For those learning Chinese, reading can speed up progress by teaching grammar, vocabulary, and culture. But how do you choose Chinese books for your kids?

First, consider your child’s language level:

1. Beginner Stage: Just started learning Chinese, can recognize Pinyin and understand simple words or phrases.
2. Intermediate Stage: Can recognize Pinyin and basic Chinese characters and express themselves with simple sentences.
3. Advanced Stage: Can read independently and understand advanced grammar and syntax.

For beginner level children, Pinyin books with pictures are a great option. Intermediate level children can benefit from books with both characters and Pinyin. Advanced level children need books with higher-level words and complex sentences.

Every child has different needs, so here are some fantastic Chinese children’s books that cater to a range of levels.

1. Chineasy for Children: Learn 100 Words

Difficulty level: Beginner and intermediate

Author ShaoLan wrote this book to help inspire her children to learn Chinese. She developed a groundbreaking visual method for teaching Chinese characters in a way that is both easy and fun for kids.

Chineasy uses Shaolan’s novel method to transform Chinese characters into captivating and engaging pictograms. These colorful symbols provide the meaning and origin of Chinese characters. Children find it simpler to remember Chinese characters using this book because they view them as diverse, meaningful pictures. The book is organized by theme, such as numbers, family, animals, and food.

Please note that this book mainly focuses on learning Chinese characters. Some of the characters used in this book are in “traditional” forms.

This book is for those who would like to:

• Introduce or reinforce Chinese characters
• Build vocabulary
• Understand Chinese culture

Other Chineasy books to  consider:

• Chineasy: The New Way to Read Chinese
• Chineasy Everyday: Learning Chinese Through Its Culture

2. Easy Peasy Chinese: Mandarin Chinese for Beginners – 走向中文

Difficulty level: Beginner and intermediate

The author of “Easy Peasy Chinese,” Elinor Greenwood, is a writer and editor of children’s books. She has a Chinese degree from Leeds University and is enthusiastic about Mandarin Chinese education. She likes to motivate Chinese learners with fun activities and teaching aids, such as stickers and pictures.

If your child is just beginning to learn Chinese and wants to learn to introduce themselves, express numbers and dates, tell time, discuss food and interests, and discover Chinese culture, try this book! “Easy Peasy Chinese” is a fun and visually appealing book. It covers the basics for beginners and uses Pinyin. Your child will learn the most common words and phrases and then form simple Chinese sentences.

The book includes a CD to help your child learn how to pronounce Chinese phrases correctly.

This book is for those who would like to:

• Reinforce Chinese characters
• Build vocabulary
• Understand Chinese culture
• Improve pronunciation
• Have simple conversations

Accompanying Workbook:

Easy Peasy Chinese Workbook: Mandarin Chinese Practice for Beginners

3. Mina’s First Day of School – 米娜上学的第一天

(Simplified version; Traditional Version)

Difficulty level: Intermediate

Katrina Liu, an American-born Chinese author, wanted to raise her daughter to become bilingual. So, she created the Chinese picture book series “Mina Learns Chinese,” based on her daughter’s life. All her books are specifically designed for young audiences.

“Mina’s First Day of School” is a helpful picture book with an adorable story and engaging illustrations. Your child will follow Mina on her first day of school, reading easy-to-grasp dialogues and learning common phrases in Chinese.

The book includes Pinyin, Chinese characters, and English. Even if you are unable to read the book to your child, the audio book is available. Plus, Mina’s story helps mentally prepare your child for school. How great is that?

This book is for those who would like to:

• Build vocabulary
• Learn daily conversations
• Reinforce pronunciation
• Improve listening skills

More stories about Mina

• Mina’s Scavenger Hunt: Simplified Version; Traditional Version
• I love my grandpa: Simplified Version; Traditional Version

4. Father and Son – 父与子

Difficulty level: Intermediate

German cartoonist E.O. Plauen created the well-known comic “Father and Son” in 1934. The colorful comic artfully portrays the affection between a father and son. This version includes both Chinese characters and Pinyin.

Unlike the other recommendations listed here, “Father and Son” is a comic book series. While some parents may disapprove of comics as a medium, they can be used strategically to help children improve their reading and language skills. The images help children understand the language easier and students are often eager to read them, even in an unfamiliar language.

