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Introduction
What’s new
Unit walkthrough
Components
Pre-literacy sets the scene for reading and writing
Reading and writing open up whole new worlds for children to explore. Children become familiar with a wide range of words by exploring beautifully illustrated stories, which they can read, watch and listen to. They are encouraged to notice print, recognize the letters of the alphabet and distinguish specific sounds.
Creativity principles encourage imaginative thinking
Being creative helps children think imaginatively and express themselves. Creative activities are designed to engage children’s natural curiosity, helping them learn to concentrate, collaborate and look at things in new ways. Each unit ends with an arts and crafts project based on the language children have learnt.
Oracy practice builds confident communication
Focusing on oracy skills early gets children used to speaking and interacting confidently with their peers and adults. We’ve split oracy into three areas - listening, speaking, and presentation - and focus on one of these in each level. This allows children to develop different oracy skills at appropriate stages.
Why choose Cambridge Little Steps Second Edition?
I know Cambridge Little Steps.
I’m new to Cambridge Little Steps.
Tell me what’s new
Walk me through a unit
Step into this English language and early literacy course and explore Big Questions with very young learners. Over three levels, children are immersed in the English language as they investigate the world around them. The foundation of the course is three key pillars – pre-literacy, creativity, and oracy. Making a strong start on this unique combination of skills means children are ready to thrive when they step up to primary.
What's new
What’s new for the next step?
Cambridge Little Steps has started many very young learners on their journey towards a future full of opportunities. For the second edition, we asked teachers what makes it a fantastic course for them and their learners, and how to make it even better. New print and digital features support teaching and learning with more visual material, interactivity, and skills practice.
More support for teaching oracy
Each level of the course focuses on a different area of oracy, so learners acquire different oracy skills at appropriate stages. Throughout the Teacher’s Book you’ll find special oracy features, along with comprehensive information about teaching oracy to pre-primary children.
More opportunities for literacy practice
There are lots of activities designed to help very young learners practice their fine motor skills and writing, including writing practice worksheets. They can then practice all their new vocabulary through games. There’s also more support for teaching phonics, including detailed teaching notes for introducing new sounds, flashcards, and specific practice pages.
Additions to the Activity Book
The Activity Book has been updated and extended to include a wider variety of activity types, including new phonics activities. Young learners will also find a favorite among their age group - stickers!
New video types
Course content is brought to life and contextualized through more videos for your young learners to enjoy and join in with. In cross-curricular lessons, videos introduce the topics. New language chants are accompanied by videos, so prepare for some lively lessons!
Cross-curricular
Language chant
New and enhanced Digital Packs
New for the second edition, the Student’s Digital Pack gives children access to songs, videos and games from the course to sing along to, watch, and play at home. There are also worksheets for children to do at home.
Presentation Plus, which provides digital versions of all of the books along with audio, video, answer keys, interactive activities, games, and interactive routine boards.
Teacher Resources, including extra flashcards, phonics flashcards, extra worksheets, assessment worksheets, class audio and video.
See components
Enhanced for the second edition, the Teacher’s Digital Pack includes:
What does each unit consist of?
At the start of each unit, a Big Question introduces children to a topic. What can our bodies do? What do we eat? Where do we live? Songs, language chants, activities, and animated stories guide learners through the units, which end with a project that helps them answer the Big Question.
Scroll through a unit below and experience the course.
Level 1, Unit 3
Show me the sample unit to download
Tell me about the course components
The first lesson of every unit introduces the topic through a Big Question. This unit's Big Question is What can our bodies do?
A unit introduction video gets children thinking about the topic.
Children can watch a catchy song on video.
Learners are introduced to the first set of vocabulary for the unit. They can see the vocabulary items on the page, in the song video, and on flashcards.
Every lesson includes the lesson focus. Vocabulary and language lessons include the target language.
Lessons 2 and 3 are the story lessons. These beautifully illustrated stories provide rich vocabulary. The stories are also available in the Big Book for you to read aloud with the whole class.
Every story has an audio and video version.
This lesson practices phonics. Target sounds are presented and practiced using words from the story.
Lesson 3 explores how the story answers the Big Question.
