No, they don’t. At the beginning of the course, a young learner may feel more confident and willing to try something new with a parent or carer nearby. This is why we do not insist that parents leave a child who feels uncomfortable during their first class. After that, however, we suggest that parents gradually step back from the room, as this will have a beneficial effect on their child’s linguistic and social development.

In Teddy Eddie Start groups, our priority is to build positive associations with a foreign language and to make children excited about learning English. Before the time comes for tangible language outcomes, we focus on developing children’s ability to function in a peer group, build relationships and respond to commands and instructions. We also gradually build their ability to respond non-verbally to input in the foreign language.

Yes and no. We are aware that children have short attention spans and we are prepared for this. The Teddy Eddie method is designed to cater for the needs of very young children. During the class, the teacher alternates between dynamic and static activities, giving young learners the opportunity to play with English in a more energetic way as well as engage in tasks that require more concentration.

Absolutely! Our experience shows that this frequency brings both social and linguistic benefits. It also helps to establish a routine, and we all know that young children love repetitive activities. The twice-weekly classes also allow our youngest students to get used to the schedule, which is the same at all levels of our method and in the follow-up courses.

Preschool activities and afternoon classes are not mutually exclusive. Teddy Eddie is a challenging English course that unlocks the enormous language potential of children. Its unique advantages include a multi-year curriculum, a language-rich Education Pack for all students and a well-designed system of parent-teacher communication. Also, Teddy Eddie classes introduce young learners to a different peer group, which is an opportunity for them to build new relationships.

Teddy Eddie allows for a one-year age difference between students in a group. At a similar age, young learners have similar social skills. A year’s difference is insignificant at this stage of development and it is quite easy to design a class format that works for both 4 and 5-year-olds.

Any group of preschool children will be a more or less mixed ability group. With this in mind, the Teddy Eddie method and course materials have been designed to ensure that all students can get the maximum benefit from the classes. Also, materials for teachers provide practical guidance on how to work with groups that include both beginners and more advanced children.

The Teddy Eddie method has been designed so that children can spend up to two years at the same level. This is not a problem because the coursebook changes and so does the material covered in the second year. With each passing year, young learners are also better prepared to process new content in more depth and use the language in a more intentional way, which results in greater progress.

Although there is a Teddy Eddie core curriculum, our method always offers children a little more than they are capable of learning. We want to immerse our youngest students in English in a way that mimics the process of learning their mother tongue – after all, children are born into a world where everyone speaks to them in a language they don’t understand. Being exposed to English and working with language-rich educational material, children absorb as much as they can, which allows them to progress at their own pace.

Yes, we do introduce global reading in Teddy Eddie ABC groups, but we do it very carefully. It is up to the teacher to decide how often and at what pace to introduce global reading activities, based on observation of the group and an assessment of students’ readiness. Global reading appears in the Teddy Eddie ABC course because it is at the age of 5-6 that children begin to take an interest in letters, and we turn this interest into a new English skill.

The global reading method involves memorising whole words by viewing them as pictures. This eliminates mother tongue spelling or syllabification which could lead to unnecessary embarrassment for some children. This means that your child doesn’t need to be able to read in their native language to do well with global reading in Teddy Eddie lessons.

Although the Education Packs for the Teddy Eddie Standard and Teddy Eddie ABC groups look almost identical, there is one important difference: the ABC worksheets. In Teddy Eddie ABC, they are used to teach global reading, while in younger groups there are no reading activities. The ABC classes are also 10 minutes longer because there is more material to learn. Even if your children work with the same story, their teachers’ expectations of them will be different. Older children are expected to learn more than those in a younger group. In the Teddy Eddie method, teachers can use the same coursebook to work with children of different ages in a way that maximises their language potential.

The Teddy Eddie method has been designed so that children can spend up to two years at the same level. This is possible because the coursebook changes and so does the material covered in the second year. With this approach, young learners are better prepared to process new content in more depth and start using language in a more intentional way, including for spontaneous communication.

Students can achieve even better outcomes if Mum or Dad are also involved in the language learning process. With the Parent’s Guide and access to the course recordings (both are included in every Teddy Eddie Education Pack), you can play games and sing songs from the course at home. Your child is sure to be delighted, because playing games in English is fun for them (even if, from the point of view of our experienced methodology consultants, it is a step towards making your child more familiar with foreign language at this early stage of development).

The global reading method involves memorising whole words by viewing them as pictures. This eliminates mother tongue spelling or syllabification which could lead to unnecessary embarrassment for some children. This means that your child doesn’t need to be great at reading in their native language to do well with global reading in Teddy Eddie classes.

Teddy Eddie Superhero is the final level of the Teddy Eddie method. We know the needs and expectations of 7-year-olds, so this time Teddy Eddie appears as a Superhero who can give children superpowers related to the English language. This new version of our teddy bear and the age-appropriate content make Teddy Eddie Superhero perfect for this age group.

The whole Teddy Eddie method is based on a system of revision and consolidation. Building on the vocabulary and skills already learnt, the teacher can ask more and more of the students as they progress. Repeated material is never presented in the same way – children can expect new songs, stories, radio plays, games and exercises. This keeps them engaged as they speak more and more on their own, begin to play with previously learnt stories, and consciously substitute and mix elements of speech. There is never a dull moment with Teddy Eddie!

Yes, regular homework assignments (to be completed by the child under the supervision of a parent) are an integral part of the Teddy Eddie Superhero course. Homework can take many forms, such as listening to recordings, playing games in the Playground app or completing exercises in the Workbook.
By already introducing homework assignments at this stage, we help children develop solid learning habits which are essential as they progress to the follow-up method – Savvy Ed.

Children who have completed the Teddy Eddie Superhero level may be ready for the Savvy Ed course if it is available at their language school (check HERE). It is important, however, that your child is actively using the Playground app, not just attending classes. Listening to recordings and playing games on a regular basis will help your child develop a routine for using English at home, which is exactly what is required in the Savvy Ed method.