ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING READINESS

FOCUS ON LINUS THE LITERACY AND NUMERACY PROGRAM What is LINUS? Why is LINUS being implemented? How is LINUS being implementation?

What is LINUS Programme?

Linus is an acronym for Literacy and Numeracy Screening, a remedial programme designed to ensure students to acquire basic literacy (Bahasa Malaysia) and numeracy skills at the end of 3 years of primary education.LINUS is the ability to read, write and understand words, simple and complex sentences (using conjunctions) in Bahasa Malaysia and be able to apply such knowledge in learning and everyday communication.

Definition of LINUS
Basic Literacy:
Ability to read, write and understand words, simple and complex sentences (using conjunctions) in Bahasa Malaysia and apply such knowledge in learning and everyday communication. Basic Numeracy Ability to solve basic mathematical operations, understand the idea of simple mathematics and able to apply mathematical skills in everyday life.

Why do we use LINUS ?

LINUS is a way to promote Language in Bahasa and Mathematics.
The Literacy and Numeracy Screening (LINUS) programme aims to ensure all students have basic literacy and numeracy skills after the first three years of primary education. Literacy and numeracy are basic skills needed to prepare students for the next level of education. Literacy and numeracy skills are implicit in the basic right to education. ALL Malaysian children without learning disabilities should be able to read and write Bahasa Malaysia, and do basic mathematics by Year Four.

Why is it LINUS being implemented?

Beginning this year 2011, under the government NKRA program, all Year One pupils will be screened three times a year in March, June and September, to identify those who do not meet the required reading, writing and counting standards. Those found to be lacking will be placed in the LINUS Programme, or into a Special Education Programme if the child has a learning disability.

Why we introduce Literacy and Numeracy for these children?

A sizable population of students in Malaysia still do not have basic literacy and numeracy skills. 54,000 Year 1 students without basic literacy skills from KIA2M in 2008. 117,000 Year 4 students without basic numeracy skills from PROTIM in 2008. To eradicate drop-out rate due to inability to cope in mainstream education

The drop-out rate for Malaysia was 31,939 in 2008 (primary and secondary levels)
To help /assist the special needs students - defined as students with learning disabilities, hearing impaired, speech impaired, visually impaired, mentally retarded, multiple disabilities and physically disabled, by intruding a special literacy and numeracy curriculum that has been designed specially for them.
SOURCE: KIA2M for literacy rates and PROTIM for numeracy rates

Under NKPI 3.2:

Every child will be able to acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills after 3 years of mainstream primary education by the end of 2012.

Who Are LINUSs target? LINUS is targeted at students who have difficulties in 3Rs- i.e. Reading, writing and arithmetic

How is LINUS being implementation?

About 17,000 teachers are to be trained to deliver the LINUS modules in a four-month period beginning last November, 2011.
These teachers will also be assisted by expert facilitators who are experienced teachers attached to district education departments. The facilitators will also help tailor strategies to address each institutions specific literacy and numeracy issues. The lowest performing 10% of schools will receive intensive monitoring and supervision by the state and district education departments, the School Inspectorate and the ministrys Quality Assurance division.

NO pupil will be left innumerate or illiterate with the introduction of the LINUS (literacy and numeracy screenings) programme at primary schools under the Government Transformation Programme (GTP). The Education Ministry is confident that all Year One students will be able to read, write and have basic arithmetic knowledge by Year 3. In fact, they are working hard to prove that the LINUS programme can do just that with the first batch of Cohort 1 pupils, who joined the programme last year, when it was first launched. The LINUS programme is a remedial programme tailor-made to ensure pupils acquire basic literacy (Bahasa Malaysia) and numeracy skills by the end of three years of primary education.

