Inside April Academy’s Creative Curriculum
Working at April Academy is truly a rewarding experience. Each day brings something new, thanks to a dynamic and creative curriculum designed specifically for young learners. While our partner school, CDI, focuses on middle and high school education, April Academy specializes in elementary-level students. This distinction is reflected in both our teaching methods and educational content.
Teaching Methodology
April Academy’s teaching methodology is creative, structured, and immersive—ideal for both experienced educators and beginner ESL teachers. Our approach strikes a perfect balance between clear instructional structure and opportunities for student self-expression, which is crucial for young learners still developing their language skills.
Let’s take a closer look at the curriculum structure and English language levels offered.
Program Levels at April Academy
There are six structured English levels at April Academy, ranging from absolute beginners to more advanced young learners. Each level follows a consistent curriculum format tailored to the students’ developmental stage: (R/L/S/W = (Reading/Speaking/Listening/Writing))
- Phonics Starter – Acquisition of the alphabet and phonics through basic vocabulary
- Seedbed – Application of phonics to sentence-level reading
- Seed – Fundamental R/L/S/W introducing basic sentence structures
- Sprouts – Fundamental R/L/S/W introducing paragraph-level writing, and Project-Based Learning through creative thinking projects
- Sapling – Intermediate R/L/S/W introducing note-taking and summarization, and Project-Based Learning through creative/critical thinking projects
- Junior Master – Advanced R/L/S/W introducing TOEFL Junior-level test prep and debates
Curriculum Overview
Receptive Skills: Reading and Listening
At April Academy, every lesson begins with a short reading activity, helping students identify key story elements like characters, setting, and plot through WH-questions. As students progress through the levels, reading materials become more complex, incorporating both fiction and non-fiction texts.
Listening activities are embedded in every class to strengthen comprehension and help students understand both the material and each other.
Expressive Skills: Speaking and Writing
This is where learning becomes truly interactive and fun. After reading, students engage in speaking activities—retelling the story, making predictions, and discussing ideas. Lessons typically end with a creative writing task based on the reading topic.
For example, after reading a story about a space mission, students might write their own version—perhaps a family trip to Mars!
Grammar Instruction
While some ESL programs place heavy emphasis on grammar, April Academy focuses on fluency and communication. Explicit grammar lessons are conducted just once a week by bilingual instructors. This allows more classroom time for receptive and expressive language development, creativity, and confidence-building.
Creative Projects
Every two weeks, students participate in a creative project, such as singing performances or skit presentations. These projects are more than just fun—they serve as practical assessments, showcasing each student’s growth in reading, speaking, and writing skills. It’s a fantastic opportunity for students to express themselves and apply what they’ve learned.
Essential Teaching Tools
Teachers at April Academy benefit from user-friendly, tech-enhanced tools that make teaching and classroom management simple:
mERP: An all-in-one teacher platform used for entering grades, tracking progress, and writing student assessments.
Smart Boards: High-tech boards loaded with all classroom materials—stories, listening activities, visuals, and more. They also offer classroom management features like seating charts and random name generators.
Teacher Training & Onboarding
Feeling a bit overwhelmed? Don’t worry—April Academy offers a comprehensive, week-long training program for all new teachers before they begin teaching. The curriculum is easy to follow once you’re familiar with the structure, and support is always available.
Want a deeper look at the training process? Check out our blog post on initial training here.
Diana Richtman, Marketing Assistant
Diana Richtman is a writer and ESL teacher living in Seoul, South Korea. Originally from Savannah, Georgia in the United States, Diana holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia in English & Women’s Studies. After receiving her TEFL certification, Diana moved to South Korea where she works at one of Creverse’s April Institutes. When Diana isn’t working, she loves exploring Korea, drinking warm cups of tea, and scaring away her friends with her karaoke performances.
