Iformation about unique Integrated education textbook "Vaivorykste" (Rainbow) for primary education.

1. Integrated
education textbook
for primary school

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About us
The Baltos Lankos publishing house was established in 1992
and over the last 20 years it has grown into one of the largest
publishing companies in Lithuania.
The publishing house publishes both fiction and educational
books. We publish fiction by Lithuanian and foreign authors,
world’s most relevant journalistic publications, illustrated
children’s books. Our educational publications include
textbooks and educational literature for general education
schools and academic books on humanities, albums and
dictionaries.
In 2010, the publishing house introduced a novelty – an
integrated textbook for primary schools called “Vaivorykštė”
(rainbow in Lithuanian – “Vaiva” hereinafter). In the same
year it was the winner in the National Innovation Award
competition in the Innovative Product category. Other
publications include textbooks in history (grades V-XII),
literature (grades IX-XII), language (grades X-XII). These
textbooks are considered leaders in the market of Lithuanian
textbooks and educational literature.

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Principles of textbook creation
• All the disciplines of primary education (introduction to the world, native
language, mathematics, English language, arts and crafts, music, dance,
ethics) are combined around one general theme.
• We combine two grids: methodological objectives of each discipline and
general discussion topic.
• The whole primary education programme (grades I-IV) is divided into a
system of 130 topics.
• The part of the textbook dedicated for each month has an abstract theme
and this is divided into 3–4 specific weekly topics.
• In the cycle for grades III-IV, thematic integration is supplemented by
process integration, for instance, problem-solving in the activities of
different disciplines is taught.
• The set of textbooks aims not to separate general and subject-specific
skills.

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Why do we offer to educate by integrating?
• A child perceives the world as a whole. We suggest looking at the world
around us through the eyes of a child, to refrain from dividing it into
delimited shelves of disciplines.
• We suggest developing links between the subjects under discussion and
comparing them. After all, we get to know the world by comparing.
• Viewing the subject under discussion from different positions of the
disciplines, intrigues, stimulates thinking and develops students’ creativity.
• The subject under question in the integrated education process is perceived
in greater detail and depth.
• Having learned to see the subject from the positions of different
disciplines, the student learns how to solve problems, often syncretic in
nature, more easily and starts to think holistically.
• Integrated education encourages students‘ curiosity, initiatives of freedom,
the ability to negotiate and work in a team and generally motivates learning.

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Example of integrated week topic for grade I
• Each month of the school year has a general topic of the month: January –
“Wheel of time”.
• The topic of the month is specified by weekly topics: week I – “Clocks are
ticking all day and night”, week II – “Years go by”, week III – “What is this
history?”
• Topics are dictated by the programme of the Introduction to theWorld subject.
• Each subject deals with the different aspects of the weekly topic.
January
Week I – “Clocks
are ticking all day
and night”
Ethics
What happens on time
and what untimely?
Why should you not
be late?
Introduction to
the world
History of clocks.
Use of clocks.
Native language
Asking and telling time.
Schedule. Mathematics
How to count time?
Increasing and reducing
numbers by few units using
clock models.
Music
Song about clocks.
Time and the pulse of
music.
Dance
Dance of the clock.
Arts
Diversity of clocks.
How to make a clock?

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Example of integrated week topic for grade II
October
Week I –
“My body”
Ethics
What kind of person am
I, what kind of people
are others?
Tolerance.
English language
How old are you?
Birthday song and
greeting.
Introduction to the world
Parts of the face and the body.
Posture. Similarities and
differences in human
appearance.
Concept of beauty in different
cultures.
Native language
Telling a story about myself.
Writing about myself.
What is the meaning of our
names?
Arts
Portrait.
Human figures.
Mathematics
Eye colour.
The human body and
weight.
Fingers.
Music
Body percussion.
The human voice.
Dance
Body movements.
• Each month of the school year has a general topic of the month: October – “My
body”.
• The topic of the month is specified by weekly topics: week I – “Human body”,
week II – “We are different”, week III – “A new life”.

