Post-Language Camp Report

Just a brief report about our Language Camp - our maiden joint effort between the Mentari Volunteer Tuition Project and the Atmah Foundation on 6th December 2008 at the 3C Complex. we were part sponsored by YB Nik Nazmi (food for all kids) and MPSJ (folders, hampers, facilities and room). Things went smoothly the first half of the day which centred around team dynamics activities ( Team name, Cheer and Motto) and a Trivia quiz - video Math Q from Afif - mind-boggling for facis but kids lapped it up, English the Tim way, Malaysiana Yasir style and Optical Illusions courtesy of Ema and Yasir that intrigued the kids and facis alike.

Things were going well and we had both old and new facis who came to lend a hand and it was good to see the new faci dynamics between the Atmah facis and our Mentari kids and vice versa. The Atmah kids had to handle Malay when interacting with our Mentari facis and our Mentari kids had to use English more when working with or Atmah facis. The kids were beginning to see each other beyond the labels of race and colour when something happened to test our resolve. In order to deal with this incident effectively, all the facis decided that it was more important that this incident be a learning point that all of them will then use as part of their moral compass. We cut short the camp and postponed the Scavenger Hunt ( an Atmah activity - artful and stimulating) to another day, kept all hampers and folders donated by MPSJ and individual presents for another day. 

The next language camp will be held as soon as we can find a suitable date for both Mentari and Atmah plus 3C. We hope to include awards and certificates for our Mentari kids at the same time as part of the Camp's closing activities. We will be having a faci retreat on the 3rd of Jan at the BAKA resort in Morib. More details will be given later and it's self financing ( we go Dutch) and open to all volunteers - past, present and future.

To all facis , old and new who donated their time and energy to the camp (especially Imran who came back just in time) and Mentari all this while,  thank you will; always be an understatement. 

To our newly adopted siblings at Atmah, it was great working with you and this is just a glitch in a relationship that will continue as we work together for a better future for our kids and country.

To our patron, the patient and always supportive  Cikgu YB - thank you for starting this journey and for working with us to make it sustainable and meaningful for all.

Salam Aidil Adha everyone and Seasons' Greetings . We pray for peace , serenity and clarity in these last days of 2008 and safety for those on the road and living on/near the hill slopes of Klang Valley. Our prayers go out to all those unfortunate souls..

mh

Going The Distance

Hi everyone,

The Mentari Voluntary Tuition Project is almost a year old. In human years, the MVTP would be a toddler, just learning to walk and stumbling along excitedly, clutching at objects and people for balance. This weekend was one of finding balance between an extraordinary tuition class, a bbq party and a conference for volunteers. The common thread binding all three activities was the Mentari Kids. 

The Saturday morning session with the children was the first after the UPSR results were announced. We were  torn between wanting to ask their results straight away or listening to their project presentations. In the end we played games, listened to the project presentations by two different groups and finally asked about their results. 

The project presentation by Aini, assisted by Shafinaz and Syarina was arresting (model volcano and cave), artistic (paintings, poems , pantun and pretty detailed family trees) and articulately delivered in style by the spokesperson - Aini. While she may not have obtained the results she hoped for, her confidence and poise showed great potential and the documentation her team mates came up with were neat  and attractive. The second group  -Rashidah, Farisha and Athira, turned up with 5 'hantaran' that they made themselves and a presentation of the custom of giving and receiving gifts in Malay weddings. These girls have come a long way from the quiet, shy, withdrawn kids in the beginning of the year.

