A.

ABOUT MONKEY STORIES

Monkey Stories is a language learning program designed in accordance with the American

Common Core State Standard from America, aiming towards English fluency for children by the

age of ten. The key highlights of the program are:

● An extensive database of interactive stories comprising more than 900 stories integrated

with unique and creative activities.

● A system of lessons aligning with the American Common Core State Standard which

is designed with intensive research to promote the enhancement of the most essential skills

of language learning, namely, listening, speaking, reading and writing.

● A selective library of audiobooks with more than 200 classic literary works that are

widely adored by children with the focus on creating a natural English environment right

at home.

B. THE ROLE OF PARENTS IN CHILDREN’S LEARNING JOURNEY

Staying side by side for children’s success

Parents play the utmost important role to children’s educational journey through instructing and

orienting kids’ learning regardless of the program and model employed. Therefore, whether or not

parents are fluent in English, it is suggested that parents spend some time reading and learning

with children daily in a relaxed manner. As a matter of fact, parents’ encouragement and care are

the greatest motivations for children to pursue their highest achievement. Parents can help their

children learn not only visually, but also by listening, feeling, interacting and practicing. This is

the true secret to children’s natural and sharp memorization!

However, it is also important to note that excessive interference in children’s learning should be

avoided! Parents don’t need to ask too many questions that could interrupt children’s concentration
in self-exploration as children require enough space and time to work on their own before asking

for support.

Believing in children will do wonder

Please do not think children are too small to start learning. Parents should be the ones to trust

children’s ability to absorb all the knowledge delivered in Monkey Stories. Such faith can be the

source of motivation for parents to keep on walking with kids on the future path.

Creating a habit is the key

Creating a habit of daily reading, as well as daily English learning, is one of the methods that

cultivates the best results. It is advised that parents set a specific time frame every day for kids’

reading and learning, as well as motivate and encourage kids to get involved.

C. LEARNING ENGLISH THROUGH MONKEY’S INTERACTIVE STORIES

1. Choosing the right story

Choosing story based on levels

The interactive stories provided by Monkey Stories have been grouped into different levels ranging

from simple to advanced. This method is developed in order to support children, including those

who have just started their learning journey, to pick an appropriate story easily.

Please find the specific description of the Monkey Stories’ leveling system in the following table.

For more details, please follow the link:

Stage Story Level General description of learner’s competency

Stage 1 A - Newly exposed to books and English language.

- Newly introduced or initially remembering the alphabet.
- Partially or completely understand pictures
- Able to make initial prediction of the story plot based on
pictures
 Stage 2 B - Understand and roughly remember the alphabet. Able to
C distinguish upper- and lower-case letters.
D - Introduced to pronunciation. Able to pronounce several
E common and simple words.
F - Able to distinguish different types of texts (poem, story, etc.)
- Able to identify characters, key details and main events in a
story.

Stage 3 G - Able to build and pronounce words with two syllables. Able to
H pronounce a number of common words.
I - Understand long sentences and simple dialogues.
J - Able to use pictures and story details to predict new word
K meanings, character descriptions and story sequence.
- Understand the moral of a story subtly conveyed.

Stage 4 L - Able to build and spell complex words.

M - Able to read and understand longer and more complicated
N sentences.
O - Able to predict new word meanings through pictures and
P context.
Q - Able to read in a short period of time.

Additional levels will be updated in the near future.

Choosing a story based on topics

Currently, Monkey Stories offers 11 common topics, which are:

● Animals

● Plants

● Family

● Friends

● Community

● Know and Learn

● Creative me

● Healthy me

● Earth and Sky

 ● Transportation and Technology

● Fairy Tales, Folktales and Poems

Parents are encouraged to work with children on choosing a favorite topic first, and then start

screening from different levels to find the right story. When children are matched with their

preferred topics and the level of language proficiency, it is easier for them to understand the content

and grow an affection towards English as well as reading. As a result, their learning would see

significant development in a short period of time.

2. Choosing the right time

It is necessary to establish a reading habit for children as soon as possible and retain it by setting

a consistent time frame for daily reading. (for example, after dinner or before bedtime). Reading

must not be a compulsory activity, which means parents should let kids munch on any topics or

genres of interest, rather than forcing our own choices upon children. In addition, children don’t

need a number of stories to read daily since this can cause unnecessary pressure and, eventually,

exhaust them out. It is much more effective that parents nicely invite children to join in reading

together and give a brief review of some interesting details of the story. This will be a great

encouragement to help children maintain a daily reading habit.

