NLB Reading Innovation Award

Section A: Application Write-up

Pre-School Centres are to provide a detailed write-up of their Reading
Programme(s), giving concrete evidence and specific examples, where
possible. The NLB strongly encourages the Centres to ensure that, their
write-up address the subject areas stated below and to include other
relevant information, including photos; images; videos; paper proof, where
applicable. This section should not exceed four (4) A4 pages.
<Please adhere to the following format: Arial Font Size 11, single
spacing>

What are the innovative features of the Reading Programme?

Why do you consider these features to be fresh and creative?
Please describe how the innovative programme encourages a love of

Please describe how teachers have engaged children and parents with
the Reading Programme.
Please provide evidence of continuous and sustained engagement to
build a whole school reading culture.
Please provide examples to show that children have benefitted from
the Reading Programme.
How has the Reading Programme cultivated the joy of reading among
children?

reading through the five (5) Early Literacy Practices of - Read, Write, Tell, Sing
and Play.

Title of Reading Programme: Shared Book Approach during Large

Group Lessons
The reading programme in our school believes in promoting childrens language
ability through the interactive reading of storybooks and building on these books with handson activities. Our school also believes that language is learnt when it is relevant and fun to
children. Most of the children who attend school in this centre, PCF Bedok Reservoir 508,
come from lower income families. These children do not have additional support from their
parents in their academic learning. In addition, a large group of our children do not speak
English as their first language. Instead, they use their mother tongue language on a daily
basis; this creates a difficulty in comprehending not only the English Lessons taught in
school, but also the Numeracy activities and other lessons as well. This is one of the many
reasons why our school adopts a Shared Book Approach. The Shared Book Approach not
only helps children to follow along as the teacher reads, it also helps children to construct
ideas and express their ideas based on the picture clues. This approach is done as a whole
class in the Nursery Level and is engaging as children answer and ask questions. It allows
all the children in the class to participate and does not create stress in children with a weaker
grasp of the English language as it rarely singles children out unless the teacher intentionally
does so.
The Shared Book Approach practiced by PCF Bedok Reservoir 508 promotes
childrens listening, reading and telling skills as the children would be paying attention to the
story being read, they would be making eye contact when they are spoken to, they would
respond to stories with their facial expressions. In addition, they would be required to identify
main events in the story, either via open ended questions by the teacher or with pictorials
with which they will have to arrange according to the story line; the children would also have
to listen and follow instructions when role play actions from the book is required. Before
every lesson begins, children would be introduced to a song as a tune-in to the story during
the lesson. The song would be related to the book and theme of the term and this would
touch on one of the aspects of the five Early Literacy Practices. The children would also be
required to predict the story using picture clues and express their ideas with sentences and
their speech. Children would also have to respond to what questions about the story which
shows their understanding of the vocabulary and the events they have experienced in the
own daily lives. Lastly, the Shared Book Approach promotes looking at, pointing to and
talking about the pictures shown in the book. The children would be encouraged to listen for
rhyming words, listen for and identify repetitive words or phrases. Some children who are
advanced in their grasp of the English Language would even comment and ask questions
about the book (pictures or part of the book) and would recall the main events in the book.
Using the Shared Book Approach allows the teacher to be innovative in the way she
assesses children on their understanding of the story. Depending on the type of story, the
teacher is able to create fun assessment methods for children. One example would be the
story on Goldilocks and the Three Bears. After reading the story a few times and providing
children with a different medium to understand the story, i.e., iPad, the teacher provided the
children with different props that would allow them to role play the story. Some of the props
include small, medium, large bowls, small, medium, large chairs, etc. This would not only
allow the teacher to assess childrens understanding of the story but also assess one of the
Numeracy skills, which is sequencing by sizes. (Refer to picture in Annex F) Traditional
emphasis for assessment for childrens learning is on marks and grades, but the teacher
would promote love for reading in children by using props, puppets or picture cards instead
of marks and grades. Also, children are encouraged to create things in relation to the
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storyline. For example, if the book talks about going to the market, children can create a
shopping list. Or if the book talks about having a birthday party, they can create birthday
cards or letters or simply draw pictures so that there is a follow-up after the reading of the
book. Teachers in PCF Bedok Reservoir 508 are encouraged to show love for language and
reading books so as to set a good example to the children. We also encourage children to
use good language and we comment positively when good language is used by a child.
Another one of the innovative ways the teachers use to encourage the love for
reading is using different ways to tell stories. Our school aims to provide children with
different learning mediums, thus the school provides teachers with iPads that has Wi-Fi
connection. This would allow the teachers to download eBooks or stream story videos. The
teachers and principal believe that each child learn differently, and to provide for the different
learning styles of the children, the school would provide storytelling using different mediums,
including the Big Book, story with videos, narration by the author in videos, telling the story
using movements, etc. One example of this storytelling strategy would be the story Were
Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen. (Link of video can be found in Annex E) The
lesson plan initially intended for the teacher to read the Big Book with the children. However,
as more research was done by the teacher on the web, she realized that there are actions to
the story and the story can be read in such a way that it includes a rhythm. After going
through the video on YouTube by Michael Rosen, the author, narrating the story, the teacher
realizes that it is more interactive and fun for the children to do the actions together with the
story and she predicted that the children would have a deeper impression and understanding
of the main key words taught in the story; over, under and through. Thus, the lesson plan
