For pre-school learners. Beginner. Hippo and Friends uses a song- and story-based approach to introduce language to children in a way that comes naturally at this age. Actions and activities further reinforce learning. The course is packed full of attractive illustrations which immediately engage and delight young learners. The four lovable characters, Hippo, Monkey, Dog and Cat, provide a safe and friendly setting for each English lesson. The stories in each unit are designed to encourage positive attitudes in children such as helping others and sharing. There are also optional extra units on festivals such as Christmas, Easter and Halloween in the Teacher's Book. At the end of each unit children have the opportunity to make a simple 'storybook' which they can take home with them. This takes English outside the classroom, making the language more meaningful, and enables parents to be involved in the learning process. The course is very easy to teach and is suitable for schools offering from 1 to 5 lessons a week, as each unit is divided into 5 carefully structured lessons which revise and expand on the key language. The full-colour Teacher's Books contain step-by-step lesson plans and useful classroom management techniques. There are also plenty of ideas for extra activities which offer the teacher flexibility and choice.- The Audio Cd contains all of the original songs and stories and a useful section on classroom language.