Course on KSSR

   It is high time I update this blog. I do have lots to write about, but I haven't had time to do it. Honestly, how will I manage when practicum starts next week?

   Anyway, let's get to the topic. Today I attended a course on KSSR, which stands for Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah. Did you know that the curriculum for Malaysian schools is revised and updated every ten years? This is the stages that our curriculum has gone through, as far as I can remember:

   1983 - KBSR: Kurikulum Baru Sekolah Rendah
   1993 - KBSR: Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Rendah
   2003 - KBSR: Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Rendah (revised)
   2011 - KSSR: Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah

   The course provided a lot of information on KSSR, but I shall try to be brief and explain a little bit on what it is about, focusing especially on the teaching and learning of English.

   Basically, in KSSR language skills are taught in stages, throughout the week.For example, there are 5 schooling days in a week. Therefore, language skills will be taught as follows:

   Day 1 - Listening & Speaking
   Day 2 - Reading
   Day 3 - Writing
   Day 4 - Grammar
   Day 5 - Language Arts

   In addition, each week will focus on only one theme. Therefore, if the theme for the week is on 'My Family', the teacher must plan lessons according to the skill set for the day.

    I find this system very organised and makes it easier for teachers to plan lessons. This way, the lesson can progress from one stage to another, and children do not get muddled up by too many activities in one lesson. At the same time, they may also follow the lesson at their own pace, and participate as much as they can because they only need to focus on a particular skill for one day. However, of course there will also be an integration of skills when necessary.

   One of the evident elements in KSSR is that it focuses on teaching English so that pupils may actually use it to communicate in class. This is why the skills of listening and speaking is emphasised in the first stage of the week. This is because young children are more prone to listening to sounds and responding to it, for example by repeating or mimicking what they hear. Therefore, it is important that teachers are very verbal and active during these lessons.

Listening is the most important language and yet is the least taught

Speaking skills must be taught for pupils to be able to use language to communicate

   There were many more things that we learned during the course. I might write more about it, if I remember what they are! Unfortunately, I missed most of the practical session, but from what I managed to catch is that the use of sounds, songs and nursery rhymes should greatly be emphasised on in KSSR to make learning fun.

   KSSR will start for Standard 1 (in fact, it has already started!) for Standard 1 pupils this year. However, of course the institute has advised us to take only pupils from Standard 2 to 5 for practicum.

   I'm nervous. Only a few days left before I enter the real world of teaching. School, here I come!