I Like Peter. I Like Jane.

Goodness me, it has been so long! Many apologies for the long absence of updates - been working on several projects at school and I have also recently gone back to uni.

But here is a little update on what I am currently working on at school. It is a reading program with my 2A learners (low proficiency learners). When I took them last year, most of the children barely knew their alphabet. We spent the whole year just learning the sounds and shapes of A - Z.

I introduced Peter and Jane to them last year (will write a lengthier post on this Peter and Jane series soon) but they only started reading the books on their own this year. They are familiar with the characters and could name Peter, Jane, Pat, Mummy, Daddy.

For those who are unfamiliar with the series, Peter and Jane books have been around for over 40 years. I grew up following their adventures at the beach, at the sweets shop, playing with Pat in the water and enjoying great picnics at the farm. The lifelike illustrations are difficult not to love and children are always eager to turn the pages so they could see what Peter and Jane are up next. The books are graded 1A - 12A, with each level introducing keywords gradually. The keywords are repeated in various contexts, making it easier for children to learn how to read these words without realizing that they are actually learning how to read.

I made copies of the book and stick them up on the softboard. Every morning from 720 - 740, I sit with the children as we read 3-4 pages of the book. It usually takes them about a week to read 4 pages fluently.
My main objective is for them to achieve reading fluency. I will go into comprehension later. At the moment, we are only focusing on recognition of keywords and being able to read the words out loud with confidence. I personally feel that once a child is able to read with confidence, he or she will be further motivated to explore the text on his or her own.

I will document the steps of doing this reading program in greater detail. I think most schools in Malaysia are supplied with at least one set of the Ladybird Peter and Jane series so do give it a try.