Ask the Authors

Ask Mario and Theresa

Dear English teacher,

New Parade: The Best EFL Program/Primary Series Just Got Better!

by Mario Herrera

Many people have asked me why we decided to publish New Parade, a new edition of Parade. The answer is simple: as a result of five years of traveling and speaking with teachers, not only have we  been able to share ideas on how to use the program in the best way, but we also listened to teachers' valuable feedback on how 'the best could get better.'

Teachers told us they wanted to see more reading throughout the seven levels, a stronger presence of grammar, and more components such as videos, posters, and puppets - things that would bring Parade into the twenty-first century. And we did it all!

Now we are proud to present what is undoubtedly the most comprehensive, constructivist approach for making it easy and fun for children to learn English. It allows and encourages them to be the center of their own learning process, and to be able to express their own wishes, interests, and opinions when they communicate. In other words, they are able to be themselves, but 'in English.'

We enhanced our unit concept by visually highlighting each new lesson opener and the five steps of the lesson structure. Now, the first two pages of every lesson are framed in gold and the bottom of every page shows the part(s) of the lesson it covers: Warm Up, Presentation, Practice, Application, or Assessment.

Every teacher I've talked to has praised our new Little Books. Now in the Student Books we have a four-page story for every unit, in every level - including the Starter! We developed these stories very carefully, so children would always find them challenging, but within ELT standards that allow the students to practice the vocabulary they have just learned in the corresponding units. Theresa and I wrote the stories for Starter and Level 1, and we welcomed fresh ideas from experts for the rest of the program, to assure variety and representation of all genres and writing styles. We have many stories that describe regional customs, and some fabulous classic literature, such as fables, that have been retold using simpler, recycled language. To support this reading feature, we have added a reading comprehension follow-up page in the Workbooks.

Click here to read our new articles on the Little Books and the reading component in New Parade.

Grammar has become an issue, and we have kept our ears open! Now we highlight the units' key grammar presentations with two practice pages added in the Workbooks' new Language Activities Section. Therefore, the new Workbooks have three more pages per unit: One for the Little Books, and two for practicing two different grammar topics in turn.

Teachers wanted videos, and we've developed them. New Parade's video program is totally new, featuring three different casts for age appropriateness. The whole cast uses the new language in a natural way, following the units' lesson plan! Each video unit has five sections. The first section (Warm Up/Presentation) introduces the topic and is presented by the narrator, Julia. Then, in two Practice sections, our children characters act out two entertaining scenes. The next section (Application) gives students the opportunity to use the language learned. The fifth and final section (Assessment) brings the narrator back, in an interactive and inviting way. After each section, students are involved in follow-up activities that are presented in our Video Guides. Yes, New Parade has it all!

Of course, a new edition demands new components, so the new Little Books, videos, and Workbook Language Activities Sections are just part of the fun. We have also added posters of the unit-opening pages, puppets, audio CDs that feature new songs and chants, and a brand new Starter Workbook! Well, the list is long, so in the near future I will be featuring them all, focusing on their use in the classroom, to get the best…out of the best program: New Parade!

See you next time!

Mario Herrera
Theresa Zanatta

Send in your questions for Mario and Theresa.

Back to top