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

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.





How is LINUS being implementation?




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.
1
st
( 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?

2
nd
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 re-
tell/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
Can children problem solve
Can children complete maths on measurement, money
and time, events


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 after diagnostic and formative
evaluation.

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.