Children’s concentration can only last for a short period of time; therefore, parents should

eliminate factors that can cause distraction from the surrounding environment. In addition,

parents should open Monkey Stories only when the whole family is free of concerns and excited

to start.

3. Sparking up the inspiration

Being the very first and best teachers of children

It is important for parents to note that reading with children is an investment you make to their

education. It is parents that play the role of the first teachers to children in this early, and yet

critical, stage of learning. As a result, though each story of Monkey Stories is already recorded

with a native accent, parents are still encouraged to spare some time from our busy schedule to

accompany the kids in reading and listening. This activity will turn learning time into family

bonding time with much affection and excitement.

Letting children reread a story as many times as they wish

Children naturally return to stories they love again and again. Repetition is a way a child learns,

and, thanks to this process, children’s young brains can keep absorbing and perceiving data

ceaselessly from their surroundings. As a result, children will often suddenly take a significant

leap in their learning. For example, after listening to a story over and over again, children will be

able to retell the whole story with confidence and accuracy.

As children read a story repeatedly, it would become easier for them to predict the next events in

the sequence. Thus, when the story progresses exactly as they expect, children are filled with a

sense of achievement. It is true to assert that repetition is an indispensable thread woven into

children’s growth.

Therefore, it is advised that parents respect their children’s wish to hear and read a story over and

over again. Someday, you will be surprised when they can tell the story in their own words with

the exact expressions and accent!

Encouraging rather than forcing children to interact by tapping

Tapping on characters is a brilliant feature Monkey Stories has employed to learn vocabulary.

Interactive objects on screen are highlighted with blinking stars to let children know what they
may tap. Sometimes, depending on content, the blinking effect is turned off to avoid distracting

children from their learning.

To enhance reading comprehension and stir up excitement while enjoying the story, children

should be encouraged to use this feature. Nevertheless, forcing children to tap on characters and

objects on every page might be a disturbance to their concentration on the story’s main details.

Please follow the instructions of Monkey Stories on how to read effectively as below:

- First time: Let children read all of the story without tapping.

- Second time: Encourage children to tap on 1 - 2 subjects with blinking stars on each page.

- Third time: Encourage children to explore other areas without blinking stars on the page

to stimulate children’s curiosity and enthusiasm. Parents can let children discover on their

own, or demonstrate the actions for their children to follow.

Prioritizing children’s emotions

All the books children have read are still less important than one particular book they are interested

in. Illustrations can spark a child’s imagination and excitement, so if your children want to linger

on a page for a while, by all means allow them to take a close look without being rushed to turn to

the next one. It is also important to note that if two stories are read consecutively, parents can

initiate a break, change reading content and integrate various story lengths so that children’s

enthusiasm and affection for reading can be nurtured.

Not letting children read too many stories at once

Children of all ages are inspired to read by stories with interesting content and vivid illustration

written by Monkey Stories’ team. Nonetheless, our language experts have suggested that allowing

children to read too many stories at once can create an eventual burnout, and thus dampen their

enthusiasm for future reading. To foster children’s excitement, it is best to limit the amount of
reading in a single session. Based on each child’s perceptiveness and excitement, he or she can

read once or twice per day. For children under the age of three, 15 minutes is the maximum

duration of each reading.

Letting children indulge in an excessive number of stories at once will lead to tiredness and more

importantly, the decrease of excitement. Moreover, the amount of knowledge delivered is carefully

researched based on children’s age and perceptiveness, thus, reading too much would be a

challenge for children to be able to remember all key messages.

No exams are needed

Reading and learning English should be deemed as a game which inspires children with a sense of

fulfillment when they win, rather than a duty to be carried on their shoulders. Tests on children’s

learning can create an immense pressure which scares away any speckle of excitement - the key

element to children’s progress. After reading, parents and children can review the story's content

and characters together; however, the discussion must not take the form of an examination which

can make children reluctant, or even frightened, of learning. It should be understood that learning

languages in general, and learning English in particular, is a long journey requiring a tremendous

amount of time and patience. Therefore, putting an emphasis on creating a habit of daily reading,

rather than examining children’s progress, is the right decision.

