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After-school English Programmes for Primary Schools
Introduction
Grant Scheme on Promoting Effective English Language Learning in Primary Schools (PEEGS)
The Grant Scheme on Promoting Effective English Language Learning in Primary Schools is launched by the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) in the 2017/18 school year. Headstart Group has specially designed a series of programmes and corresponding services to support and assist primary schools to develop and implement school-based English enhancement measures.
To find out more about PEEGS and Headstart’s PEEGS service, please visit our PEEGS home page.
Trophy Programmes
Exam Preparation
Cambridge Young Learners English Test Programmes (P.1 – P.6 students)
Cambridge Young Learning English Test Programmes
Starters, Movers and Flyers (P1 to P6)
Programme Description
These programmes cover the vocabulary, all the question types and the test formats that will appear in the respective YLETs. There will also be two mock tests which give students the taste of the real tests. A supplementary vocabulary book will be distributed to provide additional learning support.
These programmes use tailor-made textbooks which are specially developed for the summer programmes. They aim to prepare students for the tests and to help them develop skills and confidence to achieve the best test results. These programmes are suitable for incoming P2 to P6 students who wish to sit for the tests during the summer holiday.
Headstart Group is pleased to be awarded the Cambridge English Exam Preparation Centre 2016-2017 certificate by the Cambridge English Language Assessment in recognition of its role in preparing and registering students for the Cambrdige examinations.
Oral & Interview Programmes
(P.4 – P.6 students)
Oral & Interview Programmes
Programme Description
Oral and Interview Programmes train P4, P5 and P6 students interview skills and help them acquire the vocabulary and knowledge they need to present their answers and ideas. The programmes build students confidence in presenting themselves in front of the interviewers and teach them manners and etiquettes. They provide students the best preparation for their secondary school interviews so that they can impress their interviewers and gain a chance to enter the schools of their choice. The programmes are theme based, covering all the important areas that are likely to come up in the interviews and offer many opportunities for students to engage in role plays and confidence building games and speaking practices.
Language Enhancement
Speakperfect (P.1 – P.6 students)
Speakperfect
Programme Description
Speakperfect is undoubtedly one of the most popular after-school English programmes offered by the Headstart Group over the last 10 years! This programme has helped many students become confident and fluent English speakers. Speakperfect makes use of the well-designed Speakperfect text book which provides students with many opportunities to engage in fun, interactive and meaningful speaking activities and tasks. Lessons are structured around themes helping students to develop vocabulary and appropriate language forms and structures. Students will listen to original songs and interesting stories and be encouraged to express their comments and views freely.
Creative Writer
(P.3 – P.4 students)
Creative Writer
Programme Description
It is not easy to be a strong writer, even to the most able students. It certainly helps if a student learns how to write effectively step-by-step at a young age. This is exactly the approach of the Headstart writing programmes. Creative Writer aims to build students’ writing skills from the ‘ground up’. At P3 level, Creative Writer starts with idea generation: what, where, when, why and how. Then it proceeds to work on students’ understanding of the importance of good word choice. Imagery helps the readers to picture and visualise a scene and makes the writing more real and vivid. Simplicity is best. Students will work to simplify their own sentences by cutting down words. Students will see how to use details and examples to strengthen their writing and how to use dialogue to make it lively.
At P4 level, students will delve into different genres of writings. They will learn that a poster requires very few words, a reply to a letter is just like answering questions; writing poem is fun and needs a mind that runs, and the subject in fictional writing could be totally unimaginable! This programme will also aim to enhance students’ vocabulary by providing them with a vocabulary bank at their disposal.
Read n Learn
(P.1 – P.2 students)
Read n Learn
Programme Description
Students love listening to stories. They want to find out who the good characters are, who the bad ones are, what happens to them and how the story will end. Good English is built upon good reading habit. Let’s get our young students to start reading! Read n Learn is a stimulating and fun reading programme which makes use of the “Reading Time” strategy to develop students’ interest in reading and to enhance their reading comprehension ability. The programme will use children’s all-time classics, favourite fables and rhymes to help vocabulary building, creativity and to build in our young students a strong foundation in English literacy.