was edited. Movements, music and rhythm were added into the lesson to aid children who
are weaker in their grasp of the English lesson as the children would have a concrete and
visual understanding of the meaning of the 3 main key words: over, under and through.
During the first lesson, the Big Book of We Are Going on a Bear Hunt is still read to the
children and the teacher would make use of a pointer to point at the words read; doing this
would foster a slow analysis of print, from left to right, up to down by training the eyes to
scan letters in a word from the left to right. After the children are familiar with the storyline,
the teacher introduces the video and encourage children to follow the movements shown in
the video. This helps the children understand the meaning of the words over, under and
through, and gives children a context in which they can use the words in a sentence, which
would then aid them in using these words confidently in future in their daily lives. This lesson
plan was edited in accordance to the 6 iTeach Principles in the Kindergarten Curriculum
Framework. The 6 iTeach principles are: Integrated Approach to Learning, Teachers as
Facilitators of Learning, Engaging Children in Learning through Purposeful Play, Authentic
Learning through Quality Interactions, Children as Constructors of Knowledge, and Holistic
Development.
The Nursery teacher believes that all lessons should be integrated as children do not
compartmentalise their learning and that learning experiences should be planned as a whole
as stated by the first principle of the iTeach Principles Integrated Approach to Learning.
Therefore, instead of following the original lesson plan which stated that it should simply be
the reading of the Big Book, the teacher added in movements (Motor Skills Development)
and rhythm (Music and Movement) to reach out to the children who are kinesthetic learners.
The teacher also showed the story in the form of a video with the author narrating the story
to reach out to the children who are visual learners and also the children who are auditory
learners. Secondly, the nursery teacher also believes strongly in the second iTeach Principle,
which states that teachers should be facilitators of learning. The lesson has achieved this
second principle as the teacher did not carry out the entire lesson as it had been stated in
the original lesson plan; she planned and provided for learning in a variety of contexts and
used a wide range of teaching strategies to engage the children. Thirdly, the third iTeach
Principle was also integrated in the planning of this lesson, and also all the Large Group
lessons that will be conducted in class. The third iTeach Principle states that children should
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be engaged in learning through purposeful play. The children who have gone through the
edited version of the lessons on Were Going on a Bear Hunt are able to clearly state and
show their understanding of the meaning of the 3 key words over, under, and through.
Their language and motor skills are refined in these series of lessons and they are given
opportunities to move along to the story and were given free space to express themselves.
The edited lessons involves learning objectives which have been thought through by the
teacher while taking into considerations childrens interests and learning styles. This makes
the childrens learning enjoyable and the children have requested to read the story many
times even after the series of lessons were over. The next iTeach Principle states that the
children should experience authentic learning through quality interactions. This principle
believes that children should be given opportunities to interact with objects, the physical
environment and people, in contexts that are real, relevant and meaningful to them. Thus, a
discussion is done at the end of every story telling session to listen to childrens opinions and
answer their questions. Children have shown understanding of the 3 words, over, under and
through, by using these 3 words in their daily lives in school after the series of lessons.
Children are also often encouraged to predict the story by looking at the pictorial clues
shown on the book. This shows that using the iTeach Principles to re-evaluate current
existing lesson plans is not only a good way to create holistic learning, which is the last
iTeach principle, for the children as they develop a clearer understanding of the concepts
aimed to be taught to them, they also enjoy the different variety of learning methods
provided to them. This enjoyment encourages the children to love reading and storytelling to
their peers themselves.
In addition to using the Michael Rosen Were Going on a Bear Hunt video in class
during lessons, the teacher has also incorporated this video in one of the weekly Friday
assembly which involves all the children in the centre. The teachers have frequent
discussions and meetings to share about the lessons carried out and what they have done
which benefits childrens learning. When this lesson was shared by the Nursery teacher to all
the teachers in the centre, the teachers commented that this video was fun and engaging,
and they suggested using this video as one of the activities for the weekly Friday assembly.
This not only allows the Nursery children to be learning about the story and the rhythm of the
story, this also promotes self-confidence in the Nursery children as they have prior
knowledge of this particular video and are all able to follow the movements and narrate the
story along with the narrator. Children from K1 and K2 are also involved in the weekly Friday
assembly and as they all have be exposed to this particular story before, they are able to
catch up with the movements and narration on the second playing of the video. The teachers
in PCF Bedok Reservoir 508 has a sustained culture of sharing teaching methods with each
other during meaningful discussions. It involves sharing of reading methods, questioning
methods, different ways of approaching story-telling and the various sites that can be used
to show video stories, etc. Also, the centre supervisor (Principal) have always placed heavy
emphasis on the use of open-ended questions to facilitate childrens thinking and their
answering of these questions. These strategies shared by the teachers and centre
supervisor promotes a creative and fun reading culture in the school that is not only
practiced by the Nursery level, but also throughout all classes in the centre.
In addition to using the Shared Book Approach as one of the strategies to promote love
of reading in children, the school believes in providing children with concrete experiences
with books and giving them first-hand experience of handling books. Thus, in relation to the
theme in Term 2, which is Places around Us, the school invited Molly the Mobile Library to
the school and the children were given opportunities to explore the books aboard the mobile
library. The children were excited and were engrossed in browsing through the books. (Refer
to picture in Annex A) As children requested to borrow the books on the mobile library, the
Nursery teachers planned the field trip for Term 2 on the childrens request and interest, and
brought the children to the neighbourhood library. Prior to the field trip, the Nursery teachers

