State of Kuwait
Ministry of Education
EL
ELT General Supervision
2014 - 2015
Grades 1 & 2
Recommendations for the teaching and learning process
General aspects
The new Kuwait National Curriculum is anticipated to be a challenge for teachers in terms of professional competences and practices. Teachers
need to be aware that the curriculum is much more than the textbook. So too, teachers need to be cognizant of the fact that the shift from a
content, and mostly input-based curriculum, to a competence-and-standardized-outcomes-based curriculum asks for new approaches from them
in the fields of teaching, learning and assessment.
The interdependence between the curriculum, the methodology of teaching/learning and the methods and instrument of assessment articulates
the present, new national curriculum. This means that teachers need to recognize that:
The curriculum indicates what children are expected to learn and also suggests learning experiences that can support them to do so.
The teachers decide which teaching/learning approaches are the most appropriate in a given situation in order to support students learning
achievements for meeting the curriculum and performance standards
The on-going assessment (formative and summative) of the learning is needed to inform teachers and students about what has already
been learned, what has not been attained and what steps are needed in order to get there.
When all three components the curriculum, the teaching/learning activities and the assessment process - interrelate effectively, the impact on
learning will be at a premium.
Designing and planning the teaching/learning activities
The following three questions can be used by teachers when trying to design and plan the learning process:
What aims do I wish to achieve?
How can I organize teaching and learning to achieve these aims?
How shall I know if I have been successful in reaching these aims?
The aims
Before designing and planning the teaching and learning activities, teachers must try to make sure that they have understood the curriculum and
that they know the direction in which they have to proceed with their students to achieve the general and specific competences that help students
to reach the curriculum standards. In other words, it is essential that teachers conceptualize the context for the teaching and learning of their school
subject to enable them to take adequate decisions about what they are setting out to achieve with their students in a certain sequence of time.
Grade 1
Competences, learning activities and curriculum standards
General Competences
Specific Competences
Examples of Learning activities
Curriculum standards
GC 1. Listening to oral
messages by means of
different strategies in a
variety of contexts for
effective comprehension
Students are able to:
A range of language realities
1.1. Listening to and recognizing simple words,
phrases, sentences as well as oral instructions
heard in everyday life situations
Exercises of listening and reproducing simple
English high frequency words, heard in short
oral messages - related to self, family and
school.
Listen to the teacher and point at/match high
frequency words related to the images of the
body, family members school objects.
Raise their hands when they hear initial/final
sounds in simple words said by the teacher.
Listen to and repeat phrases, simple sentences
or instructions pronounced by the teacher or
peers as well as through recorded materials.
Listen to "ABC" songs as well as phonic
songs/chants/games and reproduce them to
consolidate the personal mastery of specific
sounds and other phonic features of English.
1.1.Recognize words, phrases, instructions of
English heard from natural sources (e.g.
different persons speech) or electronic ones
(recorded material)
Distinguish in English texts listened to sounds
which are not represented in Arabic (V, P, Q, X,
Z).
Repeat sounds heard from different sources.
Listen to a text and circle some letters
reproducing sounds they hear from the teacher
or different other sources.
Listen to simple words to recognize sounds in
different positions.
Differentiate between various intonations i.e.
asking, answering, greeting etc.
1.2.. Distinguish, with teacher's guidance,
English sounds which are not represented in
Arabic
A range of operations
1.2. Distinguishing sounds in simple words as
well as phrases and sentences by focusing
attention before and while listening
General Competences
Specific Competences
Examples of Learning activities
Curriculum standards
1.3 Following simple instructions given by the
teacher in the classroom
1.3. Listen to and follow simple instructions in
Exercises with simple instructions using TPR
(Please, stand up! Sit down! Open please your English related to life in the classroom
notebooks!).
Create small groups and ask students to
practice simple instructions/requests.
A range of attitudes
1.4. Listening respectfully to the speaker
Listen and respond to situations expressing
interest (through nonverbal) and respect
(through short verbal messages: Thank you,
excuse me).
