TKT: Young Learners cheat sheet

Piaget's stages: sensorimotor (0–2), preoperational (2–7), concrete operational (7–11), formal operational (11+); most primary-age learners are in the preoperational or concrete operational stage and cannot handle abstract grammar rules.

Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development is the gap between what a learner can do alone and what they can do with support; scaffolding is the support given inside that gap and withdrawn as competence grows.

Bruner's sequence is enactive (doing) → iconic (pictures) → symbolic (words/symbols); new language for young learners is presented in that order.

Krashen: acquisition requires comprehensible input at i+1; a high affective filter (anxiety, low self-esteem, low motivation) reduces how much input learners take in.

Gardner's eight intelligences - linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinaesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic - function as a planning variable, not a fixed label for a child.

Typical 5–7 year olds: attention on one activity lasts roughly 5–10 minutes, learning comes through movement and the senses, and fine motor control and L1 literacy are still developing.

Typical 8–11 year olds: can follow longer instructions, sustain attention longer, work in pairs and groups, and begin to notice and talk about language form.

Silent period: comprehension typically precedes production; demanding early spoken output from beginners raises anxiety and does not speed up acquisition.

Decision rule: if learners cannot yet read in their first language, present new language through objects, pictures, gesture and oral models rather than written text.

Core plan components: main aim, subsidiary aim(s), target language, materials, stage-by-stage procedure with timing, interaction pattern, and anticipated problems with solutions.

A usable aim names observable behaviour - "By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to name six animals" - not "teach animals".

Standard staging for a young learner lesson: routine/warm-up → presentation in context → controlled practice → freer production → review and closure.

Stir/settle rule: alternate high-energy activities with calming ones; two energetic activities back-to-back typically produce behaviour problems.

Lesson length is usually 30–45 minutes for primary classes and contains roughly 5–7 short activity types rather than one long task.

Story-based lesson stages: pre-story (prediction, key lexis) → while-story (listen, join in, mime) → post-story (retell, act out, craft, simple writing).

Total Physical Response (Asher): imperative commands plus physical response, with no required production; suited to beginners and kinaesthetic learners.

Recycling rule: every lesson revisits previously taught language, and new items are introduced inside familiar routines and known vocabulary.

Materials: realia, flashcards, puppets, songs and games; long written worksheets are unsuitable for learners under about eight years old.

Instruction rule: give one instruction at a time, keep it short, and demonstrate it; instruction-checking questions work only with learners old enough to process a question about the task.

Correction decision: correct immediately during accuracy work; delay correction and reformulate (recast) during fluency work so the child's flow is not broken.

Praise is most effective when specific, naming the language or behaviour - "Good, you said 'I've got two brothers'" - rather than general approval.

Interaction patterns are whole class, pair, group and individual; changing the pattern roughly every 5–10 minutes re-engages attention.

L2 use: use English for routines and instructions from the first lesson; allow L1 for clarification and classroom management with beginners.

Scaffolding ladder: model → guided repetition → prompt or cue → independent use; support is removed one step at a time.

Drill sequence: choral → group → individual, kept short and playful (whisper drill, loud/quiet, mouthing only).

Management: fixed routines and signals (bell, countdown, raised hand) shorten transitions, and transitions are the most common source of off-task behaviour.

Monitoring: circulate without interrupting, note errors and good language, and feed them back after the activity.

Formative assessment is ongoing and used to adjust teaching; summative assessment comes at the end of a unit, term or course and is used to report achievement.

Young learner decision rule: prefer continuous, low-stress, task-based evidence (observation, portfolio, project) over timed written tests.

Cambridge English qualifications for young learners: Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers and A2 Flyers; papers are Listening, Reading and Writing, and Speaking.

Starters, Movers and Flyers are reported with 1–5 shields per paper and have no pass/fail grade, so results show strengths rather than ranking children.

Child-friendly self-assessment tools: smiley faces, thumbs up/down, traffic lights, and "I can..." statements.

An observation checklist is a pre-written list of target language or behaviours ticked when seen, giving a systematic record of continuous assessment.

A portfolio is a dated collection of a learner's work over time; it evidences progress and supports feedback to learners and parents.

Feedback rules: immediate, specific, positive first; correct selectively (one or two items per turn) so the child is not overloaded.

Test item types for young learners: colouring, matching, circling, picture-based listening and one-word answers; avoid negative marking and extended writing.