Easy Steps to Chinese for Kids is a series of Chinese textbooks specifically designed for kids from non-Chinese backgrounds. It covers four levels, each of which is made up of two volumes: a and b (each with a CD), accompanied by workbooks a and b, picture flashcards (for students) and word cards (for instructors to use in the classroom).

This series has four characters in it, namely Ding Yi, Tian Li, Jingjing and Lele, who are primary school students from China and abroad. Beautifully designed illustrations, simple sentences and dialogues and lovely songs among other means are adopted to develop the kids’ interest in learning Chinese and help them lay a solid Chinese foundation by mastering fundamental Chinese knowledge such as numbers, basic strokes, family members and daily expressions. Chinese culture is introduced in concise language and illustrated with beautiful pictures on the last two pages of each volume together with some color stickers for practice.

This is Volume 1a (Workbook) in the series, a beautifully designed full-color book with altogether 7 lessons encompassing such topics as numbers, greeting, asking one’s name, age and class, etc. Based on the content of Textbook 1a and considering the physical and psychological characteristics of kids in Grade 1, the Workbook provides a bunch of simple exercises, such as numbering, matching, coloring and drawing, in order to teach the kids Chinese knowledge as well as train their abilities of thinking and practice.

Ms. Yamin Ma, with a bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature and a master's degree in Education, is now teaching Chinese in an international school in Hong Kong. Ms. Ma has many years' experience in teaching Chinese as a foreign language and knows well about the AP Chinese Program in the US and the IB Chinese Test in Europe.