How do my selected centre use LINUS programme?

o LINUS Programme is applicable for 6 years old children going to primary school(transition period/year). o Before these children join in for the 6 year old programme, the centre will usually check for each child ability and performance using:-

Class Placement Evaluation

Background check such as: Do the child receive any preschool programs before/ what the child knows. The child need to complete a Simple Early Assessments Test, conducted in Bahasa Melayu and English for class placement purposes. Follow up and action plan

1. The Placement Evaluation to place and group children according to similar learning needs of instruction.

As the child join in the centre: Assessment for LINUS:

Able to read simple sentences Recognizing alphabets upper case and lower case Recognizing numbers 1 to 10 / 11- 20 Able to recite numbers 1 to 20 Able to recognize colours Able to say few picture words e.g girl/boy, cat, dog Able to join 2 sukukata- ma and ta Able to recognize phonic sounds at. ed. ( Basically Literacy & Numeracy )

2. Formative Evaluation ( every 3 months) to determine how children are progressing towards mastery of new lessons and which need additional work through different approach / learning experiences. 1st ( Jan Mac ) to assess if the children can:

copy from whiteboard/books few words/sentences. spell some words based on the monthly theme- 3 words or more? read two or more sukukata and foam a word / sentence. say phonic sounds and build words count 1 to 20 or more? spell 1 to 10?

 2nd Assessment ( April , May Jun )

Can children copy from the whiteboard e.g short comprehension? Can children spell some words 5 words for spelling test/ejaan Can children read simple sentence from whiteboard/books/other reading materials Can children count to 30 Can children recite 1 to 50 Can children spell numbers 11 20 Can children add / subtract vertical & horizontal format

 3rd Assessment July , Aug, Sept and October Can children write their own story based on a picture given? Can children read and copy a comprehension (karangan from whiteboard/books) Can children understand a story and able to retell/answering simple questions. Can children tell a story from a picture/build story Can children spell 5 - 10 words during spelling/ejaan test? Can children read a story / reading book Can children count and recite number 1 to 50 /100 Can children spell 11 20, e.g 11 - eleven Can children spell numbers within 100, e.g 37 thirty seven

 Diagnostic Evaluation Investigate childs ability in certain area of literacy & numeracy, after the Formative Evaluation: Re- group children into smaller group
Request extra assistance from other teachers Work with parents to assist the child at home Promote extra class after school

SUMMATIVE EVALUATION final assessment of what children have learned. Based on grade A, b and C ( Progress Report as attached).

Conducted evaluation.

after

diagnostic

and

formative

Conducted twice per year through a progress report card, grading each child performance and development and report to parents/guardians for next step/action.

Advantage of the centres Assessment

Able to measure each child performance and development based on the developmentally and monthly checklist provided ( as attached). Encourage children to produce knowledge the development checklist required teachers to observe for interaction between peers and teachers as well as communication. Vygotsky's theories stress the fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognition (Vygotsky, 1978; Wertsch, 1985), as he believed strongly that community plays a central role in the process of "making meaning." Not stressing for children since the assessments are conducted in an informal environment through reinforcement activity, extending prior knowledge, samples of works, hands on activity, performance, discussion, through childrens ideas, experiments. According to Howard Gardner ( 1993, 2000), children can have different kinds of intelligences that can be seen on how people develop skills and if these intelligences work together to solve problems, the results can be in different vocations and avocations.

Continue: Advantage of the centres Assessment

The assessment is based on each child age appropriate and developmental progress. Developmentally appropriate practices should be designed for the age group being served, taking into consideration the specific needs and differences of each child, including culture and language. Assessment focuses on childrens progress toward goals that are developmentally and educationally significant (NAEYC 2009). Assessment was done based on the school curriculum, lesson plan, objectives. Based on current assessment and can be redesign to reflects any changes.

Disadvantages of Assessment at the centre

Teacher do not have the knowledge to design the assessment because the assessments were done by the Management Team. There are no screening done with the class teachers therefore there is no measurement on the validity and reliability. Using lots of paper and pencils test instead of observation like anecdote or running records. Bias, not valid and reliable because lack of new additional techniques on evaluating young children. The current programs offers additional options for evaluating young children with new techniques that permit teachers to develop assessment congruent with their teaching style and the constructivist approach of learning ( Wiggins, 1993, 1998 ).

Do not provide extensive training for teachers, on how to use the assessments in applying with the latest approach/techniques such as project based, interviews, journals in getting each child information.

Time constraint and lots of paper work involved for each child. Teachers are not exposed to use observation assessment like anecdote, running record.