While the Student’s Book provides the content and the Workbook provides the practice, the Testing and Evaluation Book—along with its accompanying audio component—provides the evidence of learning. For educators dealing with pre-A1 learners (children who are often taking their very first steps in English), assessment can be a challenge. How do you test a child who cannot yet write a full sentence? How do you evaluate listening skills without causing anxiety?
Each of the course's nine units includes a dedicated test to evaluate students on recently learned vocabulary and grammar.
The Family and Friends Starter Testing and Evaluation Book is a roadmap. The is the engine. Without it, you are pushing a car downhill—it might move, but you have no control, and you will likely crash. family and friends starter testing and evaluation book audio
| Assessment Type | Using the Audio | Without the Audio | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Circle the cat (Track says: "I see a cat.") | Impossible to grade fairly. | | Speaking | Use the CD to model the question: "What is this?" (Pause) Student answers: "A pencil." | Teacher asks; child may mimic teacher's pronunciation instead of thinking. | | Reading/Writing | No audio needed. | Fine. | | Phonics | "Circle the word starting with /t/." (Tiger or Dog?) | Teacher says "T"; if teacher has a lisp or accent, test is invalid. |
This process directly assesses phonemic awareness, the foundational skill for both reading and oral language. The audio models pristine Received Pronunciation or General American accents, allowing students to internalize the subtle boundaries between minimal pairs like "ship" and "sheep" or "fan" and "van." Without the audio, a teacher’s live pronunciation—no matter how competent—introduces variability in speed, intonation, and clarity. The standardized audio ensures that every child in Shanghai, São Paulo, or Stockholm hears the same phonetic stimulus, creating a fair and reliable baseline for assessment. While the Student’s Book provides the content and
Another subtle but significant advantage of the audio is its ability to present language in a semi-authentic context. The tracks often incorporate sound effects (e.g., a doorbell ringing, a cat meowing, the sound of rain) that situate the language in a situational context. A question might play the sound of footsteps and rain, followed by the prompt, “What’s the weather like?” This moves beyond rote vocabulary drilling into the realm of inferential listening, a higher-order skill even for young learners.
The is a core assessment tool designed by Oxford University Press to track young learners' progress in English . The accompanying audio material is essential for administering listening and skills-based assessments. Audio Component Overview How do you evaluate listening skills without causing anxiety
This is where the becomes an indispensable tool. Without the audio component, the testing pack is just a collection of silent worksheets. With it, you unlock a comprehensive system to measure listening comprehension, phonemic awareness, and exam readiness.
The audio features native British or American English speakers (depending on your edition). For a 5-year-old, hearing "Listen and tick the box" from a clear, professional narrator trains their ear for real-world communication, not just the teacher’s voice.
The audio requires a proctor to stop the CD. A 5-year-old cannot press "pause" to check their own work. Always have an adult present.