1.4.Listen attentively and respond politely
to speakers in different situations
A range of connections
1.5. Recognizing and reproducing English
sounds and words using their musical abilities
or their knowledge acquired in Arabic language
GC 2. Speaking by using
strategies of individual and
interactive speech in a
variety of communicative
contexts
Listen to and reproduce sounds of letters of
English that have similar sounds in Arabic
Listen to and count numbers in English from 120;
Listen to and repeat songs in English
Students are able to
A range of language realities
2.1. Using simple words, expressions and
sentences to express themselves about self,
family, food and other items in small
conversations or individual speech
1.5.Identify English sounds in oral messages
which are similar or different from Arabic sounds
Participate in simple role play activities in which
pupils express likes, dislikes and gratitude (e.g.:
I like apples. Give me one, please. Thank you).
Perform mini dialogues properly with the
assistance of teachers (What's your name?
Hello, how are you?)
Describe simple pictures with one or two
objects easy for pupils to talk about, using
simple adjectives such as hot - big short cold
Sing along short rhymes and songs in front of an
audience
2.1. Use appropriate simple vocabulary to
indicate/name classroom objects, people and
places, food items and other things in small
conversations or individual speech
A range of operations
2.2. Responding to simple communicative
situations in mini dialogues related to every day
topics
Participate in a role play activity with classmates 2.2.Use simple language related to location of
objects communicatively in mini dialogues
respecting politeness formula e.g.:
A: Where is my pencil, please?
B: I see Here on the table.
A: Thank you.
General Competences
Specific Competences
Examples of Learning activities
Curriculum standards
A range of attitudes
2.3.Building up positive personal motivation to
speak with peers and adults using simple
phrases and
Sentences
Perform simple mini dialogues in pairs.
Talk with enthusiasm about themselves, family,
and school with others.
2.3. Use simple words to speak clearly with a
positive attitude about different simple topics
such as oneself, others, family, school and
country
A range of connections
2.4. Using the knowledge and abilities
acquired in other subjects when producing
sounds of English or speaking about their
family or school
GC 3. Reading and viewing A range of language realities
a range of texts by means of
different strategies in a
3.1. Reading aloud grade level words and
variety of contexts
phrases and identifying some of the high
frequency words associated to images or
symbols
2.4. Respond correctly to questions about
Produce sounds of English which are similar/
familiar topics "parts of the body , counting
different from sounds in Arabic.
numbers , Kuwait , Islam"
Name parts of the body in English.
Engage in rhyming, games and songs that
emphasize the patterns of sounds.
Respond to questions about numbers orally and
physically using fingers.
Count classroom objects (books, pencils etc.) in
English.
Formulate some simple sentences about their
Islamic identity (Im a Muslim. I pray in the
mosque).
Ask and answer questions in simple sentences
(e.g. where are you from? Im from Kuwait. I live
in).
Students are able to:
3.1. Read grade level words and phrases aloud
Recognize the relation between sounds and
clearly.
their corresponding symbols.
Match upper case letters with lower case letters.
Underline upper/lower case letters in a
sentence
Exercises to recognize the difference between
Arabic and foreign language in terms of left right
orientation.
Follow words from left to right and from top to
bottom on the printed page.
Recognize the spacing between words from a
printed simple text.
Circle the letter that corresponds to the sound
pronounced by the teacher.
General Competences
Specific Competences
Examples of Learning activities
Curriculum standards
Exercises for resorting to books appropriately,
holding them right-side-up and turning pages
one at a time.
Identify where in the book to begin reading.
Discriminate English letters from other shapes
and symbols.
Practice reading by tracking text with fingers.
Read letters and pronounce sounds of the
alphabet using suitable rhythm.
Point to the upper-case (E) and upper-case (F)
and say "this F lost a leg".
3.2. Read illustrations, pictures, signs and words
in written and visual materials.
Pupils respond to the teacher when asked to
turn pages of their books.
3.3. Handle books appropriately holding them
right-side-up and turning pages one at a time
from front to back
A range of operations
3.2. Reading and viewing illustrations, pictures
and signs in order to recognize common and
unique characteristics of different written and
visual materials
A range of attitudes
3.3. Handling books respectfully and
appropriately
A range of connections
3.4. Reading English letters, frequent words,
and Arabic digits they can meet in familiar
contexts
GC 4. Writing a range of
A range of language realities
texts adapted to a variety of
communicative purposes
4.1. Writing simple words and using drawings to
indicate objects or feelings
Read English letters which have similar/different 3.4. Reading letters, numbers in digits from 1-20
,and words related to parts of the body in
sounds in Arabic.
