What kind of elementary English program is CATS English?

CATS English is an online English program for elementary-age children, structured to provide systematic, academy-style learning at home. Many parents have heard the name but wonder exactly how the program works. Put simply, children continue using the same specialized curriculum and content used in academies on a tablet at home. Enrollment is available from the year before elementary school (age 7) through 6th grade, and children can progress step by step at their own level, from complete beginner through pre-high-school level.

The main feature of CATS English is that it combines the input of learning new expressions in lessons with the output of speaking and practicing what has been learned each day. It follows the same academy curriculum across 6 core areas—reading, listening, speaking, grammar, vocabulary, and writing—while naturally connecting exposure, speaking, and repeated practice through a combined input-and-output approach. Because children can continue at home with the curriculum used in academies, it is worth considering as one option either in place of an academy or alongside one. It also follows a specialized academy-style curriculum drawing on Danbi Education’s CATS curriculum and content, which have been adopted by 82% of academies nationwide.

01In a few words, what kind of program is CATS English?

CATS English is an online English program for elementary-age children, structured to provide systematic, academy-style learning at home. It can be understood as a program that lets children continue using the same specialized curriculum and content used in academies on a tablet at home without attending an academy in person. It is structured so that children sit down at a set time for lessons, practice what they have learned, and exchange expressions with a teacher, all from home.

For this reason, CATS English is somewhat different from simply showing video lessons or transferring workbook exercises to a screen. It is closer to bringing the learning sequence of an academy into the home, allowing children to engage with English every day in a rhythm similar to attending an academy. Daily study includes not only taking a lesson but also practicing and speaking what was learned, which often helps children establish their own learning routine.

02It brings an academy curriculum into the home

CATS English uses specialized learning materials from actual academies as its foundation. Its systematic academy curriculum comprises 36,312 content segments across 4,783 lessons drawn from 2,120 specialized academy textbooks. Rather than receiving material created on an ad hoc basis each day, children progress sequentially through learning suited to their individual level.

Like academy classes, the program covers all 6 core areas: reading, listening, speaking, grammar, vocabulary, and writing. Rather than repeatedly focusing on just one area, it is designed to develop all 6 in a balanced sequence, allowing children to work evenly across different aspects of English while studying at home. Because visually learned areas such as vocabulary and grammar are combined within one curriculum with sound-based areas such as listening and speaking, the program tends to help reduce situations in which one area develops while another is left behind. It helps children develop different areas of English in a balanced way rather than concentrating on only one.

03Why learning does not end with the lesson

A common limitation of academy learning is that it can end as soon as the lesson is over. When children accumulate only the input of seeing and hearing, without enough output through speaking or writing themselves, they may learn many expressions but still struggle to use them in practice. CATS English combines input and output by extending each lesson into speaking and practicing what was learned, so children have time not only to learn new expressions but also to use them themselves.

Practice that reinforces what children have learned continues through focused practice apps linked to the full set of learning materials. The focused-practice app contains 5,807 activity types across 42,026 sections, allowing children to review the words and sentences learned that day and continue with reading and speaking practice. Foxly, an AI English friend, also starts conversations by speaking first, naturally giving children an opportunity to speak English every day. Foxly maintains conversations suited to each child’s level based on 8 levels and 20,000 dialogues.

04Live Classes with an English specialist teacher

With independent practice alone, it can sometimes be difficult to tell whether a child is producing expressions correctly. In CATS English Live Classes held 1~2 times a week, an English specialist teacher personally listens to and checks the child’s expressions, helping identify points that can easily be missed during independent study.

Live Classes are a setting where children use the expressions they have practiced and receive feedback. When daily practice is combined with regular checks, what children learn does not end after a single encounter and can gradually become part of their own speech. During independent study, children may find it difficult to recognize what they need to correct. Having a teacher listen and point these things out makes it considerably easier to address them.

05Individualized learning that begins with a level test

Before learning begins, CATS English first uses a level test to identify the child’s current ability. Rather than moving all children through the same material according to grade, it guides each child to begin at a stage suited to the assessment results, helping reduce the chance that children will lose interest because the material is too easy or too difficult.

Enrollment is available from the year before elementary school (age 7) through 6th grade, and the program covers a broad range from complete beginner through pre-high-school level. This allows both children who are just beginning English and those who have already developed some foundational skills to continue learning at their own level. Even when siblings are in different grades, or children in the same grade have different English abilities, each child can begin at a stage suited to their assessment results and continue at an appropriate pace.

06What kind of family is it well suited to?

CATS English can be an option for families who find it difficult to send their child to an academy or are looking for an alternative. Because it allows children to continue an academy curriculum at home, it is worth considering for families who want their child to engage with English consistently every day without travel time. If a child becomes tired from traveling to and waiting at an academy and then avoids English at home, continuing lessons at home may also help ease the burden.

Children do not have to stop attending an academy to use the program. Even children who attend an academy may have areas that need more attention. If academy classes suit the child well, families can keep them in place while using the program at home to supplement speaking and repeated practice. It is advisable to consider whether to use the program as an alternative or alongside an academy according to the child’s circumstances and the family’s learning goals.