This document outlines the aims, background, texts, and teaching strategies for the Contemporary Children's Literature Level 2 course in Malaysian primary schools. The aims are to develop students' interest in literature, provide an early foundation, help students understand other cultures, and expose them to English. The current cycle of texts will end in 2014 and be replaced by a new cycle featuring poems, short stories, and graphic novels. Effective strategies for teaching include singing, listening, movement, drawing, and reading aloud to keep students engaged.

1. THE CONTEMPORARY
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
LEVEL 2

2. AIMS
Create interest in pupils towards literature by
introducing them to a variety of literary texts of
different genres.
Provide pupils with an early beginning and foundation
to literature.
Develop pupils’ understanding of other societies,
cultures, values and traditions that will help pupils in
their emotional and spiritual growth.
Expose pupils to the aesthetic use of the English
language.

3. BACKGROUND
 Introduced in all primary schools since 2004.
 Involves pupils from Year 4 - 6 (Level 2).
 Compulsory to be taught and learnt.
 Current cycle of books will end in 2014 for Year 4.
 Cycle 2 (new texts) will be used from Year 4 onwards
in stages.
2014 2015 2016
Year 4 Year 4 Year 4
Year 5 Year 5
Year 6

4. Texts In The Current Cycle (Cycle 1)
Year 4 National Schools
The following titles are used in Perlis, Kedah, Pulau Pinang,
Perak, Selangor, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Negeri
Sembilan, Melaka and Johor:
1.Tidy Your Room, Tanya! – Pamela Rushby
2.Tales and Tails – Hyacinth Gaudart
3. The Little Blue Boy – Fatou Keita Danalis Distributors
The following titles are used in Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan,
Sabah, Sarawak and Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan:
1.Coral Bay Surprise – Barbara & David Miller
2.Everyone is Good At Something – Peter Etherton
3.The Humble Prince – Kumara Velu

5. Texts In The Current Cycle (Cycle 1)
Year 4 National Type Schools
The following titles are used in all
National Type
Chinese and Tamil schools:
1. Caught in the Act – Patricia Sealey
2. The Old House – Sandra Clayton
3. A Wise Man – Chan Siew Mei

6. Texts In The New Cycle (Cycle 2) SK & SJK
GENRES
POEMS (COMPILATION) THE SHORT STORY THE GRAPHIC
NOVEL
1. Sand Castle by J. Patrick Lewis
2. Sounds Like Magic by Celia Warren
3. Holiday Memories by June Crebbin
4. At The Playground by Brian Moses
5. Clap Your Hands by Pam Gidney
6. Woodpecker by Brenda Williams
7. Grandma’s House by Pamela
Mordecai
8. Noisy Food by Marian Swinger
The King of Kites
By Judith Heneghan
and
Laure Fournier
The Jungle Book
By Rudyard Kipling

7. KEEP IN MIND!
Teachers are free to choose whichever genre to start
teaching in Year 4 as long as all genres are covered in
a year.
Teachers need to plan the allocation of time (weeks)
to cover each text according to the needs and level of
their pupils.
If pupils are advanced and teachers have finished
teaching all the texts in the 3 genres, they are
encouraged to use literary texts of their own during the
Language Arts classes.

8. Benefits Of Using Literature In Second Language Acquisition
 Children's literature is an important part of English language
literature as a body of work, and using it for EFL/ESL teaching
has many benefits for students.
 Exposure to new, illustrated vocabulary in context, provide
repetition of key words and phrases that students can master and
learn to manipulate.
 Pupils feel a sense of accomplishment when they have mastered
a piece of literature written in English.
 Sabrina Peck (2003, p. 141), says that, "Many children do not tire
of practicing a repetitive and rhythmic text several times a day,
many days a week.“
Reference:
Peck, S. (2001). Developing Children's Listening and Speaking Skills in ESL. In Celce-Murcia, Marianne, (Ed.),
Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. (pp. 139-149). Boston, USA: Heinle & Heinle.

9.  Do not rush! Give enough time for pupils to interact with the text.
This is to enable pupils to fully absorb the text.
 Short attention span of pupils - Create an active classroom with a
variety of activities.
 Advantage of using children's literature – can be an effective and
enjoyable way to teach language. Pupils who are enthralled by a
story forget their worries and anxieties about the language
 Storyteller Dvora Shurman says, "The best way to teach is not to
impose teaching, but to allow the listener to become so involved in
hearing a story that his 'defenses' are no longer active.“ It is our
sense of enjoyment, excitement, and emotional involvement that is
a necessary condition for learning, and using literature in the
classroom can provide the content base for the magic.
Reference:
Ackerman, T. (1994) Storytelling: A Way of Freeing the Imagination. An Interview with Dvora Shurman. The Journal of the
Imagination in Language Learning and Teaching, 2. Retrieved December 31, 2003, from
http://www.njcu.edu/cill/journal-index.html.
Let’s take note!

10.  A good plan is to have a little enthusiastic singing chanting
recitation, a little quiet listening, a little enthusiastic dancing
/physical activites, and a little quiet artwork.
 Example:
 Sing - Pupils sing, recite, or read a passage from the
story/poems/novels in groups.
 Listen - Pupils listen to the story/poem from beginning to end.
 Dance/Movement- Pupils get out of their chairs for some physical
activity.
 Draw/Write- Pupils may illustrate or complete a piece of work.
 Reading aloud - Anne Burns (2003, p. 22), in her study of
second-language learner attitudes toward literacy learning noted
that "students were almost unanimous in their desire for teachers
to read aloud to them." Pupils find it helpful to hear fluent reading
in English, listening to the written words, hearing correct stress
and intonation patterns, as well as receiving a model for imitation.
Reference:
Burns, A. (2003). Reading Practices: From Outside to Inside the Classroom. TESOL Journal, Volume 12, 18-23.
Some Strategies For Classroom Teaching

11. The thing to remember in your literature class is to
keep it fun, enjoyable and meaningful. Do not
underestimate your pupils’ ability to enjoy literature
even though they may not be very proficient in the
language. Your challenge as a teacher is to make
literature come alive in your classroom so that your
pupils will begin to develop a love for the English
language and hopefully, this will motivate them to strive
to acquire the language.
Reference:
Burns, A. (2003). Reading Practices: From Outside to Inside the Classroom. TESOL Journal, Volume 12, 18-23.
Conclusion

12. Thank You
Ewe Choy Choo, English Lang.
Unit(Primary)
ewe.choychoo@moe.gov.my