How to choose the best textbook for teaching Polish as a foreign language to children?

Many parents and teachers in Polish Saturday schools wonder: "What textbooks should I use with children for whom Polish is a second language?"

This question has likely been asked by every Polish teacher who has used textbooks written for schools in Poland. Saturday schools abroad, where children learn Polish with elements of Polish history and geography, devote 3-4 hours per week to teaching.

In such a short time, it's impossible to cover all the material in textbooks prepared for schools in Poland. These textbooks are either not fully used by students or are used by students for two years. This approach can cause confusion and discourage children from further learning.

The online bookstore Czyam i mówi po polsku supports children, parents, and teachers in developing bilingualism. We provide valuable educational materials for learning Polish as a foreign language and the history, geography, and culture of Poland.

The most popular solution for Polish Saturday schools is materials written specifically for their needs. Małgorzata Pawlusiewicz's textbook series is one such example, and it proves extremely effective in working with Polish children.

The textbooks are appreciated by both students and teachers. They are also used by parents who teach their children Polish themselves and want to do so systematically, using proven and thoroughly prepared materials.

The textbooks were written by Małgorzata Pawlusiewicz. The author has many years of experience teaching children abroad and training Polish teachers. Her materials are used by Polish schools worldwide, including over 200 schools in the UK and Europe.

The greatest advantage of these textbooks is that the material is tailored to the specific needs of Polish children learning Polish as a second language. Each textbook contains a number of lesson units corresponding to the number of classes at a Polish school (32-35 classes per year, 3-4 hours per week). These textbooks ensure continuity of learning for students, as each textbook builds on the previous one.

Polish as a Foreign Language - Why is it worth using materials tailored to the needs of Polish schools abroad?
Benefits of using the M. Pawlusiewicz textbook series for children, teachers, and parents:

• Each year of school includes a textbook (reading book) and a spelling and grammar workbook.

• Each textbook is divided into 32-35 lesson units.

• Each subsequent textbook builds on the methodological and substantive content of the previous grade's textbook; it repeats or refreshes essential information, supplements and expands on existing knowledge.

• The textbook's layout is characterized by high clarity; each thematic unit includes an illustration introducing the topic, a reading book, a poem, and an entertainment area with interesting facts, jokes, riddles, and dictation.

• The reading books include a glossary of difficult words and phrases, as well as numerous comprehension exercises.

• The readings' content, as well as the comprehension checks, instructions, and subtextual exercises, are adapted to the child's level.

• Important information is bolded and placed in a box with the instructions: remember, recall, think.

• Each textbook contains content that connects the child emotionally with their parents' homeland (Polish traditions, customs, culture, legends, fairy tales) without sacrificing existential topics that are close to the child, such as home, family, school, and first friendships.

• By dividing the textbook into Saturday blocks, it serves as a discipline for students, teachers, and parents to cover the material.

• For parents, it provides special support when a child is absent from school and facilitates catching up.

• The grammar and spelling textbooks systematize and organize spelling rules starting in third grade. Each lesson contains 10-12 exercises. More difficult exercises should be completed at school with a teacher, while easier ones are assigned as homework for the student.

• These textbooks facilitate parents' involvement in their child's work. Parents can discuss topics covered in the books with their children, read additional content, interesting facts, and jokes with them, which contributes to the development of their children's thinking and vocabulary.

• These textbooks enable students to learn about the achievements of famous Poles such as Copernicus, Kościuszko, Pułaski, Maria Skłodowska-Curie, Chopin, Paderewski, Moniuszko, John Paul II, etc.

• These textbooks streamline the work of teachers who must grapple with the specifics of teaching Polish abroad. They save them time preparing for lessons because they contain extensive illustrative material and methodological support. They enable easy lesson management when a substitute teacher is present.

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