The BBQ party was a get together hosted by the founder and patron of the MVTP - YB Nik or fondly known as Cikgu YB by the kids. Mentari facis' and old friends feasted on delicately marinated chicken and lamb and Imaan's incredibly addictive potato salad. Our contribution to the mainly Gen Z crowd was dessert of mini-cornettoes and magnums. The Mentari facis formed a group, preferring to each others' company, bonded by months of Saturdays and Sundays spent together - Afif, Hazira, Ema, Yasir, Yasmin and I. To our stalwarts who could not make it  : Jaja, Fadiah, Farhana, Imran, Amalina, Aedi, Shafiq, Tarmizi, Murni (see what pathetic dessert replaced her divine banoffee), Huda, Lili, Wai Shen, Leong, Alex, Peter, Fadh, Mrs Lina  and all those who helped the Mentari Project while it was in diapers and learning to crawl especially Super Safa , WE MISS YOU! Thanks so much and Yasir is planning more get togethers for old and new Facis.

The icing on the cake this weekend was speaking at the ATMAH Conference to a dedicated group of volunteers and hopeful volunteers about the Mentari Kids as part of a joint volunteer drive. As the sounds of the Frog theme echoed through the small auditorium, accompanying the faces of the Mentari Kids on the presentation video ( crafted by Hazira), we shared with strangers, the Saturdays and Sundays of this past year, the Petrosains visit, the Open day, the night classes for UPSR , Buka Puasa and raya Do's- snapshots of all our efforts in helping the Mentari Kids look through other windows, see different viewpoints and grow as we have grown with them.

This coming year we hope to not only walk more steadily, perhaps even run briskly. The many flaws and shortcomings, may not be ironed out but hopefully reduced as we learn from our newly acquired siblings at ATMAH who have been doing this for the past seven years.

So let's go the distance, expand our horizons and work to help MVTP grow up responsibly and make new friends who will walk together on this journey of intangible rewards.

Update on Mentari Project so far

HI there everyone.

 I just thought it would be nice to update everyone on our current and future plans for the Mentari Project. 



We are still having the Weekly Tuition class every Saturday at 10.30 am. We are in the midst of planning for a language camp for the kids this December. We also would like to take the year 6 kids to a University, most probably UIA. There will also be a "Hari Keanugerahan" or something of the sort at the end of the year.

We do have plans to open up a bigger place for the weekly tuitions by next year. 



I would also like to suggest something fun just for the volunteers one of these days, like White-water rafting or Jungle tracking or something.

If anyone like to contribute in any way for anything, just email me. 



Take care.

Word map

Word map


 


The word map game introduces new words
and help kids learn to spell them. It would also help in preparing to write an
essay on a subject.


 


How to play is very simple, all you need
is either a blackboard/ whiteboard for a class, or just a piece of paper for a
small group. First think of a category (preferably something simple that has
many things in it like a hospital or a school).


Write the category in the middle of the
paper and ask the kids to think of the first thing that comes to their minds
when thinking of the category.


 


Then link the word to the category and
ask again what do they think about the new word. Then link the next new word as
to create a web of words (similar to a mind map).


 


Example:         Hospital
– doctor – patients – sick – medicine


School – teacher – lesson – classroom – blackboard – chalk – duster


 


You can also test their
spelling by asking them to write the word on the board or by playing hangman.
Try to fill up the board with as many words as possible.


 


Lastly, the kids can even
write a simple essay on using the words about the selected category. 

SILENCE game

In Silence, silence is the name of the game. Students must arrange themselves in order without uttering a peep! For example, challenge students to silently sequence themselves according to height. The game can be adapted with very little preparation to fit almost any curriculum theme. For example, if the class is studying state capitals, count out enough sticky notes for each student. On each note, write the name of a state capital. Each student wears a "capital" tag on his or her shirt. The students must silently sequence themselves in alphabetical order. You might make the game even more challenging by asking them to line up according to the state for each capital!

Options: Students can create their own tags. They might write their birthdays on tags and arrange themselves in order from January 1 to December 31. They might write their seven-digit phone numbers as a seven-digit number and arrange themselves in numerical sequence.

Majlis Buka Puasa at Mentari

The Mentari Project is almost nine months old now. In human terms, the gestation period is over and now it's time for the birth of ... ? A better Mentari Project definitely! We have learnt so much from the kids and each other and I hope all are better for the experience.