If you enjoyed “Father and Son” as a child, your kids will love it too, and they will try their best to understand the language to follow the compelling stories.

This book is for those who would like to:

• Build vocabulary
• Learn daily conversations

Another comic book recommendation with Pinyin:

• Big Head Son and Small Head Dad （大头儿子和小头爸爸）

5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid – 小屁孩日记

Difficulty level: Advanced

The author of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”, Jeff Kinney, came up with the idea for this book series in 1998. It’s a collection of the unique diaries of a middle-school boy. The series was posted online in 2004 and published in 2007. Since then, it has sold over 200 million copies in 65 languages. Bilingual versions are also available, which can help non-native speakers understand the text by comparing the Chinese and English versions. The side-by-side formatting helps readers recognize new terms and untangle more complex sentences.

More importantly: It’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid! This series is so popular because children love it, and they want to keep reading it.”

This book is for those who would like to

• Build vocabulary
• Improve reading comprehension

Other Diary of a Wimpy Kid books

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series

Introducing your child to Chinese literature at an early age can have many benefits, such as improving their language skills, increasing their cultural knowledge, and promoting a love of reading. With a wide range of books available, from picture books to comic books to bilingual editions, there is something for every young reader. As a parent, you have the power to ignite your child’s curiosity and create a lifelong love of learning. So why not choose a Chinese book and start enjoying some family reading time today?

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The Singapore PSLE (Primary School Leaving Examination) Chinese Oral Examination makes up 25% of the PSLE Chinese Examination score (100%). There are two parts of the Oral Exam: Passage reading and Conversation.

How is the PSLE Oral Examination conducted?

Since 2017, the Singapore PSLE Mother Tongue Examinations use an E-oral exam format.

Before stepping into the examination room, students are given 10 minutes to read the passage and prepare for their conversation, which is based on a 1-minute video, at a preparation station with a laptop. During those 10 minutes, students may pause, fast-forward, or rewind the video.

After 10 minutes, students will then proceed to the examination room. They will read the passage to the examiners first and then watch the video from start to finish once again before doing the conversation portion.

1. Passage reading

Examiners give scores based on “accuracy” and “fluency”. Chinese characters used in the passage are all from Singapore Primary School textbooks.

2. Conversation

Examiners ask questions based on the video topic and the video itself, and students express their views and opinions accordingly. Examiners give scores based on the content. pronunciation, grammar, and fluency.

What questions will the examiners ask (during the conversation)?

To secure a high mark on the oral exam, students need to know what types of questions the examiners would like to ask. With this in the mind, students will be able to use their 10-min preparation time more effectively and then have better conversations with the examiners later.

Type 1: Video-related questions

Most of the time, the examiners ask questions regarding the video first. They would like to know how much of the video you understoond,  including what happened in the video and what you think about it.

For example:

Tell me about an event related to “being friendly” that you saw in the video.

Do you think the boy in the video is doing the right thing, why?

For this type of question, students could use the 5W1H（What, When, Where, Who, Why, How）technique to help them plan what they are going to say.

Example：

Type 2: Personal experience

The examiners also ask students to talk about relevant personal experiences. It’s better if the experience that the student shares is not the same as what was shown in the video. Other than sharing a story, students need to make some comments including what they learned from that experience.

For example:

Have you ever been friendly to someone?

Have you ever encountered someone being very friendly to you?

For this type of question, students can also use the 5W1H technic to help them plan what they are going to say.

Example：

Type 3: Suggestions

Sometimes, the examiners are interested in knowing how you could further expand on the topic/theme of the video by talking about society (school / family / community).

For example:

Is there anything that parents/the school can do to encourage their kids/students to show friendliness to others?

Based on previous exams, examiners ask students to give suggestions from the school’s perspective more often.

Example：

Other tips:

Many students find it difficult to provide rich content while doing their conversations. Using the “ACT” technique might help you:

Know more about the E-oral examination, look at SEAB 1 and SEAB 2. For more professional one-on-one training on Chinese language, you can consult TouchChinese for more information. 

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