Star Programmes
Skills Building
Phonics for Young Learners
(P.1 – P.6 students)
Phonics for Young Learners
Programme Description
P1 and P2
Phonics for Young Learners Level 1
Knowledge in phonics fundamentally strengthens spelling and oral reading abilities. Strong phonics skills allow our students to spell unseen words, pronounce new vocabulary, improve reading fluency and help their overall progress in English learning. Phonics for Young Learners Level 1 is the foundational level of the programme. It is suitable for students who have not had phonics lessons before or his knowledge of phonetic sounds is not secured. The programme covers fundamental vowels and consonants and provides a lot of reading materials for students to practice the sounds and to differentiate similar sounds. Fun activities, songs and rhymes will make the lessons enjoyable.
P3 and P4
Phonics for Young Learners Level 2
Phonics for Young Learners Level 2 is the 2nd level in the phonics programme and aims to polish or correct students’ pronunciation. Students will learn to differentiate short and long vowels and practice the consonant sounds. They will identify beginning and ending sounds and make rhyming sentences. They will read rhyming stories and listen to fun songs.
P5 and P6
Phonics for Young Learners Level 3
Phonics for Young Learners Level 3 is the 3rd and highest level in the phonics programme. It aims to teach students the exceptions in the phonics system so that they see the ‘tricky’ ways that some words are pronounced. They learn to blend, to recognise diagraphs and trigraphs and diphthongs (gliding vowels). Students will have fun sight reading, play phonics games and expand their vocabulary.
JumpStart English
(P.1 – P.2 students)
JumpStart English
Programme Description
JumpStart English is the most comprehensive programme which covers reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. It aims to give young students an all-round exposure to English; its curricula run from phonics to speaking, from reading comprehension to writing poems. There will be fun and interactive tasks and activities and students will enjoy singing songs and participating in friendly competitions.
Grammar Builder
(P.1 – P.4 students)
Grammar Builder
Programme Description
P1
Grammar Builder Level 1
Learning grammar can be fun and effective if the lessons are designed with the right types of exercises, tasks and stimulations. Grammar Builder Level 1 covers the fundamental and important grammar points, from subject-verb-object, to nouns, to modals to quantifiers. The aim is to help P1 students build a strong foundation in grammar.
P2
Grammar Builder Level 2
Grammar Builder Level 2 aims to strengthen P2 students’ grammar knowledge. The programme teaches articles, adjectives, pronouns, connectives and gerunds among others.
P3
Grammar Builder Level 3
Grammar Builder Level 3 consolidates students’ grammar knowledge while teaching them new and more complex grammar concepts. This programme focuses on tenses and compares timeline. Students will learn the correct way to present an event.
P4
Grammar Builder Level 4
Grammar Builder Level 4 enhances students grammar knowledge. It requires students to proof read and edit sentences and short passages. They will learn advanced grammar skills such as reported speech, passive voice, past and future perfect tense.
Spelling Bee
(P.1 – P.2 students)
Spelling Bee
Programme Description
Students will struggle with their writing if they don’t have good spelling ability. Spelling Bee targets to improve students’ ability to spell through context-based learning. They will learn how to spell numbers, months, seasons, words that describe weather, objects that they can find at school and at home and more. There will be fun activities such as cross-word puzzles and word scrambles to challenge them and to let them experience the joy of learning.
Creative and Fun
Creative Drama
(P.3 – P.5 students)
Creative Drama
Programme Description
Drama represents holistic learning! Participating in drama is a good way for students to learn to express themselves, cultivate confidence; develop social skills and learn and practice English at the same time. Creative Drama is a comprehensive programme for P3 and P6 students. It aims to give a good and solid introduction to students what drama is all about. Students will learn fundamental aspects of drama, beginning from its specific terms and vocabulary, to voice projection, to setting and scene to script writing and reading; and emotional expression and miming and body movement to finally take part in acting out a drama. Students will learn to speak with confidence and with appropriate tone and intonation to draw attention. Students may begin to love English from this Creative Drama programme.
NEW!
Reader’s Theatre
(P.1 – P.4 students)
Reader’s Theatre
Programme Description
Reader’s Theatre is a programme that combines reading comprehension, good pronunciation and voice control. When Reader’s Theatre takes away the need for students to memorise script, it provides students freedom to focus on how to read effectively with the appropriate intonation, emotion, articulation and pronunciation. This programme significantly enhances confidence in speaking and communication in English. The outcome is a fun and creative experience like being in a drama, except that it is a lot simpler to run and perform.