We spent the whole of August conducting night classes for the Yr 6 kids on top of the weekend classes so our volunteers were really stretched. Thanks to all volunteers who came after work and ptiched in to give the Yr 6 students a boost in confidence and a chance to review. We have stopped all classes for Yr 6 since the Merdeka weekend and will only open for them to rejoin us in October. But as a way to wish them good luck, we are giving away stationery sets and a chance to break fasy with YB Cikgu Nik Nazmi..If you can make it, please join us at the surau of Block 8 - the same block as the tuition class.

Mentari Project Open Day

The Very First Open Day for the Mentari Project is going to be held on Sunday the 20th of July 2008 at balai raya pjs 6/1 Desa Mentari. it starts at 9 am and ends at 3pm. T

here will be performance for the kids, food and drinks, parent with teacher meets and also a module presentation to share what we have learned. 

I invite all to come and enjoy yourselves. There will be plenty of food, drinks and games for the kids as well as the parents. Hope to see you all there. 

Divide and Conquer

We recently discovered that by dividing the space that we have into sections works best to control the kids especially when there are a large group of kids. Each section will teach a different aspect of a topic. By dividing the kids into groups, each group can rotate through the sections. 

For example, we divided our lesson on the solar system into three sections. First was the main lesson where we talked about what exists in a solar system and how many planets are in our solar system. The next section or station was the eclipse experiment while the other was the worksheet about the eclipse. The worksheet would best cover the whole topic instead of just the eclipse. 

A way to keep the kids that ends early or is waiting for their turn through the sections, it is best to have an exercise like a math quiz. In our case, we had another worksheet where the kids had to fill out the lunar cycle on how the moon looked like from the Earth in a certain positions. It basically teaches the kids when does the moon is crescent, when it is full or when it is a new moon. 

The number of facis play a big part in making this method a success. First, there must be a faci for each group. Each section must have one core faci that best explains the lesson taught in that section. This way, the faci that leads the group only teaches the exercise as they wait their turn and would also add to what the kids learn after each section.  

 

Eclipses

Two weeks ago, we had an we experiment about the two types of eclipses which are the Solar eclipse and the Lunar eclipse. We used two different size balls to represent the Moon and the Earth and a flashlight to represent the Sun. We also prepared a work sheet that they have to fill up after the experiment. 

The experiment was done in a dark room with a group of four or five kids. The setting of the experiment was important so we used blankets to cover the windows to make the room dark. We first explained that the small ball is the moon, the larger ball is the Earth and the flashlight is the Sun. Then we moved on to make one kid be the Sun by holding the flashlight while two more became the moon and the earth. After that, we asked the kid who is the sun to shine the spotlight on the moon (small ball) while standing in front of the Earth (big ball) and ask the other kids to observe where the shadow of the Moon is on the Earth. This is the Solar Eclipse. The we asked the moon and the Earth to switch places and explained that this is known as the Lunar eclipse. 

After the experiment is done, the group is moved to the next room as the next group does the experiment. The finished group will then answer some simple question about the experiment that they has just done on a worksheet. For example, when does the solar eclipse happen? The worksheet is just a method to strengthen their understanding and memory about the experiment. 

Role Playing

Last Weekend, we asked the kids to do a little acting. We started by giving them a situation and also asking them what or who they wanted to act as. Then they themselves come up with the scenario, dialogue and story line. 

For example, one group simulated an accident by having roles such as the driver, accident victim, ambulance personal and a policeman. The kids made up the storyline with help from the Facis, and the dialogue which was translated into English by the Facis. The Facis role was mostly to encourage them and translate their malay dialogue into english. Then they acted out the scene in front of the whole class as a group.

We didnt preasure them into remembering their lines as they were allowed to bring thier script with them. With the amazing exception of two boys who memorize their whole script, the rest all used notes. It was just a short performance by all of them with a basic storyline and every person has a role.

The main point of the lesson is to improve their pronounciation, translation, confidence and creative thinking as well as having fun.

