English Language

English Language

English Language

Curriculum Framework:

In 2020, a new English Language (EL) Syllabus was introduced by the Ministry of Education (MOE). The EL Syllabus 2020 for the Primary level focuses on the development, reinforcement and extension of language skills in the primary years through an enjoyment of the language and the promotion of extensive reading; and leveraging oracy, reading and writing skills to develop knowledge and independent use of the language.

The curriculum framework is shown below:

Department Focus:

The WDP EL Department has the following focus for each level of pupils:

Learning Experiences:

  • Lower Primary Learning Experiences (Readers’ Theatre, Library Lessons and Fun Fridays)
    Our P1 and P2 pupils develop their self-confidence and presentation skills through the platform of Readers’ Theatre, using their voice, gestures and facial expressions to communicate the complexities of the plot and characters in the text which they read aloud as a class.

Once a week, pupils go to the library for storytelling sessions by their teachers and enjoy Aesop’s Fables, fairy tales and picture books which entertain and educate.

They also look forward to Fridays as these are days when pupils play English language games and build their knowledge about grammar and vocabulary, with attractive tokens to be won.


  • Middle Primary Learning Experiences (Library Lessons, Oracy Task and What’s Up Newspaper)

In P3 and P4, pupils visit the library weekly to explore different book genres each term and engage in hands-on activities from the National Library Board (NLB) to promote a love for reading and the language.

The P3 pupils learn how to write book reviews of their favourite books and discuss values gleaned from their reading, while the P4 pupils pick up summary-writing skills using news articles of interest value to them. By reading news articles from the What’s Up student newspaper, P4 pupils are exposed to global issues and current affairs. Teachers use these articles to generate class discussions and as prompts for regular writing and reflection. Pupils of both levels hone their oral reading fluency by reading their reviews aloud through the oracy tasks in P3 and P4.

  • Upper Primary Learning Experiences (What’s Up Newspaper, News@Woods)

Our P5 and P6 pupils are exposed to global issues and current affairs through their subscription to the What’s Up student newspaper as well as the News@Woods programme, which features different newsworthy topics each term through news articles and infographics. Students are also encouraged to write in to the What’s Up publishers to share their views and have their voices heard through this platform on global and current issues that resonate with them. Our students’ responses and submissions have been selected on numerous occasions over the years.

Core Programmes:

  • At WDP, we run a range of reading-related programmes year-round to create a whole-school environment that actively promotes reading for education and enjoyment.

Every term, there is a school-wide assembly book talk. In Term 1, we feature teachers telling their favourite stories. In Term 2, we invite a NLB Librarian to introduce a variety of book genres for each level and to recommend book titles which pupils would enjoy. In Term 3, pupils tell stories to their peers. For example, they learnt about traditional forms of storytelling and were treated to student librarians using ‘kamishibai’, a traditional Japanese storytelling art, to tell stories from Japan, Indonesia and Singapore. To round off, we also invite authors to give book talks and share tips on writing in Term 4.

A highlight of the year is the annual EL Reading Fest. In 2021, our theme was “Fact and Fiction” and we led pupils to explore the themes of fairy tales and mystery stories through a variety of activities and board displays.

Reading is a habit to be nurtured from young. We encourage Woodlanders to read regularly by borrowing books from the school library and acknowledge the top borrowers from each class and level. This takes place every month under the Readers@Woods programme.

Our school leaders and teachers enjoy reading too, and share their favourite books for primary school pupils on an ongoing basis through the “Teachers Read” displays.

  • Our school runs a range of Support Programmes for pupils who need additional help in English.

Learning Support Programme (LSP) (P1-P2)
LSP is a specialised early intervention programme that aims to provide learning support to pupils who enter Primary 1 with weak English language and literacy skills. The objective of LSP is to equip pupils with basic literacy skills so that they can access learning in the regular classroom.

KidsRead (P2)
kidsREAD is a nationwide reading programme run by NLB. It cultivates the love of reading among young children by engaging them in fun and interactive hands-on experiences facilitated by trained teachers. They are told stories and involved in story-related activities that spark their imagination and creativity.

School-based Dyslexia Remediation Programme (SDR) (P3-P4)
SDR is a two-year intervention programme that caters to the needs of pupils with difficulties associated with dyslexia. The support addresses key difficulties faced by children with dyslexia, such as phonological deficits, difficulty in making connections between letter sounds and letter names and weak memory. The programme is conducted in small groups by trained instructors and based on a remediation curriculum designed by MOE Reading Specialists.

Reading Remediation Programme (RRP) (P3-P4)
RRP is an intervention programme for pupils who are not at the correct reading age, even though they are not dyslexic. It aims to raise the reading competency of pupils who are not making sufficient progress in the development of literacy skills at the end of P2 at the word and text levels. It focuses on improving word recognition and spelling, fluency, vocabulary and reading comprehension of grade-level texts.

  • To deepen the love of English among pupils who display strong language skills, WDP runs the EL Excel Club as a key Enrichment Programme.

The objectives of the EL Excel Club are to:
1. Stretch and further develop pupils’ English Language abilities in the domains of Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening and Critical Literacy; and
2. Increase pupils’ interest and enthusiasm for the English Language

Pupils are exposed to the different facets of the language, with modules such as:

  • Public speaking
  • Storytelling
  • Writing Articles for the School Newsletter: Reporting of school events and writing opinion pieces
  • [Note: The WDP School Newsletters can be viewed here.]
  • Poetry Writing
  • Literature Circle: Viewing, Summarising, Analysis of Themes and Perspective-taking
  • Critical Literacy: Writing of book reviews and film reviews
  • Debating skills
  • Scrabble competitions

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