YCT 1 Practice for Kids: All 80 Words, Listening and Reading

By the end you can

• Say and recognise all 80 YCT 1 words. Ten pages of picture cards, eight words each, from 爱 to 中国人, every word with a short sentence that uses it.
  中国人 · Zhōngguórén · Chinese person
• Hear a sentence and tick or cross a picture. The first listening question type in the YCT 1 format: listen, look, and decide whether the picture matches.
  猫吃鱼。 · Māo chī yú. · The cat eats fish.
• Match what they hear to people and body parts. Pick the tall dad, the sister with long hair or the small cat, and check ears, eyes and hands against the audio.
  我姐姐的头发很长。 · Wǒ jiějie de tóufa hěn cháng. · My older sister's hair is long.
• Catch times, ages and dates. Find the right clock for 现在七点, the right birthday cake for an age, and the calendar page for a date.
  今天是五月一号。 · Jīntiān shì wǔyuè yī hào. · Today is the first of May.
• Listen to the whole sentence before answering. Practise sentences where the answer comes after a 不, so your child waits for the part that counts.
  妈妈不在家，她在商店。 · Māma bú zài jiā, tā zài shāngdiàn. · Mum isn't at home, she's at the shop.
• Read words and sentences and match them to pictures. Tick or cross a word under a picture, and choose which of three pictures a sentence describes.
  她的头发很长。 · Tā de tóufa hěn cháng. · Her hair is long.
• Pick the answer that fits a question. Choose the right reply to questions like 你几岁？ and 这是谁？, and fill gaps with 吗, 几 or 是.
  你叫什么名字？ · Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? · What's your name?
• Try a mini practice test. Two pages in the YCT 1 format, four parts of listening and reading, with the audio script and answer key at the back.

What’s inside

• Words: 1–8: Words 1 to 8: Family and Food · 9–16: Words 9 to 16: Time and Feelings · 17–24: Words 17 to 24: Dogs and Drinks · 25–32: Words 25 to 32: Home and Family · 33–40: Words 33 to 40: Mum and Noodles · 41–48: Words 41 to 48: Birds and Apples · 49–56: Words 49 to 56: Who and What · 57–64: Words 57 to 64: Me and My Friends · 65–72: Words 65 to 72: School and Week · 73–80: Words 73 to 80: Fish and Goodbye
• Listening: Look, Listen, Tick or Cross · Who Is It? Listen and Match · Numbers, Dates and Times · Listen to the Whole Sentence
• Reading: Word and Picture: Yes or No? · Match the Sentence to the Picture · Questions and Answers · Read and Choose
• Mini test: Mini Test: Listening · Mini Test: Reading

How to use this book

Ten-minute sessions, as the book suggests: three minutes on a page of word cards with the audio, five on one practice page, then two saying the page's line together. Most children finish in four to six weeks.

1. Weeks 1–2: The 80 words. One page of word cards a day with the free audio. Say each word and its sentence, and go back to any page where words slip.
2. Week 3: Listening practice. Pages 13 to 16, one a day. The sentences are only on the audio, as in the test; check missed ones in the audio script at the back.
3. Week 4: Reading practice. Pages 17 to 20. Point to each word as your child reads, and let them tick, cross and circle the answers themselves.
4. Week 5: Mini practice test. Pages 21 and 22 in one sitting, listening first. Mark it together with the answer key.
5. Afterwards: Fix the gaps. For each mistake, find the word on its card page and replay its line on the audio, then try that practice page again.

Who it’s for

Children aged 6 to 9 preparing for YCT 1, and the parents and teachers helping them. It covers all 80 words of the YCT 1 list with practice in the YCT format.

Before you start: A little spoken Chinese helps but isn't needed. Pinyin sits above every character, and the free audio reads every word and sentence with a pause to say it back.

Frequently asked questions

What is YCT 1?

The YCT is a Chinese test for young learners, and YCT 1 is its first level, with a listening part and a reading part. This book teaches its 80 words and gives practice in the YCT format.

Is the mini test a full YCT 1 paper?

No. It is a short two-page practice test in the YCT 1 format, with four parts of listening and reading questions, so your child gets used to the question types. SayMei wrote every question.

Where are the listening sentences?

On the free audio, scanned from the QR code in the book. As in the test, the listening sentences are not printed on the practice pages; the audio script at the back has every one, with the answer key.

Is this workbook free?

Yes. The whole 26-page PDF is free, and you can look through its pages here before you download. There's no card and nothing to pay.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Can I print copies for my class or my children?

Yes. Print as many copies as you like for your own class or family. To share it, send this page: everyone can download their own copy.

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