Introducing English to your child between the ages of two and six allows them to learn the language when it comes to them most naturally. 

The British Council's early years specialists have designed Learning Time with Timmy to be fun and engaging for your child. Our approach to learning nurtures your child's creativity, critical thinking and social skills as they learn English. It boosts their self-confidence and helps them develop communication skills and good pronunciation. Find out more about how we teach.

We have partnered with Aardman animation studios because the stories of their world-famous character Timmy, star of Timmy Time, enable your child to learn new words in context. Timmy and his friends will capture your child’s imagination. This connection deepens their engagement in the learning process.

Improve your child's learning with our world of English expertise. 

Let us introduce our partner – the Academy of Happiness ‘LeapKids’. Children in this preschool institution take up the Learning Time with Timmy course.

Course overview

Location: LeapKids

Age: 2-6 years

Aged 2-3 your child will:

  • Develop their listening and understanding by being immersed in English 
  • Build confidence to express themselves in a variety of ways  
  • Develop their creativity by playing, discovering and exploring the world 
  • Learn holistically so they can develop important creativity and cognitive skills 
  • Start laying the foundations for developing literacy in English 

They will do this by: 

  • enjoying stories, exploring new sounds, rhymes and songs in English
  • joining in with actions or vocalisations
  • following and understanding simple instructions in English
  • saying some counting words and copying familiar expressions
  • expressing themselves through physical action and sound, imitating and improvising actions through their body to sounds in music or a rhyme
  • organising and categorising objects
  • making marks like colouring and finger painting and having fun with arts and crafts

Aged 3-4, your child will:

  • Become more familiar with stories, develop listening and demonstrate understanding 
  • Build confidence to speak words in English
  • Develop social skills, their imaginations and self-expression
  • Build the foundations for developing literacy in English 

They will do this by: 

  • being immersed in stories in English, engaging with increasing attention
  • becoming aware of how stories are structured, identifying the settings, events and characters 
  • exploring the meaning and sounds of new words in English
  • responding to simple instructions in English
  • joining in with songs and nursery rhymes, describing textures, and saying numbers spontaneously in English
  • expressing themselves by giving meaning to their drawings and paintings
  • representing numbers, using fingers, marks on paper or pictures
  • joining in with dancing and ring games

Aged 4-5, your child will:

  • Build confidence in speaking and singing in English through interacting with others 
  • Develop and build their vocabulary 
  • Continue to lay foundations for developing literacy in English 

They will do this by:

  • expressing themselves in English 
  • saying the alphabet, counting to 15 and using number names in play, talking about size of everyday objects, e.g. 'big' and 'small'
  • joining in with familiar songs and stories in English by using pictures and props, and being able to recall and anticipate key events
  • extending vocabulary by grouping and naming objects
  • giving meaning to the marks they make as they draw, write and paint
  • using three fingers (tripod grip) to hold writing tools when ready
  • counting and recording using marks they can interpret and explain
  • looking at similarities, differences, patterns and change
  • recognising and reciting numbers in order to 15 and use some number names in play

Aged 5-6, your child will:

  • Increase confidence to speak in sentences English by playing with stories  
  • Develop creativity and begin to express his/her own ideas 
  • Develop literacy skills to begin reading and writing in preparation for primary level

They will do this by:

  • describing, imitating and changing familiar stories 
  • inventing stories and expressing them through art, drama, dance, movement, information technology or writing
  • being aware of own feelings and describing some of them
  • describing him/herself and expressing preferences and opinions
  • forming recognisable letters and attempting to write short sentences
  • extending vocabulary by grouping and naming objects
  • linking sounds to letters, beginning to segment sounds in simple words and blending them together to read
  • recognising numbers and counting up to 20
  • counting items in two or three groups, and recording them using marks they can interpret and explain
  • ordering familiar events in stories and familiar steps in everyday tasks
  • recreating roles and experiences in play situations
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