OUR 2010 SCHEDULE IS OUT! DOWNLOAD IT HERE!

• Oxford Reading Tree Programme New!
• School Oral Examination Practice Programme New!
• Speech and Drama Training for Adults
• Speech and Drama Programme
• Speech and Drama for Home Schoolers New!
• Young Actors Company New!
• Professional Certificate in Communication Skills for Adults New!
• Musical Theatre for The Young New!
• English New!
• Creative Writing Programme for Young People New!
• Public Speaking / Communication Skills Course for Adults (Group)
• School Drama Workshops
• School Performances

Oxford Reading Tree Programme

Presenting the Oxford Reading Tree Series - An effective reading programme for children to develop their skills and love for reading.

Every child deserves rich literacy teaching. As parents, we want our children to achieve success in their reading and writing so that they can become able and confident literate learners, well-equipped for active participation in society.

However, it is at word level that many children fail to grasp the skills necessary to sound out unknown words for reading and spelling. This is where the explicit teaching of phonic skills can quickly empower children to read and write unknown words.

If phonics is incorporated into an exciting and rich full literacy programme, children will have everything they need to help them become confident and independent readers and writers who love literacy.

Learning to read and write is not just about phonics. Children need to learn how to use meaning and structure and to recognise words so that everything they read and write looks right, sounds right and makes sense. They need to have the whole range of strategies. Phonics is just one small part of this package, but it is a strategy that is particularly vital for beginning readers and writers.

And this is how the Oxford Reading Tree supports the Simple View of Reading and Learning:

Speaking and Listening

Oxford Reading Tree has always placed real emphasis on the part speaking and listening plays in early language development. Much-loved Biff, Chip and Kipper stories, and the supporting teaching material and activities all actively encourage talk. In addition, the simple view of reading places increasing importance on the role of Speaking and Listening in developing your pupils' early reading skills.

Word Recognition & Phonics

The simple view of reading recommends systematic high-quality phonics teaching. Your browser may not support display of this image. Oxford Reading Tree stories have been written using a mix of high-frequency and phonic words which can be blended and sounded out, enabling your pupils to apply their phonic skills. The stories also include high interest vocabulary which helps to develop children's language and comprehension.

In short, this programme provides your child with the perfect opportunity for consolidation and practice of synthetic phonics, combining word recognition skills and language comprehension Language Comprehension.

The simple view of reading recommends developing language comprehension skills alongside your pupils' word recognition skills. Moreover, the real, engaging characters and exciting storylines help facilitate and hone your children’s language comprehension skills.

School Oral Examination Practice Programme

Following the oral examination syllabus in schools, the programme will focus primarily on developing on-going confidence, self-esteem and most importantly, the skill in verbal communication in your child.

Students will be trained to develop clear speech, fluent delivery and skills of oral communication in the English Language.

Each session will also hone the oral skills of the students, enabling them to:

1. Articulate unseen material accurately and fluently
2. Describe and interpret a picture as thoroughly and detailed as possible and giving comments about their actions in a formal way and predict the consequence of such an action
3. Engage in a lively conversation with the examiner, giving opinion and inferences along the way

Adult Speech and Drama Training Classes

Hoping to embark on a career in Speech and Drama by getting the proper training and certification?

The Speech and Drama Training for Adults programme follows the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) and Trinity/Guildhall (London) exam syllabus. Specific areas of development will be voice and speech, acting technique, group improvisations, poetry and poetic devices, reading aloud skills, character building, confidence building and presentation technique, whilst forming an appreciation and understanding of language and literature.

Students will be trained for ONE of the following examinations:

• LAMDA Grade 6 Speaking of Verse and Prose
• LAMDA Grade 8 Speaking of Verse and Prose
• LAMDA Grade 6 Public Speaking
• LAMDA Grade 8 Public Speaking
• Trinity Guildhall, Associate Diploma in Performing and Communication Skills: ATCL Performing (Speech and Drama)
• Trinity Guildhall, Licentiate Diploma in Performing and Communication Skills: LTCL Performing (Speech and Drama)

• Grade 6 – 8, ATCL and LTCL will require a commitment of at least 6 months, 12 months and 18 months respectively.
• If your goal is to become a Speech and Drama teacher, then this course will provide you with the basic certification and the necessary skills to develop Speech and Drama lessons plans and execute them in the most effective manner!

