How to Use Let's Pretend with Paul and Susan Lesson Plans

Start with the five plans, not with the props

The Let's Pretend with Paul and Susan Lesson Plans resource gives you five detailed lesson plans on English language development to go with the Let's Pretend with Paul and Susan book. Each plan is built around activities, strategies and colourful handouts, so the fastest way to begin is to read all five plans first and choose the one that matches the language you want to practise.

This is a beginning-reader resource and is described as a wonderful resource for ESL classes. That does not mean you need a full ESL programme to use it; it means the plans assume young learners who are still building English vocabulary and confidence. Read the plan you choose before you gather materials, because the activities and handouts will tell you what to prepare.

What the resource actually contains

• Let's Pretend with Paul and Susan - Lesson Plans: Includes 5 detailed lesson plans on English language development to go with the Let's Pretend with Paul and Susan book. Five plans give you five separate sessions or a short unit, but they are tied to the book, so the book is part of the preparation.

  

• Let's Pretend with Paul and Susan - Lesson Plans: Activities, strategies and colourful handouts are included. The handouts and activity ideas are the practical core of each lesson; knowing they are there helps you plan copying and setup.
• Let's Pretend with Paul and Susan - Lesson Plans: Described as a wonderful resource for ESL classes and suitable for a beginning reader. This tells you the intended language level and setting, so you can judge whether the plans fit your group before you build a session around them.

A four-step routine for one lesson

Use this sequence with any of the five plans. It keeps the pretend-play activity central while making sure the language work does not get lost.

1. 1. Read the plan and the matching book section: Open the chosen lesson plan alongside the Let's Pretend with Paul and Susan book. The plan is written to accompany the book, so read both before you decide what to say and what to model.
2. 2. Prepare the handouts and activity materials: The resource includes colourful handouts, so check which ones the lesson uses and prepare them in advance. If the plan lists strategies, note the ones you will actually use with your group rather than trying to use every suggestion.
3. 3. Run the pretend-play activity with a language focus: Lead the activity from the plan, keeping the English language development goal visible. For a beginning-reader or ESL group, model the key words and let learners use them inside the play rather than testing them separately.
4. 4. Close with a short review: Return to the handout or activity from the plan and review the language the group practised. This is also the point to note what worked, so the next of the five plans is easier to prepare.

Where the plans stop and your judgment starts

The supplied information does not include a recommended age range, a session length, or instructions for adapting the plans to different group sizes. Treat those as decisions you make from your own setting rather than details the resource supplies. The same applies to French immersion pretend play: the resource is described as an English-language resource, so it supports English language development, and any French use would be your own extension rather than something the plans claim to provide.

If you are planning a longer early years unit, the five plans give you a natural sequence, but the supplied information does not say the plans must be taught in a fixed order. Choose the order that matches the vocabulary and book sections you want to cover.

Check before you build a full unit around it

• Let's Pretend with Paul and Susan - Lesson Plans: English-language resource. This is the clearest boundary for bilingual or French immersion planning: the plans are written for English language development, not for French instruction.
• Let's Pretend with Paul and Susan - Lesson Plans: Individual audio ebooks are also available. If you want audio support alongside the print plans, the catalog notes a separate option, so check that listing rather than assuming audio is included with this resource.

Three checkpoints before the first session

These checkpoints use only what the resource confirms. If any answer is unclear, adjust your plan rather than guessing at missing details.

• Do you have the matching book?: The lesson plans are designed to go with the Let's Pretend with Paul and Susan book. Without it, the plans lose their reference point.
• Have you prepared the handouts?: The resource includes colourful handouts, so check the chosen plan for which handouts it uses and prepare them before the lesson.
• Is the language level right for your group?: The resource is aimed at beginning readers and ESL classes. If your group is beyond that stage, use the pretend-play structure but expect to supply more challenging language yourself.