A Mentari Milestone - Petrosains 11 May 2008

After all the planning, countless emails and facebook announcements, we finally pulled off a great Mother's Day gift for the mums of Desa Mentari - the Petrosains trip for their children. Speaking as a mum, there's nothing more exciting than seeing our child light up for a treat that's both educational, enjoyable and safe. Both mums and children were lined up in force by the time all of us arrived.. Muaz woke up at six he was so excited!

Afif was worried that he was late - well, most of us were! After all it was a Sunday morning and Mother's Day to boot. We are grateful to all volunteers who made it to Desa Mentari and KLCC to help escort and shepard all 52 kids of all shapes, sizes and temperament through KLCC Park, Suria , Petrosains and the Skybridge and back to the bus and cars - a stupendous feat all!! And while we definitely lost sweat, patience and calories ( hopefully!), the kids' enthusiasm and energy in assimilating the novelty of KLCC ( for many kids it was their first time), Petrosains and the Skybridge experiences more than made up for it.

What was most rewarding for us was seeing how much the kids have changed from the mostly shy, apathetic children we met for the first time in January to the confident, curious crowd of kids of May 11. It was hard to believe for an instant that they are the same kids especially when I saw shy Syuhada going up to the tour guides of the Skybridge to ask them about Skybridge facts for the quiz. Aidil insisting that "ajarlah lagi Cikgu" and the kids actively seeking answers to the simple quiz Yasmin prepared were all signs that for the past five months - we must have done something right. They came out of their shell.

Of course Muiz still had to lose the specially prepared tag and Irwan was as competitive as always. I'm sure every cikgu /faci that day had special have their own stories about the children so do share with us your own story of that day on Facebook or on the blog. At least for that one day, their view of the world changed. Hopefully in ways that will give them the determination to work hard for a new, different future than their present.

There was no way we could have pulled this trip off without everyone's participation and hard work. Let's all salute Afif for planning whole trip step by step, Safa for the bright name tags and lanyards and letters, Hazira for the delicious lunch and dessert, ably assisted by Tarmimi and Co, Nik our YB for the crtical component - transport, Syafiq and Yasir too for being both chauffeurs and shepards. The rest of the Honor roll:

Group 1 - Fadiah, Afif*
Group 2 - Shafiq, Nik Nazmi*
Group 3 - Bahariah, Tini (TBC)
Group 4 - Lina Mydin, Safa*
Group 5 - Farhana, Elly*
Group 6 - Yasir, Hui Ru
Group 7 - Fazlin, Aida

Group 8 - Yasmin, Li Quan

Group 9 - Marya, Hazira*
Group 10 - Safiyyah, Tamimi
Group 11 - Farah, Amalina
Group 12 - Jolene, Cikgu Wani*

Great work everyone! Let's keep the momentum of this project going. Its strength lies in the sustainability.

This coming Saturday and Sunday will be a debriefing for the kids with their facis'. We'll talk about what they saw, felt and did - then pick an exhibit related to a specific concept that they have learnt and go deeper in breadth and depth. That's the first hour. They can be assigned an essay in Malay and/or English.

Give yourselves a pat on the back and get a leg massage! Next trip will be at least three months from now so everyone can recover :)

A Translation Game

An idea for a Translation game that would help kids remember English words in Science. By using plain cards or a4 paper cut in half, write a word or a phrase on one side, and on the other the meaning of it, either in Malay or English. Makes sure the translation are easy to understand. The game can be by group or individual where we test the kids on how many of the words they understand or know. each correct answer gets a point. whoever gets the highest wins. can be done as a filler in between lessons. should be done continously so the kids learn and remember the words. Can also be done the other way around where the kid challange the Faci instead. The important factor is that they are exposed to the words often.

Information for Petrosains Volunteers

These are the groups that have been delegated. Names in Bold are those responsible for each group.

