Analysis of objectives and

the content of textbooks

for very young learners.

1. Hippo and

Friends

2. Small Talk

3. Super Me

Hippo and Friends

By Claire Selby with Lesley McKnight, published by

Cambridge University Press in 2006.

(Complete Beginner- Hippo and Friends is a three-level

pre-school course for 3-5 year-olds.)

The aims (objectives) of this textbook are:

• To teach English in a way that is fun and enjoyable

• To make age-relevant vocabulary easy to learn and to

remember

• To provide materials which integrate English to the

pre-school curriculum

Methodology

• At this age, children

generally enjoy singing

songs. They memorize

the words throught

songs. Children also

love stories. A story

provides a context to

help children

understand the

application of new

words.

• There are also games which help memorize new words.

• This textbook includes easy-to-use materials: Audio CDs,

Photocopiable extras, Flashcard and Story posters

Unit structure

Sing and learn. In this lesson teacher presents the main vocabulary, hear

and sing the song and reinforce the vocabulary with the sticker

worksheet.

Listen and learn. In this lesson teacher presents the story, using the story

poster.

Do and learn. This lesson revises the song and the story with activities.

Say and learn. Here a section called Talk time specifically encourages

children to give one word responses to questions or to complete a

phrase.

Moving on. Last lesson draws together the song and story elements. The

children sing the song again and make a storybook to take home.

Contents:

Starter unit: I can say hello!

Unit 1 : Ten pencils

Unit 2 : A face

Unit 3 : Our little house

Unit 4 : Family

Unit 5 : The weather

Unit 6 : Spring colours

Unit 7 : Wild animals

Unit 8 : Bananas!

Unit 9 : The sea is blue

Extra units : Halloween, Christmas, Easter

Vocabulary

• Vocabulary is very

simple, in each unit

there are 4 or 5 new

words.

• E.g: Hello, goodbye,

hippo, monkey, dog, cat

• At the end of each unit

is a revision of

vocabulary that children

have learned.

Small Talk

By Myriam Monterrubio

and Marcela Salido.

Published by

Marcmillian press in

1994.

• This course has 3 pre-

school levels. This

textbook is second level

for 4-5 years old

children.

Objectives

•

Learning process should follow a child´s natural

developement

•

To consolidate learning, present new vocabulary

•

Themes and activities are focused on the world

aroun the child.

•

Emphasized are oral and comprehension aspect of

the language

This course involves this three cognitives areas:

1. Listening

2. Visual

3. Kinesthetic

Methodology

• This textbook uses

situational
methodology.

• The authors says:

´´Child is not an adult
in developement but a
well-formed individual,
with his own
personality and
individual character.´´

Whole course is divided into three levels:

• Kinder 1, Kinder 2, and pre-primary

level. The book contains casettes

where is vocabulary, songs, rhymes,

dialogues between the protagonists

The book structure

Book is divided into units by each theme:

1. Greetings

2. Beautiful colours

3. Shapes

4. Big and little

5. My Body

6. Where´s my Bunny?

7.

My Street

8. Left and Right

9. The Candy Store

10. Toys, Toys, Toys

11. The Weather

12. In the Park

13. In the Garden

14. Granpa´s Farm

15. Final Review

Vocabulary:

• Vocabulary is easy-to-learn and simple.
E.g: colours: orange, green, pink
shapes: circle, triangel, square

Super me 2

By Lucia Tomas and Vicky Gil, Oxford

University Press in 1998. This course is

a two-year English course for 5 to 7

years olds in kindergarten.

Aims

• to make English enjoyable not only for

the children but also for teachers.

Methodology

• The course consist

of essential and

optional

components:

• Essential: Class

Book, Fun Book,

Cassette, Teacher´s

resource pack

(Teachers Book,

Story Book)

• Optional: flashcards

The book structure

• The Class Book and Fun Book are each

divided into nine units , including

Christmas and Easter unit which is very

interesting for the children. Because

they love to sing christmas carols. Learn

how they call in English snowflake,

angel, christmas tree, egg, rabbit and

so on...

• Each unite focuse on particular theme.

Topics are:

1. Lucy´s birthday

2. Lucy´s tree house

3. At the shopping centre

4. At the adventure park

5. At the Zoo

6. In town

7. On holiday

8. Christmas

9. Easter

The Class Book:

It contains all the basic presentation material

for the course.The class book activities are

largely listening activities (chants songs

dialogues and role-plays)

• Point activities (find and count named objects,

color and complete according to instructions).

• There is not presented any words on the class

book pages. Each activity is signprinted with

an icon to indicate the nature of the activity.

The pages are color-full.

The Fun Book:

• Its similar to the work

book.

• The children work there

on theire own: drawing,

writing numbers,

colouring, there is also

cutting and pasting

activities and variety of

puzzles and games and

the lyrics for extra

songs

Vocabulary

• Vocabulary is simple,

and easy to remeber.

There is about 20new

words (numbers from

1-20, colors,food) in

each unit + same new

phrases like :What´s

this? Please give me

a... I like...

Conclusion

• All these three textbooks are very

colourful, what chatches children´s

attention. Include many activities which

involve they kinesthetic skills.

Interesting stories and songs develope

their imagination and language skills.

Thank you for your

attention!