Level 1: Foundation — Curriculum syllabus
First Stories. First Thinking.
Welcome to Level 1: Foundation — the beginning of an extraordinary thinking journey.
At this level, your child will explore the world through beautifully crafted picture books and short stories. But these are not ordinary story-times. Every book in the Jurassic English™ programme has been chosen because it raises a real question — about fairness, feelings, community, or our place in the natural world.
From the very first lesson, your child will be asked to think out loud, share their views, and use the words of the text to explain what they believe. By the end of this year, your child will not merely read stories. They will analyse them, evaluate characters' choices, and write their first justified opinions.
Everything you need to know at a glance
Age Range
6–8 years
CEFR Range
Pre-A1 → A1
Total Lessons
40 structured lessons per academic year
Lesson Duration
40–60 minutes per lesson
CEFR Progression
Pre-A1 → A1 (approx. 90–100 instructional hours)
Cognitive Focus
BICS — phonics, high-frequency vocabulary, context-embedded language
Text Complexity
Picture books and predictable narratives
Eco-Reasoning Strand
Local nature, seasons, and animal relationships
Literature selected to develop real thinking
Every text is chosen because it raises questions that do not have easy answers. 10 core texts per year; 4 structured lessons per text.
There's an Alligator Under My Bed
Mayer
Imagination, courage, and problem-solving
The Name Jar
Choi
Identity, naming, and cultural belonging
A Chair for My Mother
Williams
Family resilience, community, and generosity
Owl Moon
EcoYolen
Wonder in the natural world; patience and presence
Additional texts: 6 additional titles are selected per WWL text criteria in consultation with the school community. All selected texts meet the five-criterion standard for diverse cultural perspectives and ecological richness.
Term-by-term curriculum map
Term 1
Lessons 1–13 · Units 1–3
Introduce the Jurassic Thinking Cycle™
Guided Analyze — 'What do we notice?' with partner share and sentence frames
First oral Evaluate: 'Was this a good or bad choice?'
Eco warm-up: 2-minute outdoor observation before each lesson
Term 2
Lessons 14–27 · Units 4–7
First written justification sentences (Claim + Evidence)
Introduce personal Reflect prompt: 'This connects to my life because…'
Eco strand active: informal nature journaling begins
Ecological prompt: 'What do we name things in nature? Why does naming matter?'
Term 3
Lessons 28–40 · Units 8–10
Full Thinking Cycle across all four stages with light scaffolding
Portfolio introduction: students choose their best justification sentence
CEFR self-assessment on Pre-A1 / A1 descriptor grid
Reading celebration — students share their reasoning journey
Assessment tracks the quality of reasoning.
All written justification tasks are assessed using the WWL Four-Level Reasoning Rubric.
Lesson Observation
Every lessonTeacher notes who provides evidence vs. opinion-only responses. Prompts and redirects with clarification questions.
Written Justification
2–3 per weekOne-sentence Claim + Evidence response. Feedback returned within 24 hours. Sentence frames available.
Exit Ticket
End of each lessonOne Reflect prompt; one sentence. Teacher sorts into Ready / Nearly / Not Yet to plan next lesson.
Portfolio
Per unit × 10Student selects their best justification sentence and annotates: 'This shows my best thinking because…'
CEFR Self-Assessment
Each termStudent marks current level on Pre-A1 / A1 descriptor grid. Teacher confirms or challenges in conference.
Year-End Growth Narrative
End of year'My reasoning journey this year…' — teacher reads holistically to inform Level 2 placement.
The standard applied to all written work
Emerging
States a position without support. Opinion only — no warrant. No textual evidence cited.
Developing
Cites evidence without clear connection. Evidence present; warrant absent or unclear.
Proficient
Links evidence to claim with clear reasoning. Claim + Evidence + Warrant all present. Evidence selected purposefully.
Advanced
Anticipates counterarguments; extends to broader implications. Full CEIW with multiple evidence points.
Local nature, seasons, and animal relationships
At Foundation level, eco-learning begins with wonder. Books such as Owl Moon invite children to slow down, notice the living world, and feel a sense of connection and responsibility. Children begin an informal nature journal — drawing and labelling what they observe. The Ecological Reflection prompt at this level asks: 'What do we name things in nature? Why does naming matter?'
Supporting Learning at Home
Read aloud together for 15 minutes daily — your voice models fluent, expressive English and builds listening comprehension.
After reading, ask: 'Why did the character do that?' — not just 'What happened?' This develops reasoning rather than recall.
Take a 5-minute 'observation walk' outside. Ask your child to name 3 living things and describe one relationship between them.
Display your child's best justification sentence visibly — visible pride reinforces the reasoning habit.
Let your child 'teach you' what they discussed in today's lesson. Explaining to others deepens understanding significantly.
Where this level fits
Coming from
Programme entry point
Leading to
Level 2: Development
Readiness for the next stage
Students are ready for Level 2 when they can sustain a focused discussion using textual evidence, write one independent Claim + Evidence sentence, and make a personal connection in their Reflect response. CEFR readiness for A1 is confirmed through end-of-year portfolio review and teacher assessment. Placement is never based on a single test.
Enquire about this level
Interested in introducing Level 1: Foundation at your school? Contact us to discuss teacher training, school licensing, and curriculum review.
info@jurassicenglish.comPublished by World Wise Learning (opens in a new tab) · Jurassic English™ Version 3.0 · Academic Year 2025–2026