Group 1 - Fadiah, Afif*
Group 2 - Shafiq, Nik Nazmi*
Group 3 - Bahariah, Tini (TBC)
Group 4 - Lina Mydin, Safa*
Group 5 - Farhana, Elly*
Group 6 - Yasir, Hui Ru

Group 7 - Fazlin, Aida

Group 8 - Yasmin, Li Quan

Group 9 - Marya, Hazira*
Group 10 - Safiyyah, Tamimi
Group 11 - Farah, Azrina*
Group 12 - Jolene, Cikgu Wani*

* Will be floating to sort out administrative tasks.

F&B team:

Hazira (person in charge), Tamimi, Li Quan & Hui Ru (& probably me if required)For your information, Azrina & Elly are current Petrosains Volunteers and myself and Aida are ex-Petrosains volunteers so if you get stuck on anything when yr inside Petrosains, give us a shout. We will have a brief ice-breaking session (or some people might call it breakfast) before we start On Sunday to get to know each other.

So a brief of what the Volunteers need to do:

1) Most importantly. Make sure the kids are SAFE. Never loose sight of them! also make sure they behave and adhere to the rules. I will hand out the rules on Sunday morning.

2) Make sure the groups adhere to the schedule as attached in the previous post. The effectiveness of our trip depends on how well we can stick to the program as we are really cramming it to make sure they get to see, touch and experience as much as possible during the visit. Therefore, please print and bring along the program with you on Sunday.

3) If you can explain stuff to them during the visit, then pls do so. If you are unable to do so, do not fret. All you have to do is to find one of us (Me, Aida, Elly & Azrina) or any of the Petrosains staff for assistance. Try to not leave any question unanswered. It'll encourage them to ask more questions if you can feed their qurosity. 

That's it! Very simple.

Remember, Saturday is the T-Shirt collection day. There will be no class on Saturday. A note on the T-Shirts. The T-shirts are all paid for already by the project but we encourage volunteers to contribute towards the project fund, no matter how small. One more thing, all the T-Shirts are short sleeve due to ordering constrictions so ladies, please bring a long sleeve T to wear inside.

PETROSAINS visit – volunteer’s itenery

8.00 – 8.30 a.m.          :           Volunteers meet for breakfast.

                                                -     Wisma central or KLCC food court.         

 

8.35 – 8.50                  :           Volunteers meet outside RHB/BCB bank.

-     Volunteer briefing

-     Distribution of Mentari Project T-Shirts (for those who haven’t collected from me yet.) and worksheets to volunteers.

 

9.00 a.m.                     :           Volunteers go down to rendezvous point to meet the kids.

-     Drop off point is the bus stop next to Tower 1, along jalan P.Ramlee - where the tourist buses stop.

-     meet up with the kids from your group. Get to know them and make sure they know who you are. You will be responsible for them until they get back on the bus.  

 

9.00 – 9.30 a.m           :           Assemble outside Petrosains

-     According to groups, 1 first, 11 last. 

 

9.30 - 9.45 a.m.           :           Entry to Petrosains

                                                -           10.00 – collect helicopter boarding pass.

-           Meet at Science station 1 at 10.15.

                                                -           Reach the Speed section by 11.00 - 11.15.

                                                -           Leave speed by 11.45.

                                                -           line up for dark ride by 11.45 – 12.00

 

12.00 – 12.15 p.m       :           Finish up visit.

 

            12.30 p.m.                   :           Assemble outside masjid Asshakirin for lunch.

-           Lunch packs to be collected at the wakaf opposite the masjid

-           Lunch to finish before 1.15 – to avoid disturbing the Zohor prayers.

 

1.00 – 1.15 p.m           :           Make way to Skybridge, KLCC

 

1.30 – 2.00 pm            :           Assemble at skybridge waiting lounge.

-           We will try to prepare some worksheets to keep kids busy while waiting for our turn to go up.

 

2.00 – 2.30 pm            :           Skybridge visit

 

2.45 pm                       :           meet up at rendezvous point to see off the kids.

 

3.00 p.m.                     :           Bus departs to Desa Mentari.

