Pearson ELT Starfish

Starfish

Starfish is a robust preschool English course that guides learning through inquiry and is based on the UNESCO’s five Pillars of Education. Throughout its 8 units, which are launched with a Big Question, kids explore, inquire, discover, learn and have fun following their natural curiosity. English language skills are acquired by constant exposure to the language as students learn about literacy, math, phonemic awareness, science, and artistic expression, among other topics.
  • American English
  • 3 level course
  • 8-12 hours of English per week
  • Suitable for 3-6 years old
Download a sample
Starfish
A different subject every day builds skills and knowledge of Literacy, Phonemic awareness, Physical development, Health, Language and communication, Exploring the world (science), Artistic expression and appreciation. Also, especially written for this series, Mathematical Thinking and Personal, Social and Emotional Development.

Each week covers all the areas linked to the Learning Pillars of the UNESCO (one per page):

Starfish is a flexible course and can be adapted to a different number of teaching hours. The components are easy to use and the content can also be adjusted to teachers' needs.

With Starfish , students can:

  • Discover the existence of other cultures and their differences.
  • Begin to develop basic communication skills.
  • Start to learn the writing system.
  • Become familiar with different types of texts and topics.
  • Explore children's literature.
  • Use linguistic and non-linguistic resources to present information about themselves and their surroundings.
  • Develop sensitivity, initiative, imagination and creativity through artistic expression (music, literature, visual arts, dance and performance).

The pedagogy behind Starfish

Starfish
Inquiry-based instruction and Big Question
A Big question at the beginning of each unit plus additional questions that are developed
around it that will guide students towards a final answer by the end of the unit.

  • Helps students reach their goals.
  • Emphasizes the importance of asking questions.
  • Understanding goes beyond memorizing facts.
  • Increases motivation and commitment.
  • Helps develop research skills.
Starfish
Focus on developing 21st Century Skills
Fun and exciting teaching material prepares students to succeed both in the classroom and
in today’s world. Carefully designed activities challenge students to communicate in
authentic contexts, be creative, think critically and use logical reasoning to face 21st century
challenges.
The skills that are developed are as follows:

Critical thinking | Collaboration | Communication | Creativity

  • Each lesson develops content around different subjects thus promoting transversality through CLIL.
  • The four language skills are developed, emphasizing phonological awareness, guided reading, drawing, and listening activities. 
Starfish
Mathematical Thinking
Learning math at a young age will gives students a better chance of success at school.

  • Helps to structure thinking.
  • Helps to develop logical thinking.
  • Students work on routines using a calendar and patterns; and activities with plenty of repetitions to help them grasp concepts of spatiality, order, growth, geometric patterns, numbers and mathematical operations
Starfish
Personal, social and emotional development
This will help students learn to express their emotions as well as their tastes and things that bother them.

  • Empathy
  • Self-esteem.
  • Positive social relationships.
  • Self-confidence.
  • Handling frustration and intolerance.
Starfish
Exploration and knowing of the World
Studying science at an early age helps students to:

  • Understand why they do certain things (why and how).
  • Express thoughts and opinions.
  • Research.
  • Make teaching unforgettable.  
Starfish
Differentiated Instruction
Differentiated instruction is required when the teacher needs to teach a lesson at different levels of difficulty, based on students' abilities. It also means teaching the same materials to all students, using a variety of instructional strategies. According to Bloom’s Taxonomy, students have to go through the following levels to finally learn successfully: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating. For example, students with more limited knowledge of a topic could be asked to apply and analyze content, while students who are at a more advanced level could be asked to complete tasks and be creative.

Course components

ISBN & Components

Component Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Student's Book 9786073246668 9786073246651 9786073246644
Learning Linker 9786073246781 9786073246811 9786073246729
Teacher's Guide 9786073246712 9786073246804 9786073246798
Big Book 9786073246613 9786073246637 9786073246620