Haslinda Md Ali National Child Development Research Centre, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak,

Malaysia Tel: +60126256512 , Email : hmaippm70@gmail.com Aminah Ayob Education and Human Development Faculty Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia Tel: +6019-4481951, Email : aminahayob@upsi.edu.my

ABSTRACT

The Whole Brain Teaching Method: Creating A More Active Learning Environment Amongst Preschoolers

English has become a compulsory subject from preschool years up till tertiary levels. Though the importance of English is highlighted at an early stage, previous studies found that most preschoolers in Malaysia have difficulties in understanding the language. Children are shy thus not confident to speak the language. This has created a challenging task for preschool teachers as they are not native speakers and have limited backgrounds on teaching English language. Therefore, an appropriate teaching strategy is in need. This research aimed to investigate the effect of Whole Brain Teaching (WBT) in promoting active learning among preschoolers. In this study, the philosophy, the seven principles and rules of WBT teaching method is integrated in the English classroom. Results shown that WBT is able to create a more engaged learning environment for preschoolers. The children are actively involved and participated well throughout the English lesson.

KEY WORD: English as a second language learning (ESL), Whole Brain Teaching, Preschool, Early childhood education