Primary English Beginners

Ages 6 to 7

Primary English Beginners is a mixed discipline course, in language, literature and performance, for students at the beginning of primary school.

The reading component is based on Studio Education’s Kids Canon, in which one novel (chapter book) is studied in depth over a period of three to five weeks.

Primary English Beginners incorporates a high-impact writing program that includes essays and stories. Students will learn to compose both conventional 5-point paragraphs, and personal narratives that reflect on the concepts and themes presented in the novels (chapter books). With one genre per book, students will learn and work through the story writing process, including sentence construction, character and plot development, proof-reading, and publishing a finished product.

Speaking, oral presentation, and listening are taught through preparation for drama and speech certificates, for which students will prepare group drama performances, memorized poetry recitals and dramatized storytellings.

Semester One

Danny and the Dinosaur
Syd Hoff
1958, Classic/Fantasy

Little Bear
Elsa Molmelund Minarik
1957, Short Stories

Frog and Toad are Friends
Arnold Lobel
1971, Classic/Humour/Fantasy

Henry and Mudge (First Book)
Cynthia Rylant
1987, Comedy and Humor

The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo
Judy Blume
2014, General Fiction

Semester Two

Wagon Wheels
Barbara Brenner
1978, Fiction

The Big Balloon Race
Eleanor Coerr
1981, Realistic Fiction

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain
Alice Dalgliesh
1952, Classic/Comedy/Humor

The Chocolate Touch
Patrick Skene Catling
1952, Classic/Humor/Fantasy