Audio of the phonics is provided to help you model the target sounds.
Lesson 4 is the literacy lesson. It reinforces children's understanding and recall of the story. Activities include identifying characters, scenes, and settings, and ordering scenes from the story.
Lesson 5 is the values lesson. Children explore and reflect on values linked to the unit theme. Thinking about values and applying them when interacting with others is a key life competency and helps build socially responsible individuals.
Every lesson has between two and four short instructions. There is more guidance on these in the Teacher's Book. Children will get to know the icons, and gradually learn the words.
There is a sticker activity in one lesson per unit. The stickers are found at the back of the Student's Book and have easy shapes for children to peel.
Lesson 6 presents the second vocabulary set of the unit. Children are presented with more high-frequency words that will enrich their vocabulary. Each word has a corresponding flashcard.
In Lesson 7, children learn a key language structure, and recycle the vocabulary from the previous lesson.
Children can listen to a chant and watch a chant video, to practice the target language.
Lesson 8 is the concept lesson. Children learn basic developmental concepts, such as different shapes and the difference between big and small, up and down, adults and children, etc.
Lesson 9 presents the third vocabulary set of the unit. There's a corresponding flashcard for each word.
Lesson 10 presents the second language structure of the unit, which also reinforces the vocabulary from the previous lesson.
Lesson 11 is the speaking lesson. Children learn and practice functional language for everyday situations, such as asking for permission, saying what they want or like, and greeting people.
A video introduces the topic in a fun and engaging way.
Lesson 12 is the cross-curricular lesson. Children explore the unit topic through social studies, science, art and math.
Children are encouraged to interact with the number on the page by coloring it in early units, then moving on to tracing it in later units, if they are ready to do so.
Lesson 13 is the numeracy lesson. The Numeracy Book provides further practice of writing numbers and counting.
In the final lesson of the unit, children apply what they have learned and answer the Big Question through a hands-on project that builds their creativity. The Teacher's Book provides step-by-step notes to help you guide children through the projects.
Show me all the components for all the levels
Activity Book
Student’s Book with Digital Pack
The Student’s Book immerses children in the English language through stories, songs and Big Questions to explore. There are nine units, each containing 14 lessons, covering literacy, phonics, values, speaking, numeracy and more. The spiral binding is ideal for little fingers, as they learn to turn pages, find page numbers and complete activities. The unique access code unlocks the Digital Pack on Cambridge One, with games, videos and worksheets to extend learning at home.
Teacher’s Book with Digital Pack
Primary companion course
Cambridge Primary Path Second Edition is the perfect next step from Cambridge Little Steps Second Edition. The unique combination of oracy, literacy and creativity pillars in both courses builds the skills children need to thrive, now and in the future.
Cambridge Primary Path Second Edition
The Activity Book contains a page of activities for every page of the Student's Book. The variety of activities supports children in developing the skills that the Student's Book lessons focus on, such as phonics.
The Teacher's Book provides comprehensive teaching notes for every unit. There are extra activity ideas, routines for starting classes, and guidance on supporting pre-primary learners (including making the most of your puppet companion - Tickles the cat!). You'll also find information about teaching oracy to pre-primary children. The unique access code unlocks the Digital Pack on Cambridge One, giving access to Presentation Plus, extra worksheets and resources.
Teacher's Book with Digital Pack
Big Book
The Big Book presents the stories from the Student's Book in large format, with colourful illustrations, so the whole class can enjoy them together.
Phonics Book
The Phonics Book offers further practice of letter and sound recognition, letter formation, and key pre-literacy skills.
Numeracy Book
The Numeracy Book provides children with extra support and practice of number formation and counting.
Flashcards
Flashcards are ideal for this age group and provide children with a visual link to the vocabulary they hear and say in English, as well as many opportunities for games.
Classroom Activity Posters
The Poster packs contain 10 colourful posters per level, to be displayed in the classroom. Some are focused on key language, such as adjectives and numbers. Others are designed to be incorporated into class routines, asking questions such as ‘How do you feel today?’.
Puppet
Your classroom assistant is Tickles the cat! Tickles features throughout the books and can accompany you and your classes as a lovable puppet, which children will associate with English learning time in school.