English
Read numbers in digits from 1-20 in English
from different contexts.
Read words related to parts of the body in
English.
Match initials to pictures of body parts (leg, arm,
body, finger etc.)
"Odd one out" exercise to distinguish letters
from numbers.
Match objects to numbers.
Students are able to
Draw pictures of objects that have names
beginning with the same initial sound.
Write words under pictures provided by the
teacher.
4.1. Write simple words or phrases related to
issues learned in school
General Competences
Specific Competences
Examples of Learning activities
Curriculum standards
A range of operations
4.2. Drawing pre-letter figures from left to right
Pre-writing exercises: draw and colour shapes;
trace and draw zigzag lines; copy, draw and
close shapes from left to right.
Trace and colour some letter shapes and
numbers.
Trace and copy letters by moving from left
to right.
4.2. Draw correct figures of pre-letters from left
to right
Using writing tools to draw human or animal
images similar to letters.
Write letters and then combine them in a simple
word or sentence.
4.3. Handle project tools neatly and in an
organized manner on their own ( pencils ,
papers, colours, glue, plastic scissors, pictures)
Draw different objects randomly.
Draw from memory letters that are in the name
of famous companies: KFC, VOLVO etc. Draw
images similar to Latin letters.
Draw Latin letters they remember from the
streets.
4.4. Draw simple figures, images and shapes
that have the form of Latin letters
A range of attitudes
4.3. 4.3. Following a simple written pattern
neatly based on teachers support.
A range of connections
4.4.Drawing simple objects from the nature that
have the form of Latin letters
Grade 1 Learning content
Topic (Theme)
Content
List of items
Hello: hello, goodbye, hi.
My body: ear, nose, hand, foot, eye, mouth, leg, arm, head, face, toe
My family: family, mother, father, brother, thank you, please
Vocabulary
My house: fridge, door, sofa, garden, bed, bedroom, wall, kitchen, chair, eat
School: teacher, numbers (1-20) table, desk, computer, class, library, ruler, eraser
The farm: banana, date, egg, cow, bird, sheep, goat, horse, cat, dog, honey
Me, my home and my
school
Hello
My body
My family
My house
School
The farm
Kuwait
Kuwait: dhow, zoo, boat
Structure
Language functions
Im Whos this? - His/hers names; Possessive adjectives: ( my, his, her, your ); Plurals: leg/legs
Imperative: Touch youre/Dont / touch your; Present simple: We read. They pray; Present continuous:
Whats (he) doing? Hes Shes (eating); How many ? What color is/ are? Its/ Theyre; Can I have a/an/ some ? Yes
here you are; No I dont have - Do you like? Yes, I do/No, I dont. - Where is/are ? The modal verb can for ability: I can
see (three cats). What are these /those? They're
Greeting people (hello - hi- goodbye) Introducing oneself and others ( Im + name My name is - whats your name)
Naming parts of the body (head, hand, body, leg)
Responding to instructions (stand up , sit down , open your book , walk, run)
Identifying & talking about colors(what color is it? red, blue, green, black)
Counting (how many ..? numbers 1 20)
Identifying classroom objects (whats this? a book, a desk, pencil, ruler)
Identifying a person (Whos this? This is )
Making possession (Ive got - this is my )
Expressing likes (I like apples, milk, bananas ...)
Asking politely (May I have , please?)
Expressing gratitude(thank you )
Making suggestions (lets)
Grade 2
Competences, learning activities and curriculum standards
General Competences
Specific Competences
Examples of Learning activities
Curriculum standards
GC 1. Listening to oral
messages by means of
different strategies in a
variety of contexts for
effective comprehension
A range of language realities
1.1.Understanding familiar high frequency
words, phrases and instructions when spoken
by peers or adults
Students are able to:
1.1. Understand simple words and phrases
Listen in various contexts to a piece of
spoken by others and respond appropriately to
speech.
simple instructions given by the teacher
Exercises of recognizing and repeating
familiar sounds, words, simple phrases and
simple sentences.