* Type, Subject and Level of Examination will be at the discretion of the teacher.

Speech and Drama Programme

Artistic Expressions is a Speech and Drama school that supports and promotes creative work by and for young people. It is a place where students can let their imaginations soar, allow them to explore their creativity and learn the tools they need to express their thoughts and ideas.

The Speech and Drama course will focus primarily on developing on-going confidence, self-esteem and most importantly, the skill in verbal communication in your child. The curriculum will provide unique opportunities for your child to develop clear speech, fluent delivery and pleasing social skills. This will be done through enthusiastic participation in a wide range of creative activities including speech, dance, drama, movement, improvisation and poetry reading within a supportive environment. Occasional dress up, along with the use of props and make-up will add to the excitement of the lessons.

The programme will also encompass work on movement – to build an awareness and confidence in his / her own body; the spoken word – to cultivate good and expressive speech; and finally drama – to perform confidently before an audience.

These classes will each conclude with a presentation, with the emphasis on the process, and not final product, as students are encouraged to continually develop their abilities and keep exploring their creativity.

All lessons include:

1. Exercises in relaxation, breathing and articulation
2. Movement, drama and poetry reading
3. Play production

To summarise, the skills gained through Speech and Drama are as follows:

• Positive self-esteem
• Confidence to communicate effectively
• Enjoyment of language and communication
• Good pronunciation and voice control
• Ability to share and present ideas
• Love for reading and stories
• Theatre technique & Confidence to perform and take part in shows

Under the guidance of fully qualified and experienced teachers, students can also be prepared for Speech and Drama examinations conducted by Trinity-Guildhall and / or London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA), both accredited U.K. based Speech and Drama Examination boards.

Speech and Drama for Home Schoolers

This course is very flexible in its approach. Through dramatic play, students explore improvisation, movement, voice and role playing. There is an emphasis on exploring poetry and prose, and on enhancing language skills. Age group mixing encourages social development and empathetic thinking. Students are also prepared for Trinity Guildhall and / or LAMDA examinations at the end of the year.

Young Actors Company

The Young Actors Company is for students with previous experience who really want to stretch their abilities. The focus is on developing a company of young actors that is able to work on both scripted and non-scripted material, and to explore the creative ideas that come out of the process of working together. Theatre practitioners will also be invited to give talks and workshops on particular areas (e.g. combat acting, rehearsal techniques, physical theatre, mime, etc) to the actors on a regular basis.

The company will work towards creating a play that incorporates the actors’ own skills and talents. This play will be staged in a professional theatre venue at the end of the year.

Professional Certificate in Communication Skills for Adults

A 35-week programme designed to build your self confidence, perfect your presentation skills, create presence in the classroom or boardroom and deliver your speech with style. The basic goal of this course is to equip people with communication skills and concepts that will make them more effective as leaders, supervisors, and managers. The focus is to learn the fundamentals of communication, presenting concepts and techniques that help leaders develop as communicators.

We will teach you simple relaxation and breathing techniques to overcome the fear of speaking in front of an audience and speak influentially, look more closely at the effect of body language on voice and posture and offer advice on how to get your point of view across with ease, so that you can talk more effectively to any audience.

You will be surprised at how acquiring these skills can help you realise your potential at work, and in social situations, improve your elocution in a stressful debate or lecture, or when you are simply chatting with your friend.

Course will also include:

• Phonetics and pronunciation
• Vocal aspects & Reading aloud skills
• Preparing and structuring a speech
• Using visual aids

This course deal with basic communication concepts that have proven useful at all levels, especially where there is frequent and close interaction with people. This course includes the oral communication skills (taking and listening) and the written skills (reading and writing).

Musical Theatre for the Young

Musical Theatre (8 – 10 years old)
This introductory class lets young students learn how to tell a story through words, movement and song. Students get a chance to act, sing, dance and work chorally as a group. Musical theatre themes and songs are selected based on the needs of the students.

