GrapeSEED is laser focused on ensuring teacher success. It does that by combining the world’s first functional-notional English curriculum with extensive training, comprehensive teaching tools and ongoing classroom support.
GrapeSEED is designed from the ground up to mitigate common challenges that English teachers face while teaching children. They include:
| Teacher Challenge | GrapeSEED Advantage |
|---|---|
| Developing effective listening skills | In GrapeSEED, a child begins by listening to language expressions and associating the sounds with the ability to get something done. This motivates him to keep listening. Original songs, chants and stories in book, CD and DVD formats are carefully integrated to ensure that the children hear, distinguish and repeat sounds while learning English. |
| Disengaged parents | Parents get measurable, clear instructions on how they can help and they see measurable improvement in their children's language proficiency. |
| Developing good reading skills | GrapeSEED's approach to reading readiness ensures that the child knows the most critical vocabulary and his phonics skills and communicative skills are sufficiently developed to the point where learning to read becomes effortless when the reading lessons actually start. |
| Developing good speaking skills with correct pronunciation | GrapeSEED takes a child through careful progressions of the most commonly spoken words and phrases tied to every-day concepts in form of stories, songs and chants by the teachers, re-enforced by audio CDs and DVDs to emphasize correct speaking and pronunciation. |
| Developing good writing skills | GrapeSEED first focuses on writing readiness. The children learn to write the alphabet, assemble words, and write phrases and sentences. This leads the student into independent writing of paragraphs or short essays, and then on to composition and creative writing. Workbooks and writers reinforce reading skills and provide further writing practice. |
| Teaching correct grammar | GrapeSEED makes it easy for children to learn English without having to study grammar first. The grammatical elements are carefully embedded into the communicative lessons. The result is that as children progress through the levels, they learn, understand, and use proper grammar—without having formal grammar lessons. |
| Teaching sufficient vocabulary | In GrapeSEED, the vocabulary has been carefully structured by their frequency of use as regards to common tasks (language functions). The number of words is strategically increased as the levels progress; the curriculum automatically ensures a systematic review of all words by integrating them into the materials of subsequent levels. |
| Developing fluency in the language | GrapeSEED was designed so that, within a relatively short period of time, children are able to communicate without having to think in and then interpret from their native language. With GrapeSEED, students "think" in English—a basic requirement for fluency in any language. |
| Effective lesson planning | GrapeSEED provides teachers with lesson management skills to help monitor progress and make adjustments. The General Procedure Manuals and Teachers Guides give the objectives and milestones based on which the students should progress. |
| Effective classroom management | The GrapeSEED General Procedures Manual (GPM) includes practical tips on how to effectively manage the classroom for learning, comprehension, practice and maintaining student enthusiasm. |
| Integrating new learning technologies | In GrapeSEED, each area of learning is completely covered by original songs, chants, poems, activities, stories, and CDs that are fully integrated into the curriculum. The "Extended English Environment" (EEE) includes audio CDs and DVDs specifically designed for language learning. |
| Incorporating latest learning methodologies | GrapeSEED is the world's premier functional-notional English curriculum based on groundbreaking educational research and over four decades of classroom success. It is a highly efficient and effective English language learning system for early childhood. Among many innovations, conventional phonics methods were replaced with GrapeSEED's classroom-oriented system of vertical phonics, specifically designed for children who have limited literacy skills. |
| Use of authentic and original teaching materials | GrapeSEED is a stand-alone, all-inclusive curriculum with original, enjoyable art that accurately illustrates the meaning of the text. The specifications and quality of recording is designed for enhanced language learning. A complete set of experience-based classroom teaching materials provides the teacher with the tools needed to accelerate the learning process. |
| Confidence-building student assessments | GrapeSEED manuals and teaching guides provide the guidelines for determining each student’s level of comprehension. Teachers will learn how to assess students during class activities. The learning objectives of each GrapeSEED level are clearly defined and provide a framework for objective assessment. |