gave our application forms for the NLB membership to parents and helped to get the
membership cards ready for the children before the field trip day.
To allow the field trip to be a more meaningful experience to the children, pre-field trip
and post-field trip lessons were planned. (Refer to Annex D for the lesson plans). These
lessons allow the children to demonstrate their existing knowledge on their neighbourhood
library and the expected behaviour, and also gives the teacher an understanding on how to
build on childrens current existing knowledge. The lessons were conducted in a discussion
setting and the childrens opinions were noted down on a large piece of blank paper.
In the library, they were given a physical tour of the library, brought into a room and a
storytelling session was conducted by the NLB staff. Also, children were shown how to
borrow books and take good care of the public books. After the demonstration on how to
borrow books form the librarian, children were given opportunities to borrow books on their
own; they learnt how to insert their library card, scan the book they wanted to borrow and
collect the return slip from the machine all on their own. These experiences help children see
the fun in reading and visiting the library, which would in turn encourage a love for reading in
the children. In addition, the Nursery teachers have handed out letters to parents to
encourage the parents to cultivate the love for reading in children by bringing the children to
the Library often to explore the books provided.
Our schools Nursery level adopts a Shared Book Approach according to themes. Each
term has a unique theme which the teachers would then build on with storybooks. For Term
4, the theme for the Nursery level is Tools and Machines. One of the storybooks
incorporated in the lessons is the book Harvey the Carpenter by Lars Klinting. The book not
only introduces to the children what a carpenter is, it also introduces the different tools that a
carpenter would use and how the carpenter would use it. As most children would not have
had much prior knowledge or exposure to the tools stated in the book, the book was read
several times to the children over a series of lessons The tools stated in the book were then
intentionally placed in the Dramatic Play Centre in the childrens classroom; this would not
only reinforce their memory of these tools, it would also reinforce in children the uses of
these tools. (Refer to pictures in Annex B) Children are required to fix a broken car (which is
provided in the form of a car made out of cardboard) with the toy tools they can find in the
Dramatic Play Centre. (Refer to picture in Annex C) They would be supervised and guided
by a teacher to use the tools in the appropriate manner when playing in the Dramatic Play
Centre. This would provide children with a continuation of learning, from the storybook in
their Large Group Lessons to their Dramatic Play time. In addition, this would also promote a
love for reading as children would be able to relate the storyline from the book to the things
they see in real life, providing children with a concrete experience to enhance their
understanding of the tools. This would encourage childrens love for reading as they not only
listened to the story and read it along with the teacher, they would also be able to be
engaged in telling their own version of the story by playing in the Dramatic Play Centre
containing the tools. Assessment of the childrens understand of the tools and uses of the
tools can be simply seen during the dramatic play during Learning Corner time. This would
touch on the Play part of the five Early Literacy Practices. During circumstances when
children show deeper interest in a particular topic, they are also guided to create KWL
charts. The K in the KWL chart stands for what the children already know, the W stands
for what the children wants to know, and the L stands for what the children have learnt.
This chart allows the children to not only write/draw and note down their existing knowledge,
it deepens their learning by getting them to think about what they would like to learn about
the particular topic.
The reading programme and approach used by PCF Bedok Reservoir 508 is
innovative, fresh and creative as it not only promotes childrens interest in reading, it allows
children to handle concrete materials or pictorials. It also provides different methods for
storytelling to reach out to children with different learning styles. The teachers in PCF Bedok
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Reservoir 508 work hard to plan and edit lessons according to the 6 iTeach Principles
Framework so as to create more interactive, engaging and fun Literacy lessons which
ultimately foster the joy of reading among the children under their care.