Interacting with children after reading

After reading, parents can review the content of the story with children through role-playing or

encouraging kids to retell the story in their own words. When children have made noticeable

progress in learning, then discussion can start with questions like “Which character do you like?”,

“Why do you like that character?”, “Why do you think the characters acted like that?, “If you

were him/her, what would you do?”.

These are questions that will boost children’s brain development, language proficiency as well as

their ability to express ideas through language. Upon being questioned, children will be excited to

share their thoughts, and through their expression, parents can gain a deeper understanding of the

kids’ personalities. This is also the right time to make leading questions that orient children towards

activities we want kids to accomplish.

D. LEARNING ENGLISH THROUGH LESSONS PROVIDED BY MONKEY STORIES

1. Choosing a learning level

More than 300 Monkey Stories lessons are grouped into three stages, namely Stage 1, Stage 2, and

Stage 3, for children from basic English proficiency to advanced. New content and lessons are

weekly added. Therefore, prior to study, it is crucial to choose the right stage of learning which

fits the child's English level and perceptiveness. Please refer to the following tables to choose the

level for your kids.

STAGE 1 - PRE-K

At this stage, children will

- Practice coloring, writing numbers and letters.
- Differentiate colors, shapes and letters.
- Build single words from letters.
- Learn several simple and easy to remember single words.
- Learn word pronunciations.

STAGE 2 - KINDERGARTEN

At this stage, children will:

- Learn topic-based vocabulary.
- Learn word pronunciations.
- Learn high-frequency words.
- Learn several simple sentence structures.
- Learn how to make sentences from topic-based vocabulary and high-frequency words.
- Differentiate plural and singular nouns.
 - Differentiate opposite adjectives.
- Differentiate some prepositions of places.
- Differentiate some topic-based word clans.
- Read and analyze simply some details in the story.
- Get familiar with story sequencing.
- Get familiar with how to summarize a story.
- Learn how to apply the knowledge learned in the story onto real life situations.

STAGE 3 - GRADE 1

At this stage, children will:

- Learn topic-based vocabulary.
- Learn word pronunciations.
- Learn high-frequency words.
- Learn more complex sentence structures.
- Learn how to make sentences from topic-based vocabulary and high-frequency words.
- Learn how to conjugate verbs in simple past tense.
- Differentiate clans of advanced topic-based vocabulary.
- Read, analyze and draw conclusions from key events of the story.
- Learn how to arrange events of the story in the right sequence.
- Learn how to summarize a story.
- Develop skills of applying the knowledge learned in the story onto real life situations
2. Learning time

Based on the personal schedule of each child, parents can set a suitable timetable for Monkey

Stories learning. Here are the two suggestions from our program:

- Children can learn 1 lesson per session first and read stories later.

- Children can learn 1 lesson per session first and read from 1 to 2 stories of the same levels

or topics.

It is important that children learn the lessons and do the activities one by one without skipping any.

Moreover, if children read too many stories or learn too many lessons in one session, there will be

a drop-off in concentration and reduced excitement in the next learning sessions.

3. Effective learning strategies

Learning through visual thinking

Children under the age of 10 learn English through the process of direct visual thinking; thus,

parents no need to concern when no Thai explanation of a new word is provided prior. With the

support of pictures and story context, children will be able to accurately predict the meaning of a

new word without much difficulty.

Giving children enough space and time to explore

Activities in the lessons are designed based on intriguing and appealing educational games. As a

result, children participating are no longer afraid of study, which helps retain their learning habit

and reap the best result. During children’s learning sessions, it is advised that an ample amount of

time should be provided so they can explore and figure out the right answer for themselves. In

addition, neither Thai definitions nor too detailed instruction should be provided to kids. As a

matter of fact, children can perfectly learn through their own personal experience.

Encouraging children after each activity

Parents play a critical role after children have accomplished each activity or lesson. It is believed

that parents’ encouragement and praise will put an emphasis on the kids’ learning progress, which,

in turn, will ignite children’s passion for English.

No interruption during one lesson

As each lesson is built with an intensively researched and well-structured system of activities,

children will need enough time to learn one lesson in one learning session.