Petrosains Trip

We will be organizing our first field trip to Petrosains KLCC in this coming weeks. The objective of this trip is to spark passion in these kids to enjoy learning and push them to succeed in their exams and also in life. We hope that these kids have a blast experiencing the world of Science especially Chemistry. We would like to invite all or any new and old Facis to join us to make this trip a success and safe as possible. If you are interested, please contact me(Yasir) at the email address shown or call me at the number below. Lets together make a difference to our future through those who would lead it. Thank you and good day.



"Do it for the Kids"

19 & 20 April Lessons

Saturday Yr 4 and Yr 5

Topic: Prepositions Story

Learning Objective: Using Prepositions of Position/Location correctly

Method: Class demonstration followed by group play and learn with tutors

Introduction: 1. I Spy game with clues using prepositions e.g " I spy with my little eye something on a table/ beside a blue bag /under a box etc beginning with the letter.."
2. Review correct use and spelling of prepositions and verbs (e.g Put/ Hold/Place/Keep/Hide Give) through "Hide and Seek Spongebob/Patrick/Toy" game in 4 groups with tutors
3. Tutors instruct a student where to hide a toy/cushion using a preposition. Students take turns giving/following instructions to hide and seek toys
4. Students complete a review exercise on prepositions

Skill set: Spelling and knowledge of correct use of prepositions and sentence pattern for giving instructions

Exercise/activity to reinforce concept:
Prep Cheer -
A group choose 2 prepositions and form a cheer using correct spelling and physical demonstration to show the difference e.g. IN & OUT

Activity objective: Reinforce correct use of preposition and simple sentence patterns

Steps:
1. Choose or Assign Prep pairs - In/Out, On/Under, Beside/Opposite, Up/Down
2. Discuss with children the difference between the prep pairs
3. Help them describe the prep pairs in simple sentences
4. Ask them for actions to demonstrate the difference between the prep pairs
5. Children practice cheer and actions - tutor assist to reinforce correct structure and appropriate actions
6. Demonstration of cheer


We would welcome ideas for teaching TIME:

Topic: Time (4 & 5)

Learning Objective: Introducing concepts of 24 hr Time

Introduction:
2.

Skill set: Adition and Subtraction

Exercise/activity to reinforce concept:

Activity objective

Steps:
1.

Follow up:

April 12 & 13

Hi everyone. For this session's lessons, we will be doing "Simon Says", "Fractions" and "Force"

Topic: Simon Says (all)

Learning Objective: Vocabulary - Body Parts

Introduction: 1. Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes game review.
2. Play 'Simon Says' focusing on as many body parts as possible.
3. Review how to spell the body parts mentioned.

Skill set: Spelling and knowledge of names of parts of the body.

Exercise/activity to reinforce concept:
Play Simon Says with the faci then children taking turns to be Simon. Then handout a picture for them to identify and spell the right body parts.
Make 'Simon Says' fun and competitive, mix instructions with exercises, and focus on main body parts. Main Body parts: head, eyes, nose, mouth, lips, ears, neck, shoulders, elbows, fingers, tummy (stomach), knee, foot, ankle, and toes. Can also go into details with name of fingers (nails, forefinger), toes, hips, back and others.

Activity objective: Review/introduce vocabulary for parts of the body in English , how to Spell and review link with basic processes ( breathing/eating)

Steps:
1. Talk to them on what they learned during the Head and Shoulders game.
2. Explain how to play Simon Says. ( can also change Simon to another name)
3. Play Simon Says with the whole class or divide them to groups and have the kids take turns to be Simon.
4. Make sure to mention main body parts.
5. One faci writes on the board each body part mentioned during the game.
6. Handout the picture and ask them to fill in the blanks.

Follow up with Faci: Make sure they can spell the body parts correctly.






