The teacher education programmes in the Department of Early Childhood Education place strong emphasis on students’ practical application of educational theories through authentic learning experiences. One such initiative involved student teachers collaborating with university educators to co-create three English picture books — Rosy Apple, Veggies to the Town, and Hot Pot—designed to support English as a Second Language (ESL) learning among young learners. Through this collaborative process, the student teachers applied acquired language teaching theories in curriculum planning, language scaffolding, and teaching material design, gaining meaningful, hands-on insights into the integration of theory and practice in early language education.
The picture books are structured across three progressive levels and are centred on the familiar theme of food, enhancing relevance and engagement for young learners:
· Language learning: each story incorporates key components of language learning, including life-related vocabulary (e.g., fruits, vegetables, meats), functional sentence patterns, story-related songs, and activities that support phonological awareness (e.g., word awareness, initial consonant sounds, rhymes, syllables, onomatopoeias). Interactive, play-based games (e.g.Odd Man Out, Tracing Shadow, and What is Missing?) are also included in the story extension stage to support children in using and consolidating language through play.
· Mathematics: mathematical concepts such as colour mixing, shapes, and counting are naturally embedded within the storyline, enabling children to explore these ideas as part of the story experience.
· Technology application: this project integrates innovative technologies by using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate story illustrations and incorporating Augmented Reality (AR) to design interactive learning elements. The features enrich multi-sensory learning experiences and provide opportunities for student teachers and university educators to explore the potential and limitations of emerging technologies in educational contexts.
Overall, this initiative illustrates the effectiveness and significance of the department’s commitment to encouraging pre-service teachers to translate educational theory into practice through collaborative, technology-integrated curriculum design.
（Scan the QR code to access the e-book and teaching resources.）
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