If a lesson is interrupted, please consider letting kids continue after the interruption, or re-take the

lesson on the following day.

Applying story-based lesson method to other activities

Applying the story-based lesson building method of Monkey Stories to Thai and other languages

learning programs is highly recommended. Children who frequently practice activities in

reinforcing vocabulary and reading comprehension skills are proven to have a better language

mindset, quicker perception, and more sharpened critical thinking, all of which will create a strong

foundation for further learning.

E. LEARNING ENGLISH THROUGH MONKEY STORIES’ SELECTIVE

AUDIOBOOKS

1. Benefits of submerging in English speaking environment

Children learn English through listening first; thus, daily contact and exposure to English are vital

to form the natural language environment. Children can only begin to speak English when they

have heard and been exposed enough. As a result, when they say the first English words, it can be

understood that they have spent days, even months, prior getting accustomed to the sounds that

build this particular word. Later on, this method is also employed by children to form sentences

from individual words.

Therefore, Monkey Stories audiobooks can be used since birth or oven pregnancy period to provide

a native English-speaking environment.

2. Time to submerge

Please feel free to set the listening time for your children whenever the kids are at ease and relaxed.

We recommend the following time frames:

- After waking up

- During play time

- Before bedtime

3. Effective learning approaches for audiobooks

Children can listen to different types of audiobooks even when they are not able to fully understand

the content of the stories. The primary purpose of using audiobooks is to create numerous
opportunities for children to be exposed to the native English accent. Therefore, parents are

recommended not to force their kids to retell the whole recording. In addition, it is not helpful to

pause the audiobooks, even when children cannot keep up, since it will make children lose interest

and the habit of listening. To effectively utilize Monkey Stories audiobooks, please follow the

suggestions as listed below:

- Choose audiobooks that suit children’s interest.

- Retain children’s listening habits.

- If children encounter an unfamiliar word, please encourage kids to keep listening and

predict the word’s meaning based on the story’s context.

For children of older age groups, parents can motivate them to imitate the accent and certain

pronunciations heard in the audiobooks, and answer any further questions about the story.

Listening to the audiobooks with children will turn learning time into family bonding time which

closes the gap between the two generations.

F. EFFECTIVE COMBINATION OF MONKEY JUNIOR AND MONKEY

STORIES

Currently, Monkey is providing two applications for English learning, namely, Monkey Junior and

Monkey Stories. Monkey Junior is the multi-language learning program with an educational

approach focusing on children between the ages of 0 to 6. On the other hand, Monkey Stories is

an application which empowers four essential English skills (Listening, Speaking, Reading and

Writing) and focuses on children between the ages of 3 and 10. To children who can fit into the

age groups and language proficiency of both applications, it is advised that parents combine

Monkey Junior and Monkey Stories to yield the most effective result.
Several highlights from the two applications can be seen as in the table below.

Monkey Junior Monkey Stories

- Single words, compound words and sentences - Vocabulary and sentences learned through

on over 30 topics the story’s context

- 210 phonics rules - Grammar learned through the language used

- Whole-word and word’s pronunciation in the stories

approaches - Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing

- Early childhood education approach on skills development

language learning - Story-based approach

- Six-language learning programs - Audiobooks for children to submerge

themselves in English naturally

For the most effective learning of vocabulary and pronunciation, parents can choose Monkey

Junior. Then, to apply that newly acquired knowledge into story contexts and strengthen

children’s grammar as well as other essential skills, parents can consider Monkey Stories.

Several further suggestions are listed below:

• Topic-based learning: learn topic-based vocabulary with Monkey Junior first, then read

stories on the same topic with Monkey Stories.

• Lesson-based learning: learn one lesson with Monkey Junior first, then read more stories

with Monkey Stories.

• Review vocabulary with Monkey Junior and reinforce the four essential skills of reading,

listening, writing and speaking with Monkey Stories.

 • Learn English with Monkey Junior and integrate with Monkey Stories’ audiobooks for a

natural English speaking environment.

It is crucial for parents to note that maintaining a learning habit is one of the key factors,

regardless of neither the program nor the combination chosen. Furthermore, children’s interest

and enthusiasm should be carefully nurtured and maintained. In other words, children need us

to be a source of motivation and encouragement, so that they can grow to be the best version

of themselves.