Topic: Fractions(4 & 5)

Learning Objective: Adding fractions of different denominators

Introduction: 1. Review of adding fractions with the same denominator
2. Demonstrate example of adding fractions with different denominator

Skill set: Multiplication and Division

Exercise/activity to reinforce concept: Dividing oranges demo, fractions number line

Activity objective(Dividing oranges): Use the oranges as examples to demonstrate the concept of adding and subtracting and equating in Fractions.
( Fraction Number Line) : Children to equate a fraction given with members in each group : Half = 1 child from group of 2= 2 children from group of4= 4 children from group of 8

Steps:
1. Divide children into the 3 mixed groups
2. A facilitator gives a fraction - children decide how many members will be equal to the fraction
3. Groups challenge each other
4. All fractions used and equated must be written on the board

Follow up: exercises on adding fractions


If there is time, play the "Sifir Game" Afif introduced last week. Done amongst the group.




Topic:Force (year 6)

Learning Objective : Kids know definition of force and how they are used in everyday life. Kids able to differentiate Push and Pull.

Introduction: 1. Teach the kids basic concept of Force
2. There are 2 Types of Force which are Pull and Push
3. Show the kids the effects of Force. (change direction, motion and shape of object)

Skill set: Differentiate between Pull and Push.

Exercise/activity to reinforce concept:
Simple experiments like pushing and pulling each other, move a ball or Tug of War game(if it is safe and educational). Invent ways to make it easier for them to understand the concept of force. Discuss with the class the types of objects that requires force to work or move. List down the types of objects and their forces.

Steps:
1. Discuss the concept of Force.
2. Differentiate Pulling and Pushing by having them push and pull each other.
3. Play Tug of War by having one faci and 2 kids pull something to describe the difference in force used.
4. Discuss how different forces effect the other.
5. Give examples of actions/activities that involve pushing or pulling.
6. List them out on the board and make them identify what force are used in their books.

Followup: Make the kids come up with when they pull or push in everyday activity.

Hail All Volunteers

Thanks for visiting the site and if you are a volunteer - welcome aboard! The blog is the first step to a host of links for the Mentari Project. Just a little background to bring all volunteers up to speed..


As of March, the project is three months old. It all started with a feeler on niknazmi.com for volunteers and after two meetings over burgers and fries, a motley crew of young people plus one MIDI ( young professionals, students, graduate-to-be and ex-educationist) turned up to coach 17 children Maths , Science and English. The small group of 17 mushroomed to 38 and the one day a week turned to two days a week over the past three months. The crew aka facilitators have stabilised to a core group of four and seven revolving facilitators.


We've tried many methods over the past three months from 'chalk and talk' to group work and one-on-one sessions . Every session would have activities with specific learning objectives to help the kids remember Math terms (odd vs even numbers), body parts and Science terms ( Tic Tac Toe and Hangman). They remember better when they play but the activities must have a concrete learning outcome, the most important being learning English.


The children need confidence, discipline in learning and guidance. They come from the lower income bracket and lack exposure to English. Their understanding of Math and Science concepts are hindered by the lack of proficiency. We use both Malay and English in the sessions as they are unable to understand if only English is used.


All contributions in time commitment, materials and/or ideas are much appreciated. Details as to how to contribute ideas are given in the Lessons and Roster link.


Great to have all of you on board SS Mentari!

Lesson Templates

A Lesson can be categorised as a learning experience or a learning support activity.

The template for a Learning Experience:

Topic: Fractions

Learning Objective: Adding fractions of different denominators

Introduction: 1. Review of adding fractions with the same denominator
2. Demonstrate example of adding fractions with different denominator

Skill set: Multiplication and Division

Exercise/activity to reinforce concept: Cake cutting demo, fractions number line

Follow up with Faci: exercises on adding fractions




The template for a Learning Support Activity

Topic: Fractions
Learning Objective : Equating Fractions using children divided into 3 groups of 2, 4 and 8 children
Activity objective: Children to equate a fraction given with members in each group : Half = 1 child fromgroup of 2= 2 children from group of4= 4 children from group of 8

Steps:
1. Divide children into the 3 mixed groups
2. A facilitator gives a fraction - children decide how many members will be equal to the fraction
3. Groups challenge each other
4. All fractions used and equated must be written on the board

Followup: Exercise /HW

5 & 6 April 2008

Please tell us if you are coming this weekend by adding a comment. If you have ideas for a slot, just drop us an email at mentariproject@gmail.com or include it in your comment.

