We have several coursebooks suitable for lower primary. The best choice mainly depends on when students start learning English and the number of lessons. There are many differences between schools, so the recommendations below should be seen as a general guideline.

We do not recommend using upper-primary books for this age-group. Although students might be able to deal with the level of English, upper-primary coursebooks require abstract thinking, which children only acquire at the age of 10/11.

Start from grade 4

For students who start learning English in grade 4 with 2 or 3 lessons a week, we recommend Enter the Portal starter. This book ensures that students learn all the compulsory parts of the NAT2020 in an enjoyable and motivating way.

For more information click here.

Start from grade 3

If students start in grade 3 with 1 lesson and grade 4 with 2 lessons a week, the best choice is to use Enter the Portal Starter for two years. For more information click here.

For a higher number of lessons, we recommend to start with Young Stars 3 or Smart Junior 3. For both series, level 3 can be used with total beginners. Young Stars is our more modern series, while many teachers prefer Smart Junior. These series are similar, so the choice between Young Stars or Smart Junior is due to personal preference and what the students would enjoy more.

For more information on Young Stars, click here. For more information on Smart Junior, click here.

Start from grade 2

We recommend Young Stars or Smart Junior. Young Stars is our more modern series, while many teachers prefer Young Stars. These series are similar, so the choice between Young Stars or Smart Junior is due to personal preference and what the students would enjoy more. This can be started with level 1 or 2. Level 2 would be more appropriate, though many schools happily start with level 1.

For more information on Young Stars, click here. For more information on Smart Junior, click here.

Start from grade 1

We recommend to start with Young Stars 1 or Smart Junior 1. These levels don’t contain reading or writing tasks. Young Stars is our more modern series, while many teachers prefer Young Stars. These series are similar, so the choice between Young Stars or Smart Junior is due to personal preference and what the students would enjoy more. Levels 1 and 2 can be taught in one lesson a week, though this means quick teaching without too much time for consolidation or tests. This isn’t a problem as these series have a spiral syllabus. 

For more information on Young Stars, click here. For more information on Smart Junior, click here.

Bilingual and intensive courses

Although not approved, Get Smart Plus would be the most suitable series. With more material and a quicker pace than our other series, students will reach a higher level.

For more information, click here.