Muscial Theatre (11 – 13 years old)
Act, sing and dance all at the same time! This intermediate programme helps to develop all of these skills. Students learn how to tell a story through words, movement and song. Training focuses on acting, singing, dancing and working chorally as a group. Specific musicals, or musical theatre themes, are selected based on the needs of the students. Students work toward final workshop presentations.

About the Musical Theatre Programme
The Musical Theatre Programme is a unique blend of training and performance. Small class sizes allow for students with previous experience to develop their skills in acting, singing and dance. Each year, musicals are selected to be performed in a concert version that focuses on developing and showcasing the individual strengths of each performer. With minimal sets and costumes, the emphasis is on the actor.

English

Designed and delivered by competent and experienced English language school teachers in a way that focuses students on the academic conventions, expectations and strategies for study in school. It is an ideal programme for students who wish to improve their level of English in preparation for the school examinations.

The course will also help the students' ability to use the English in the four macro-skills areas: reading, writing, listening and speaking and improve their overall confidence and competence in using English within academic contexts.

Qualified teaching staff with relevant university degrees and extensive teaching experience will monitor and assure improvement in the students’ progress.

Creative Writing Programme for Young People

Creative Writing Programme for Young People This new programme offers a supportive environment where children engage in writing stories, poetry, essays, and plays, as well as simply reading for pleasure. Through these activities, even the most hesitant child discovers the joy in writing, the intrigue of language, and the confidence of authorship. Students will work with teachers and writers, and the low teacher-student ratios ensure individual attention. Workshops end with culminating events: internally-compiled anthologies; most do performances or readings also.

The Junior Writers (K2 – P6 / 6 – 12 yrs old)
This is a well-rounded programme of reading, dictation, journaling, and independent writing that will help young children discover what it means to be a real writer. Basic skills (such as letter formation and spelling) are addressed in context. As children explore the role of the author, they create short stories and poems for the class anthology.

The Intermediate Writers (Sec 1 – 3 / 13 – 15 yrs old)
Workshops for the intermediate writers expose students to quality writing and assist them in writing stories, essays, poems, and plays. Daily writing exercises teach techniques such as metaphor and simile, extend student's writing vocabulary, and encourage creative expression. Students are also encouraged to write, edit, and revise self-selected pieces. Favorite pieces are "published" through in-class readings, performances, and a class anthology.

The Senior Writers (16 & Above)
Students will have the opportunity to explore different literary genres (poetry, fiction, nonfiction) in a supportive writing environment. Students will participate in readings and publish their very own anthologies.

School Drama Workshops

The ability to communicate effectively is essential to learning and Artistic Expressions specialises in developing customised drama workshops that enhance learning and communication in key areas of the school curriculum and beyond.

Through these workshops, we will stretch your students' imaginations and deliver an inspirational learning experience for every child, whatever stage they are at.

Just let us know what you would like to focus on and we will produce an inspiring workshop your children will remember with joy!

Photos from some of our school workshops

PCF Fengshan Kindergarten Speech and Drama Holiday Workshop 27 - 29 Jun 08, Tue - Thu Venue: PCF Fengshan Kindergarten Blk 126

Let's Sing, Dance and Act! June Holiday Musical Theatre Workshop Conducted by Ms Kate Canning 9 - 11 Jun 08 (P1 - 3) Venue: art-exp studio

Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance! Musical Theatre Workshop for students at Modern Montessori Centre Date: 19 - 23 June 06

Curtains Up! Speech and Drama Workshop for students at Modern Montessori Centre Date: 20 - 24 March 06

School Performances

Have you got a little stars in your school?

Or a dramatic class of students who love to create stories and characters and are bursting with energy to present spectacular year end performance for their friends and families?

Then we've got the perfect package for you!

Kickstarting with fabulous series of drama games, improvisation, movement and singing sessions, we will work closely together with your school to present a spectacular year-end musical theatre presentation!

We will develop the script (based on any given theme), provide vocal training and assist in the artistic direction of the entire performance that will focus on developing and showcasing the individual needs and strengths of each of your students!

Recent projects include:

1. PCF Fengshan Graduation Concert 2006
2. PCF Fengshan Graduation Concert 2007
3. PCF Fengshan Graduation Concert 2008
4. PCF Hougang Graduation Concert 2008

Contact us at 6344 1366 or email info@artistic-exp.com to find out more!