SJKT LADANG YAM SENG

Reading programmes are synonymous with innumerable stacks of children's books, from which students derive key information, such as author, illustrator and publisher through a largely efferent reading process. It will not come as a surprise to find children picking up a book, filling out the book report and returning it to the shelf without even reading the story. This poignant death of joyful reading is an unfortunate outcome of monotonous, externally-rewarding reading programmes.  Thus, I began to look into various types of reading approaches such as narrow reading, extensive reading and intensive reading. The students of SJKT Ladang Yam Seng have been exposed to narrow reading through the graded Peter & Jane series since 2018. Consequently, their reading fluency saw a significant upward trajectory. However, their interest still could not be captivated to the fullest potential. Students still read the books as a means to achieve a target number of stickers. The genuine joy of

Puppetry is a traditional art form common to many communities. Its designs range from simple finger puppetry to the sophisticated contractions of marionettes and highly nuanced shadow puppets of South East Asia.  How can we expose children to this traditional art form of storytelling? We got a brilliant idea from the topic on mummies from the Year 4 CEFR Get Smart textbook. Mummies inspire awe and fear-induced fascination among all thanks to the popular The Mummy movie franchise. Thus, it was a no-brainer for us to jump straight into this project.  We found an easy DIY mummy template from the internet, printed them out and coloured them. After colouring, we cut out the pieces and laminated the disjointed limbs, head and torso. Then, we stitched the parts together to make simple mummy puppets that can move.  By M. Kasvini, Head of English Panel SJKT Ladang Yam Seng

This project aims to familiarise students with various types of life-forms in order to increase their interest in the natural world around them. Several species of small birds have been selected as class pets for each of the 6 classes in SJKT Ladang Yam Seng. These wonderful additions to our family include the smart Java Finch with their tuxedo-like plumage, the brightly-coloured parakeets and a mild-mannered dove. Despite initial plans to get mammalian companions for the children, we decided on aviary as they are less likely to disrupt the lessons. Also, mammals require more intricate care compared to birds.  This project also integrates digital skills by letting students scan the QR codes to access information about the birds. As many of our students do not own devices at home, this process provides valuable exposure to QR codes as a means of storing information.  Apart from that, students also learn how to feed the birds and refill the water. Hopefully, this aspect of the project in