Lesson plan for this week is:

Slot 1 - 2.30 -2.45pm - Admin and test postmortem summary (papers returned)

Slot 2 - 2.45 - 3.15 pm - review Fractions using test questions (classroom/in small groups?) Kids redo same question using different numbers

Slot 3 - 3.15 - 3.45 - Know your Sifir game - answers are to be written (secret ballot style) so everyone MUST answer

Slot 4 - 3.45 - 4.15 - Science Quiz

Slot 5 - 4.15 - 4.30 - Learning Support Activity ( best to be related to Science quiz topics)

Slot 6 - 4.30 - 4.45 / 5.00pm- Fun English or Malay game - either O Bangau for cause and effect or a review of We are the World

The Mentari Project

The Mentari Project started in January of this year with a crew of four stalwarts and about ten (more or less) revolving volunteers . Thank you so much, faithful crew , for your commitment and patience these past three months! We couldn't have continued without ALL your help.

The premise of the project was to provide affordable tuition for primary school children at the low-cost flats in Desa Mentari. We wanted to set up a learning environment that was non-threatening, supportive with personal attention. We use a facilitator's (faci) role rather than a teacher role though the children all know us as 'Cikgu's ..:)

Among the objectives of the Project was :

• to build up children's confidence to speak up and think for themselves
• to provide an enjoyable learning experience
• help them catch up in school in knowledge of content and practice of skills in Science, Maths, English and BM

What we have learn this past three months about the children :


1. The children learn best from a mix of conventional methods and related activities to reinforce the learning objectives

2. Classroom sessions has to be broken up into sessions of 30 minutes followed by 20 minutes activities / work session with 1 faci per group of 3-4 children.

3. Each group has to be of similar abilities in the subject being taught so that children proceed at a similar pace. If not the brighter kids get most of the faci's attention. Yes, we do have bright and articulate kids in the group. All are energetic!

4. The weaker kids or those with learning disabilities (we have discovered some slow learners with literacy problems) need one-on-one attention but not for the whole session. There's one who may be dyslexic but more just suffer from short attention spans and a reluctance to think for themselves. (Too used to being spoonfed or ignored). Any volunteer with experience in teaching/diagnosing dyslexic children are very much appreciated.

5. The lack of English proficiency has hampered their understanding of Science concepts and instructions for Math problems

What we need from the Volunteers

1. Commitment of time for Saturday or Sunday slots - 2-3 hours for two to three consecutive Saturday afternoons (2.30pm - 5.00pm) for Year 4 and 5 or Sunday mornings for Yr 6 (10.30 - 1.00 pm) - to teach/ facilitate/coach

2. Submission of lesson ideas or activity ideas (English songs, games to help them remember English sentence patterns) via email and on the blog

3. Donations - materials, books, information

4. IDEAS! We would really appreciate any input on any topic linked to the Project from ALL

5. Patience and more patience! These kids need a mix of both discipline and understanding. They do not need pressure that they already get from home and school. The Mentari Tuition Place is where they learn to feel good about themselves and believe in their own abilities by doing what they couldn't before.

There's a similar volunteer program in US that has become worldwide called OnceUponASchool (www.onceupona school.com) and operates on the same premise but their focus is more creative language and using that is a window to learning.They have a roster of 1000 volunteers on their database for the first location in San Francisco.

This is definitely a small project with great potential for the kids and for volunteers. Hopefully we can work together towards making this project sustainable and giving these kids a chance. In fact people from low-cost flats in other areas have also requested for similar classes for their children. There is a minimum fee of RM25 per family for buy in and admin costs.


We'll keep in touch by email (mentariproject@gmail.com), this blog and we'll send the weblink for the website as soon as it's up.

God Bless and salam,

Mawarni