How does pre-primary English connect beyond the classroom?
In this final episode, Sarah Hillyard and Faidra Faitaki look at the wider context of early language learning, exploring how teachers collaborate with colleagues, engage with parents, and align English with the broader curriculum.
They discuss the importance of supporting both English and children’s first language, addressing common misconceptions about early bilingualism, and helping parents understand the value of play-based learning. The episode highlights how strong connections across teachers, families, and schools are essential for creating meaningful and successful early language learning experiences.
Download the Pre-primary English: how to do it well position paper here -> https://oxelt.gl/4o0mMrn

What are the biggest challenges of teaching English to very young learners, and how can teachers manage them effectively?
In this episode, Sarah Hillyard and Faidra Faitaki focus on the realities of the pre-primary classroom, from behaviour and routines to engagement and lesson structure.
They explore how clear routines, modelling, and playful interaction help create a supportive learning environment, and how teachers can balance guided input with opportunities for children to take the lead. By emphasising repetition, flexibility, and observation, they explain how young learners begin to take ownership of language and use it with growing confidence.
Download the Pre-primary English: how to do it well position paper here -> https://oxelt.gl/4o0mMrn

Why is play central to learning in the early years and what does it really look like in a pre-primary English classroom?
In this episode, Sarah Hillyard and Faidra Faitaki explore how play is not simply a classroom activity, but the natural way children explore the world and develop language.
They discuss how language learning becomes meaningful when it is embedded in playful experiences such as storytelling, role play, music, and creative activities. Drawing on classroom examples, they explain how play supports not only language development, but also creativity, confidence, and social interaction, making it essential to effective early years learning.
Download the Pre-primary English: how to do it well position paper here -> https://oxelt.gl/4o0mMrn