual carries with him by virtue of being
  born into a community and family. The individual
  is taught from birth the values, beliefs and ways
  of being within that community, which then become
  ingrained. This cultural script represents our
  knowledge of actions, meanings, ideas and events.
  This is engraved as schemata and is acquired by
  children through participation in social events
  within that community and family culture.
  (Sripathy, 2007, p.75)
• Research looked at samples of the concepts of
  learning and child rearing and values inherent in
  these Singaporean cultures.

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Research in Singapore

• CRPP - Core, Panel 3 Classroom practices
  (2005)
• 1200 lessons (primary/secondary) coding scheme
• TSLN learner-centred lessons, level of
  engagement, teacher talk
• Quantitative
• In Singapore, little attention is being given to
  how teachers can engage with learners cultural
  experiences and validate their home/out of school
  practices by introducing related literacy events
  into the classroom.

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Funds of Knowledge

• Moll et al (2005) - complex social networks that
  intertwine and interconnect people with their
  social environments
• what goes on in the homes is highly useful in
  crafting lessons in the classroom and extending
  learning
• Moll Gonzalez (1994) - teacher-researchers made
  use of the repositories of knowledge (p. 445)
  gathered through their home visits to craft
  themes and modules for school curriculum

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Methodology
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Methodology

• Socio- constructivists framework socio-
  constructivism (Au, 1998 Corden, 2000 Cazden,
  2001 Lewis, 1999)
• Moll Gonzalez (2005) have used (Vygotskys)
  theories of the zone of proximal development
  (ZPD) in identifying the cultural resources and
  funds of knowledge of the home and community to
  assist students in maximising learning in school.

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Case Study Methodology using Interpretive Inquiry

• Researcher comes to conclusions by interpreting
  the messages, symbols and interactions that are
  present in the research milieu (Ellis, 1998
  Packer Addison, 1989).
• An unfolding of the taken-for-granted ways
  (Ellis, 1998)
• Moving backwards and forwards within the
  hermeneutic circle (Ellis, 1998).
• Forward portion - projection - whereby
  researchers seek to make some initial sense of
  the current situation using their own prejudices
  and preconceived ideas.
• Backward arc - evaluation - seeks to
  reexamine the initial interpretations and reflect
  on the processes, gaps or inconsistencies (Ellis,
  1998).

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Case Study Methodology using Interpretive Inquiry
An illustration

• Earlier study (LSP) - researcher uncovered how
  the mainstream curriculum materials imposed
  expectations on Primary One pupils. Those who did
  not posses school type literacy were at risk of
  failing and slated for Learning Support
  intervention. This led to questions such as,
• What is being done by classroom teachers to
  assist children to acquire school-type literacy
  so that they do not end up in LSP classes?

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Case Study Methodology using Interpretive Inquiry
An illustration
Researcher made comparison between the existing
STELLAR curriculum materials and the REAP
materials. REAP was discontinued shortly after
the introduction of the 1991 syllabus was
implemented. Why then was a reintroduction of a
similar type programme made in 2006?
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Case Study Methodology using Interpretive Inquiry

• Spiral effect into the next loop
• Not about validating timeless truth (empirical
  data, qualitative analysis)
• Look at researcher's own perspectives
• Acknowledge biases, hunches, wonderings and
  helps researcher to reflect on them
• The important feature - Has the concern been
  advanced?

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Data to be examined

• Available documents on curriculum issues
• Implementation of the EL programme in the school
  (SEED, STELLAR)
• Lesson observations
• Interview with class teacher and HOD.
• Literacy artefacts in and out of the classroom.

Data Analysis

• Inductive approach, emerging themes and patterns
  
• What data surfaces

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Preliminary Findings
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The Teacher and the HOD

• Literacy Experiences of Pupils in Primary 1
• I feel that it is very important for me as a
  language teacher to know what the child is coming
  to me with. I personally dont believe that
  children come as blank slates. They do come with
  a lot of knowledge, a lot of experience. And
  every child is at a different starting point in
  January.
• Working with Parents and Families school
  programmes, activities, teacher initiated
• Communication, Expectations and Cascading
• MOE, HOD, SEED Coordinator, Level Rep, Class
  Teacher e.g. STELLAR all the way to P6?

