Islands 1 Teacher's Book + Tests

The Teacher's Book provides the following:

An introduction highlighting the main features of the course. It includes a 'tour' of a unit, describing how the different features and components are woven into each unit. Advice is also provided on how to use the digital components, the Digital Activity Book and the Online World effectively in class.

A summary map for each unit. As well as highlighting the linguistic content of the unit, this lists the cross-curricular, cultural and phonological elements, as well as summarising how the eight basic competences have been integrated.

Step-by-step lesson plans covering all of the course material. Each lesson is clearly structured into stages, with activities included for starting and ending the lesson. There are further optional activities suggested for fast finishers or extension work. The recording script and answer key are provided at the end of each unit.

Teaching notes and answers for the Reading and Writing Booklet, Grammar Booklet, Photocopiables and the Test Booklet. There is also a page for recording your pupils' test results.

A games bank providing instructions for all the games suggested in the lesson notes. There is also a useful summary of classroom language at the back of the book.

Access codes printed at the back of the book give the teacher special access to Family Island Online, Islands Active Teach and the Digital Activity Book via the internet .

The Test Booklet contains initial placement tests, progress tests for each unit and practice tests, testing all 4 skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking) using question types from external exams (CYL and Trinity). Audio recordings are provided on the class Audio CDs, and teaching notes, an answer key and page to record test results are provided at the back of the Teacher's Book.

Teachers have special access to the Online Island using the Access code provided in the Teacher's Book. This takes them into Family Island Online with the pupils, and also gives access to an easy to use Progress Review System (PRS) where the teacher can monitor the progress of their pupils. There are step-by-step help guides detailing all aspects of game play, plus log-in and classroom management through the PRS. These are available both on screen and as a download to print. Teachers will also find report cards showing each pupil's progress that they can print out for the class and parents.

Islands Active Teach provides software for use on any interactive whiteboard (IWB) with integrated tools and a 'How to...' video demonstration of use. It eases classroom management as it contains direct links to all of the Pupil's Book and Activity Book pages, digitally transformed to create more opportunities for interaction between the pupil, teacher and material. It includes 'hide' and 'reveal' answers, links to further practice activities and games that recycle the unit language and previous units, and links to audio and video content without the need for a separate CD or DVD player. It has stimulating and engaging digital board games with electronic spinners, flashcards and posters. Digital story cards are also included with 'hide' and 'reveal' speech bubbles and a 'make a story' feature where pupils' own stpries can be made with their own speech bubbles for use in the classroom.

On each level of Islands Active Teach there are four animated story episodes. Each episode can be used to reinforce and extend the language of the course, focusing on the topics and language of two units. There are songs presented by three young presenters: Sally, Jack and Albert. And there are animated stories, showing further adventures of the Family Island characters.