Section B: Supporting Documents

Please attach relevant documents, such as photographs, that help provide
evidence and examples to support the submission. For video CD/DVD, it is
to be submitted in hard copy together with the application form.

Annex A

Annex B

Annex C

Annex D

Pre-Fieldtrip Plan
Level: NN
Date: 27 May 2014
Objectives:
1. To learn more about their neighbor library and supermarket.
2. Children will discuss and share what are the dos and donts (appropriate
behavior) in the library and supermarket.
3. Children will practice speaking in simple sentences to greet and
communicate with people in the library and supermarket.
Materials:
Rhyme chart: We are going on a trip;
Mahjong papers and markers to chart childrens comments;
Possible tools such as chairs, tables, soft blocks, etc. for role-play purposes.
Tuning in
1. Teacher will lead children to sing the rhyme we are going on a trip.
2. Teacher will lead children to discuss about the trip by asking them where
they are going on the next day.
Suggested questions for the discussion.
(Teacher guide and reinforce children to answer in complete sentences.)

Do you know where we are going? (Ans: We are going to the

library. We are going to the supermarket.)

Do you know which library (or supermarket) we are going to?

Have you been to that library (or supermarket)?

What did you do/see/hear in the library (or supermarket)?

Do you like going to the library (or supermarket?)

Why?
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Main activity
1. Teacher to guide children to the main activity
Teacher: Yes we are going to the library and supermarket tomorrow.
Teacher: And just like in the school and in our class, they have rules that
we need to follow.
2. Teacher guide teacher and provide necessary aide such as
Teacher: Children you have been to the library, do you think it is a good
thing to run in the library?
3. As children share and discuss, teacher to record childrens comments
Sample Chart Format:
What do you do ?
In the library
Donts