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The Teacher and the HOD

• Support and Resources differentiation,
  curriculum customisation
• At the moment, the only form of support that we
  have had is through the STELLAR workshops. Other
  than that, we do have level meetings but through
  the level meetings there is never any sharing of
  lessons or strategies of how to attend to
  children who need us a bit more. There is very
  little help from the coordinator or from the
  level head or subject head or HOD because it just
  seems that the teachers are supposed to just
  think for themselves and just do what they think
  is right. However, when teachers do not finish
  the required number of worksheets, which are
  given, the teachers are asked why. And it is
  frowned upon if you do a bit more than others or
  if you do things a little differently from
  others, its not really an accepted or the done
  thing.

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The Teacher and the HOD

• The Strategies, Values and Beliefs of the
  Teacher
• Good literacy practices are those which allow the
  child to connect his prior experience, his
  everyday routine and regime, in the daily lessons
  that go on, which allow the child to bring his
  world into the classroom. And then take from the
  classroom what is being given and then, bring it
  back into his world to use it in his speech, in
  his writing. It has to be relevant.

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• Classroom Interaction Patterns Preliminary
  Framework for Analysis
• The suggested framework is based on the work of
  Cazden (2001), Cordon (2000), Tsui (2004) and
  Wells (1995).

• What patterns and structures of classroom
  interaction constitute scaffolding?
• In what way do these patterns and structures
  demonstrate how the teacher is scaffolding and
  extending student learning?
• How does the teacher, as master craftsman,
  demonstrate and model good literacy practices to
  ensure that pupils are apprenticed into being
  good learners?
• What appropriation strategies does the classroom
  teacher employ?
• How does the classroom teacher vary the context
  through semantic variation to bring about maximum
  literacy learning?

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Classroom Interaction Patterns Preliminary
Framework for Analysis

• Prior Knowledge and Semantic Variation of the
  Space of Learning
• Explicit Teaching
• Modelling and Demonstrating
• Questioning
• Revoicing and Reformulating
• Recapitulation and Extension
• Praise and Affirmation

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References
Apple, M.W. (1980). Ideology and Curriculum.
London Routeledge Kegan Paul. Au, K. H.
(1998). Social constructivism and the school
literacy learning of students of diverse
backgrounds. Journal of Literacy Research 30 (2),
297-319. Cazden, C. (2001). Classroom
discourse The language of teaching and learning.
Portsmouth, N.H. Heinemann. Cheah,Y.M. (2003).
English language teaching in Singapore today. In
W.K. Ho, R.Y.L. Wong, (Eds.), English
Language Teaching in East Asia Today Changing
Policies and Practices (pp351-374). Singapore
Eastern Universities Press. Cordon, R. (2000).
Literacy and learning through talk Strategies
for the primary classroom. Philadelphia Open
University Press. Curriculum Planning and
Development Division. (2001). English Language
Syllabus Primary and Secondary. Singapore
Ministry of Education.
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References
Ellis, J.L (1998). Interpretive inquiry as a
formal research process. In J.L Ellis (Ed)
Teaching from understanding Teacher as
interpretive inquirer (pp15-32). New York
Garland Publishing. Gonzalez, N. (2005). Beyond
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Funds of knowledge Theorizing practices in
households, communities and classrooms
(pp.29-46). London Lawrence Earlbaum Assosciates
Heath, S.B. (1985). Ways with words. New York
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Language and Literacy in Social Practice.
Clevedon Multilingual Matters. Lewis, C. (2001).
Literary practices as Social Acts Power, Status
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Lawrence Earlbaum Ass. Publishers.
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References
Luke, A Kale, J. (1997). Learning through
difference cultural practices in early childhood
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Q and A