

ESL Flashcards for children

Lesson plans for teaching children English

7 Unique Elements of the Speak Up Method
Real-world Instructors:
The curriculum is so structured and so fool-proof that any intermediate-level English speaker can be a successful instructor with the Speak Up Method.
Why that matters - Due to the global shortage of qualified teachers, professional educators are not always accessible. The School to Go has simplified the process and can equip almost anyone to be an effective teacher.
Fluency First:
The fluency-focused curriculum is delivered entirely through repetitive, meaningful spoken sentence patterns. The goal is to help children become confident, fluent English speakers by letting them use the language actively—not just study it.
Why it matters - Children learn best through consistent use, not passive listening. In the School to Go, the students are speaking 80% of the lesson time.
Full Sentences:
The target language is always presented to the student and elicited from the student in full sentences - never one word at a time.
Why that matters - Learning a second language in meaningful chunks gives students a jump-start into conversational speaking, increases self-confidence, and secretly teaches the grammatical structures of a language without the child realizing it.
Speaking Games:
The lessons consist of a series of playful, fluency-focused speaking games, each one designed to elicit full-sentence speaking from the learners.
Why that matters - Fluency games promote enthusiastic participation and make the journey fun! Students learn quicker and retain more material when they are captivated by engaging activities.
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Affordable and Reusable:
With a single, one-time investment, the program provides durable, full-color laminated materials—every tool needed to guide students toward real English fluency. There are no ongoing costs: no software, subscriptions, books or photocopies. Just high-quality materials that deliver results year after year.
Why that matters -This makes the program an affordable, reliable option that works anywhere—even in remote areas without internet access or electricity.
Early Start:
The curriculum is designed for use with children as young as 4 years old.
Why that matters - Students who begin learning a second language at a young age develop a better accent, have fewer inhibitions in the learning process, and gain more self-confidence—the secret ingredients for fluency!
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Reading Not Required:
Spoken fluency is the primary goal of the learning program, so reading takes a secondary place and is not a requirement for advancement in the program.
Why that matters - Similar to how all of us acquire our mother tongue, we learn to speak before we learn to read. Reading (as needed, depending on the culture and context) would play a secondary role and is most strategic to teach once a learner has a vocabulary base of 1000+ words, approximately 2 years into the language learning journey.
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The fluency-first curriculum is a 3-year (30-unit) learning program. Each year consists of 10 thematic units that teach key vocabulary words embedded into target sentences. The target sentences in each lesson organically teach the needed grammar and sentence structure without the child ever needing to memorize grammar charts—in fact, the student may not even realize they are learning grammar at all! At the conclusion of each year, students will have learned to speak using 500 new words and 120-150 target sentences.
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Our Story
Speak Up began in 2013 with a small team of three teachers offering private English lessons. Over the years, we grew steadily—expanding to preschools, after-school group lessons, online classes, and public elementary schools across our region.
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Today, our team includes 30 dedicated teachers who serve over 600 children each week. Speak Up is known for its outstanding customer service, passionate educators, and a proven method that delivers real results.
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For the past 12 years, we’ve been refining and perfecting our unique teaching method in the classroom. Our founder, Anna Reyes, developed the Speak Up curriculum and pedagogy based on her passion for helping children speak English confidently. Her husband, Cesar, is the artist behind the thousands of original illustrations found throughout the program.