Raise hands when listening to certain words
naming parts of body, family members,
colours etc.
A range of operations
1.2. Distinguishing initial, medial and end
sounds in simple words and understanding
their meaning
Listen and circle the initial, medial or end
letter sounds on word cards or worksheets.
1.2. Recognize initial, medial and end sounds in
simple words of 3-4 letters
1.3. Listening to and understanding spoken
or recorded instructions formulated in simple
words, phrases or sentences
Differentiate an instruction from another
type of text.
Respond to instructions related to simple,
well defined actions specific to school life.
Follow some instructions such as: draw a
circle, draw a square above the circle, use
shapes to make a face etc.
1.3. Listen to and react correctly to spoken or
recorded instructions formulated in simple
words, phrases or sentences
A range of attitudes
1.4. Listening to others and respecting social
conventions when they communicate in
English
1.4. Listen to and show respect to others when
Role play: students are asked to create
groups of three; one student is asked to talk communicating in English
about his/her family; the others exercise the
active listening.
A range of connections
1.5. Identifying Arabic words related to Islamic
religion in a listened text in English
1.5. Identify words, phrases and simple
Listen to the recorded material and tick
sentences when listening to different sources
pictures related to religion.
Listen to circle the correct picture in a series with teacher's guidance
of pictures when listening to an English text
General Competences
Specific Competences
Examples of Learning activities
Curriculum standards
on Islam.
Identify Arabic words such as Ramada, El
Aid, Quran, El Hajj, and Mosque in an
English text.
GC 2. Speaking by using
strategies of individual
and interactive speech in a
variety of communicative
contexts
A range of language realities
2.1. Participating in short and simple
interactions, in everyday situations, with
support from the partner (peer or adults,
teacher or others) responding orally to
questions and greetings
Students are able to:
Role play: short exchanges between pairs
about everyday routine.
Improvise small interactions (minidialogues) in the classroom on familiar
topics that happen to appear during the
lesson.
Uses simple replies and greetings.
2.1. Express themselves orally in English when
talking to others initiating and responding to
simple clear statements in simple familiar
topics: "going shopping, going to school,
going to the zoo etc.
A range of operations
2.2. Responding to simple communicative
situations in mini dialogues, describing family
members, places and things.
2.2. Use words learned to describe /name
Role play: creating small groups and
people, places, family and things
describing one by one based on pictures
or other resources family members,
friends, and well-known buildings in the
town.
Describe some pictures of places in Kuwait.
A range of attitudes
2.3. Showing confidence and respect when
speaking using simple sentences with the
teacher and peers
A range of connections 2.4. Using their
knowledge and abilities acquired in other
subjects for presenting their native place/
region in English
2.3. Open politely an interaction and uses
Exercises related to the use of politeness
formulas (in addressing somebody; listening adequately politeness forms during it "please,
carefully and maintaining the conversation). can I" fluently.
Participate in different oral activities about
himself, his country (role playing).
Listen to the recorded material and tick
pictures about Kuwait.
Use family pictures made in Kuwait and
name the place where it was done.
Present their town/region in a poster by
using photos, maps, drawings etc. and
using English words.
2.4. Use drawings, maps and English words to
present their town/region.
General Competences
Specific Competences
Examples of Learning activities
Curriculum standards
GC 3. Reading and viewing A range of language realities
a range of texts by means
of different strategies in a 3.1. Reading simple sentences aloud using
variety of contexts
correct intonation and identifying high
frequency words associated to images or
symbols
Students are able to:
Identify pictures of common objects and
read the words under the pictures.
Identifying labels with famous companies
"McDonalds, KFC, and Hardees".
Distinguish between letters and CVC words
Blend sounds to form frequent CVC words
Segment simple words into sounds.
Match letters with pictures that begin with
the same sound (C - Cat/B - Boy).
Look through different printed materials and
underline CVC words.
Read a sheet of paper with the most
common letter sounds "long vowel sounds"
and combinations (e.g., the, sh, ch, ing).