At the supermarket
Dos

Donts

1) We cannot
run

Dos

3) We cannot
run

2) We cannot
talk loudly

Example:
If children mention they cannot run, have children discuss and suggest
what should be the appropriate behaviour.
E.g Ans: We need to walk softly with our walking feet.
4. Teachers extend childrens discussion and have children think of the
rationale behind the rules.
Teacher: Children why do you think it is not right to run in the library?
Teacher: What is the library for? (Ans: A quiet place for people to read
and look at books)
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Teacher: Do you think we can read and look at books if there are people
running around?
Teacher: If you are reading and some children are playing and running,
what will happen?
5. As we conduct discussion, have children volunteer to role-play scene in
the library.
6. Teachers can conduct the role-play as suggested:
Teachers read the inappropriate action scenario, have children discuss
what the appropriate action is.
Then have children volunteer to role play the appropriate action.
(Teacher can also guide children to role-play the inappropriate action)
7. Extend the discussion and role play to what are the appropriate actions
to some of the possible scenarios in the library or supermarket.
8. For example:
Teacher: Imagine you are now at the supermarket and you need help to
find milk, what must you do?
Children: Look for the shop assistants.
Teacher: What must we say?
Children: Excuse me, aunty/uncle, can you tell me where I can find
cheese?
Teacher: And after you have get the cheese, what must you say?
Children: Thank you for the help.
(Other possible scenarios: looking for a book in the library, making
payment at the cashier, etc.)
Closure
1. Have children settle and gather in a semi-circle at the circle area.
2. Have children recap what are the appropriate actions they have discussed
(run through the chart once again).
3. Have children sing the song we are going on a trip (improvised version)

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Example:
We are going to the library x2
Hey ho the merry o we are going to the library
We need to talk softly x2
Hey ho the merry o we need to talk softly
(repeat the same for supermarket, get ideas from the discussion chart)

Post-Fieldtrip Plan
Level: NN
Date: 30 June 2014
Objectives:
4. To learn about their neighborhood library and supermarket.
5. Children will discuss and share what are the dos and donts (appropriate
behavior) in the library and supermarket.
6. Children will recap and recall their neighborhood library and supermarket
7. Children will practice speaking in simple sentences in sharing experiences
and information about the supermarket and library.
Materials:
Rhyme chart: We are going on a trip;
Mahjong papers and markers to chart childrens comments;
Possible tools such as chairs, tables, soft blocks, etc. for role-play purposes.
Tuning in
3. Teacher will lead children to sing the rhyme we are going on a trip.
4. Teacher will lead children to discuss about the trip by asking them to
recap and recall about the library and supermarket trip.
Suggested questions for the discussion.
(Teacher guide and reinforce children to answer in complete sentences.)

Do you remember where we had gone?

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Do you know which library (or supermarket) we had gone?

Have you been to that library (or supermarket)?

Who did you gone to the library (or supermarket) with?

What did you do/see/hear in the library (or supermarket)?

Do you like going to the library (or supermarket?)

Why?

Main activity
9. Teacher informs children that she has some interesting photos to show
them.
10. Teacher shows children photos taken in the library and supermarket.
11. Teacher guides children to recall what they were doing and what they
have done, how they felt (happy, excited, etc.), what they liked and why
they liked about the activity.
12. Teacher gives children a piece of paper and has them draw things they
like about the trip. It could be shopping for items in the supermarket,
choosing books in the library, listening to storytelling, etc.
13. Inform children that they have only 10 mins to complete the drawing
activity and they need to stay focus and work fast.
Closure
4. After children have completed their drawing, teacher gathers children
back to the circle area.
5. Teacher gets children to settle and sit in a semi-circle at the circle area.
6. Teacher informs children that they need to take turns to share and talk
about what they have drawn.
7. Teacher informs children to exercise consideration and politeness by
staying quiet and listen when friends are talking and sharing about their
drawing.
8. Teacher guides children to share what they have drawn and why they
have drawn this.
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9. Teachers record childrens sharing. (Notes taken of childrens sharing

needs to be transfer and attach to their drawing).

Annex E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gyI6ykDwds

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Annex F

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Thank You
Please ensure that all sections (A and B) have been completed and supporting
documents are included with the application form. Submissions must reach the Early
Read team by 5p.m on Wednesday 15th October 2014 via both email
(earlyread@nlb.gov.sg) and hard copy (3 sets, non-returnable) to the following
address:

Early Read Team

Reading Innovation Award
Public Library Services Group
National Library Board
Jurong Regional Library
21 Jurong East Central 1
Singapore 609732

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