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GRADE I GRADE II
SEPTEMBER
1. ME AND OTHERS 1. THE NEWS
Let’s introduce Back to school
My family The holiday is over
Way to school Everything changes
School What’s New?
OCTOBER
2. AUTUMN WIND 2. MY BODY
It’s raining outside the window The human body
Autumn in the forest We are different
Harvest The new birth
What do we eat?
NOVEMBER
3. FIRST SNOWFLAKES 3. DAY AND NIGHT
Change of time The sun and the moon
Cold and warmth Dreams
In the rural homestead The kingdom of darkness
My pets
DECEMBER
4. GREAT CELEBRATION OF THE YEAR 4. THE KINGDOM OF ICE
Christmas is coming Cold and warm
Christmas trees Water. Snow. Ice
Celebratory evening The warmth of the heart
JANUARY
5. WHEEL OF TIME 5. LIVING AND MAN-MADE
Clocks are ticking all day and night Our surrounding
Years go by Living nature
What is this history? Electricity is energy
FEBRUARY
6. WE LIVE HERE 7. MY COUNTRY
Our home The story of my family
My homeland Living close
My Lithuania Our country
MARCH
7. LET’S GROW HEALTHY 7. WE AND OUR NEIGHBOURS
We move and grow The map of Lithuania
Where there is cleanliness, there is order Neighbouring countries
Healthy teeth Our relations
How did a bean grow?
APRIL
8. THE EARTH AWAKENS 8. HUMAN AND NATURE
The joys of spring Water is life
Spring works Ability to adapt
How did a bean grow? People and nature
MAY
9. WHAT WILL I BE WHEN I GROW UP? 9. SIGNS AROUND US
Occupations Familiar signs
What are money for? Communication without words
Advertising We create signs
Summer
Topics of months and weeks

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GRADE III GRADE IV
SEPTEMBER
1. LIVING TOGETHER 1. THE LABOURER IS WORTHY OF HIS WAGES
Unexpected summer impressions In the busy season even a stone moves.
Why do people live together? Honesty and trust in business
Rules help New technologies – new opportunities
We are citizens Business plan
OCTOBER
2. KNOWING AND SAVING NATURE 2. HOW DOES THE HUMAN BODY WORK
Observing weather changes Structure and functions of the body
Adapting to weather conditions Physical activity and health
Bird watching Relation between man and the world
NOVEMBER
3. I AM NOT A BABY ANYMORE 3. EVERYTHING ROTATES
You have changed History of the wheel
More freedom is more responsibility Law of gravitation
Does my opinion count? The nature and properties of materials
Cause and effect wheel
DECEMBER
4. TRAVELLING AROUND THE WORLD 4. WHAT WE BELIEVE IN?
How not to get lost in the forest Religions in Lithuania
How not to get lost in the sea What we believe and trust?
Travelling around the world When different attitudes intersect
JANUARY
5. WE TURN THE TIME MACHINE TO THE PAST 5. THE WORLD IS A BIG VILLAGE
Past – present – future How do we learn about world events?
The main stages of human development What is globalisation?
The cintrasts of modern world Wealth and poverty in today's world
FEBRUARY
6. WHAT DOES THE AMBER PENDULUM TELL US? 6. THE PAST IS BESIDE US
What do archeologists tell us? History of GDL
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania How to resist violence?
Big victories Family traditions in Lithuania
MARCH
7. IT ALL MOVES, IT ALL CHANGES 7. WHAT THE HISTORY OF LITHUANIATEACHES US?
It all moves Interwar Lithuania
Electricity The war, the holocaust, the resistance
It all changes The Singing Revolution
APRIL
8. DREAMS COME TRUE 8. LET’S SAVE THE EARTH
Human dreams The beginning of earth and life
The miracle of electricity The hazards of civilisation
How to prevent the pollution of nature? Why do we beautify our environment?
MAY
9. THE HARMONY OF NATURE 9. HOW WOULD WE LIKE TO LIVE?
It all connects Our ideals and goals
The diversity in nature How to survive in a specific modern world?
People are part of nature Let's get ahead!

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Textbook “Vaiva“
Igrade
IIgrade
IIIgrade
• 9 books for a school year.
IVgrade

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• All school subjects in each book.

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Exercise books, audio CDs and teacher‘s book
Igrade
IIgrade
IIIgrade
IVgrade
• Grade I: exercises in introduction to nature, native language and mathematics.
• Audio CDs for grade I

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• Grades II and III: exercises in introduction to nature, native language,
mathematics, English language and music.
• Audio CDs for grades II and III – in e-supplement “Vaiva”
• Teacher’s book for all grades – in e-supplement “Vaiva”

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E-platform “Vaiva”
Everyone who works with the set of books “Vaivorykštė” can use the electronic
platform designed for teachers. This tool significantly reduces the preparation
time for classes and provides the possibility to display the educational objects
in classroom smoothly.
1. The archive of educational objects – this is a systematically prepared
supplement to the textbook consisting of the set of educational objects (photos,
video and audio recordings, interactive games, presentations). The archive
contains a user-friendly search engine and is easily accessible via all devices
that have an internet connection. Teachers can supplement the archive with
their own educational activities.

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2. Activity planning tool. It quickly and easily helps to prepare for the
classes, to arrange the sequence of objects for display.
3. Display tool for designed activities. Helps to keep children’s focus
and ensures a smooth use of educational objects during the classes.

16. Gedimino ave. 28
LT-01104 Vilnius
Lithuania
Tel: +370 5 240 79 06
E-mail: vaivorykste@baltoslankos.lt
www.vaivorykste.eu