Read high frequency words provided by the
teacher from extra class sources (e.g.
newspapers).
Read numbers and match them to mirror
pictures with objects.
Count classroom objects and other objects
from nature.
Read any of the speech bubbles in their
books with teacher's guidance.
3.1.Read aloud simple sentences and texts
appropriate to their age identifying high
frequency words associated with images and
using correct intonation
Read and circle words with initial capital
letters
Read simple text "two to three words" in
turns and observe turn taking.
3.3. Show respect and positive attitudes to
others while reading simple texts in English by
respecting turn taking
A range of attitudes
3.3. Showing positive attitude towards reading
and respecting turn taking when reading with
peers
A range of connections
3.4. Reading familiar English words and
associating them to images, based on their
knowledge from other subjects
3.4. Read words and phrases related to daily
Read words and phrases related to
routine with the help of pictures
daily routine;
"Read" geometrical shapes of objects
and numbers 20-30;
Read names of animals in English
texts
Read and match numbers with objects
in pictures
Look at shapes "circle and square" and
name them.
General Competences
Specific Competences
Examples of Learning activities
Curriculum standards
GC 4. Writing range of
texts adapted to a variety
of communicative
purposes
A range of language realities
4.1. Writing words and simple sentences using
elementary punctuation marks
A range of operations
4.2. Writing from left to right using basic
punctuation marks correctly
Students are able to:
Exercises of copying and writing words and
sentences.
Students write proper names e.g.
"classmates " , days of the week" in a sheet
of paper using correct punctuation marks
4.1 Capitalize and use simple punctuation
marks correctly while writing
Write simple words between four lines from
left to right.
4.2. Write simple words between four lines
using basic punctuation marks by following or
not a model
A range of attitudes
4.3. Handling writing tools neatly and in an
organized manner
4.3. Trace and copy upper and lowercase
Trace and copy lower case letters and
letters and simple words neatly.
simple words.
Apply teachers simple instructions correctly
while writing in the air and on the board
(movements of go up down round etc.).
A range of connections
4.4.Completing a map with the name of streets,
town or villages, using English letters and their
knowledge of their native region
Look at pictures of places in Kuwait and
write the corresponding words.
Complete a map using English words to
indicate places, streets, monuments etc.
Write simple words and short sentences in
English about their region.
Write names of colours in English and
colouring objects from Kuwait folk art.
4.3. Use English words and sentences to
present their native town/region.
Grade 2 Learning content
Topic (Theme)
Content
List of items
At the restaurant: breakfast, chicken, salad, cheese, orange juice, vegetables
Going shopping: biscuits, milk, cola, bread, meat, rice, chips, buy
Vocabulary
Going to school: music, listen, write, days of the week, count, numbers (20-30), calculator
Going to the zoo: elephant, camel, rabbit, zebra, zoo, lion, tiger, cage
Kuwait in the past: well, tools, camel,
Me and my
neighborhood
Structure
At the restaurant
Going shopping
Going to school
Going to the zoo
And zoo animals
Kuwait in the past
Language functions
Present simple: (I wash my face every day.); Modal verb: can (for permission); Can I watch television? Imperatives: Tidy your
bedroom, please. Dont put the toys here. How many are there? Possessive adjectives my/your: modal .can for making requestsCan I have some? Present continuous: What are you doing?
The verb have got: Have we got (cheese)? Lets (go to the supermarket). Past simple: What did you/he/she paint /She/he
painted articles (a - an); The verb like plus gerund: I like looking at fish.
Talking about daily routines
Telling the time (What time? Its )
Counting (numbers 20 30 )
Making polite requests (May I have , please?)
Giving instructions (stand up, sit down, open your book, walk, run)
Asking and answering questions (Whats that? Its a )
Giving commands (go outclose the door.)
Locating objects (Wheres the ? Its on . In )
Asking for information (Where are the ?)
Giving information (theyre)
Expressing likes and dislikes (I like I dont like)
Talking about routines (I get up wash my face)
Expressing likes and dislikes (I like I dont like)
Expressing apology (Im sorry )
Describing objects and animals (The book is redthe cat is black, big)
Naming rooms of the house (this is my house bedroom - living room kitchen )
