EDIT August 31, 2019: Finally updated to a proper article, adding all information provided by @hayo . I’ve added some missing information in red, so if anyone could provide that, it would be much appreciated.
As far as I’m aware there are six different Teach/Tryout Sets: from 2000, 2008, 2009, and three from 2011. Let me start by saying that I’m not 100% sure about these years. Some say the first set is from 1999, some say from 2000 (the copyright date of the poster is ©1995-1999). As for the other years, we can mostly look at the copyright dates, but even that isn’t completely right. The one from 2009 contains cards with a copyright date of ©2008 for example.
These sets were distributed to make kids familiar with the Pokémon TCG game, and give general information on how to play it. Attached are usually also the damage counter coins used during the game, and sometimes a mini playmat.
In Japan these are known as “Taiken Setto” (“Tryout Set”), whereas in the western world these cards are usually refereed to as Teach Sets.
Teach Set 2000
Here a picture of the full set in its original configuration:
This is probably the most well-known Teach Set. It consist of these 10 Teach Set cards above, all connected to one-another. Although rare, it does pop up on eBay every now and then. This set was released in April 2000, as insert in the May 2000 volume of the 学習幼稚園 (Learning Kindergarten) magazine:
Each of the cards have two energies of the same type beside the Pokémon itself (with the exclusion of the Water Energies and Grass Energies behind the Normal-type Pokémons Doduo and Sentret). The displayed cards came from various sets: Nidoran♂, Growlithe, Pikachu, and Doduo from the Expansion Pack; Bulbasaur 1, Jynx 37 and Squirtle 16 from the Intro Pack; Geodude from Mystery of the Fossils; and Sudowoodo and Sentret from Gold, Silver, to a New World….
This Teach Set came with a playmat and a poster, as you can see in these pictures from @ocghp 's and @majomaal 's collections:
Here is a close-up of the Pikachu from my personal collection:
The text below the cards explain what to do with the attacks, in a matter that’s easy to understand for kids (only using the hiragana alphabet, instead of a mixture of hiragana and katakana as is usually the case in Japanese texts). The text for the Pikachu is (thanks @nish for providing these translations):
Some close-ups of the poster and playmat can be found within the spoiler tags below, provided by @pichufan from his collection:
Spoiler
The sizes of these cards, as well as the other Teach Set cards in this article, can be found at the table near the bottom of this article. These Teach Set cards from 2000 are larger than a regular-sized TCG card, but smaller than a Jumbo-sized TCG card. They are also rather slim in comparison to cards with regular dimensions, as you can see in the picture above.
All these cards will have the old Japanese back.
Teach Set 2008
Here two pictures of the full set in its original configuration, still attached to the inside of the magazine:
And here is a close-up of the Pikachu from my personal collection again:
The text below the cards explain what to do with the attacks. For example, on the Shaymin the text within the red boundaries read: “Place two damage counters on the opponent.” and the text below that translates to “8 damage counters required to defeat.”. Thanks @wertercatt for providing these translations.
This Teach/Tryout Set of 2008 were included inside the Pokémon Fan Club Shogakukan Special volume 4 magazine, released on July 31st, 2008. Here a picture of both the front and back of this magazine (thanks to @neos for providing both these pictures, as well as the pictures of the cards inside the magazine, from his personal copy):
The background of the cards is a checkered yellow pattern. The cards displayed in this set are just like the Teach Set 2000 from various sets: Pikachu 024/092 and Magnemite 66/100 from the Intense Flight in the Destroyed Sky; Piplup from Space-Time Creation; Chimchar 56/100 and Croagunk 60/100 from Entry Pack '08; Meowth DPBP#057 from Temple of Anger; Shaymin 003/014 from Giratina vs Dialga Deck Kit; and Riolu from Heatran vs Regigigas Deck Kit.These cards are just slightly larger than regular sized TCG card (again, dimensions can be found in the table at the bottom of this article).
All these cards have the new Japanese back.
Teach Set 2009
Here a small picture of the cards from 2009 in their original configuration:
Here a larger picture of the cards from my personal collection:
And here two pictures of the information which came with it:
And of course a close-up of the Pikachu again:
As well as a side-by-side with the Pikachu of the previous 2008 Teach/Tryout Set Pikachu to see the color difference:
This set again consist of 8 cards. They were distributed around Fall 2009 in kindergartens for the Pokémon Smile School campaign, where a Pikachu would visit kindergartens to teach kids to have a fun time and good manners. Among some other goodies, the kids were given this Tryout set, again with additional playmat (source).
The background of the cards are dark yellow, with Energy symbols as pattern. The cards displayed in this set are: Piplup and Glameow from Space-Time Creation; Jirachi 066/090 and Luxray GL 029/090 from Bonds to the End of Time; Staraptor FB 080/100 from Beat of the Frontier; Eevee DPBP#157 from Moonlit Pursuit/Dawn Dash; Torchic from Galactic’s Conquest; Pikachu from Intense Flight in the Destroyed Sky. (The Jirachi, Luxray GL, and Staraptor FB were only available as Holofoil in their respective sets, but are non-Holo in this Teach Set.)
They have the same dimensions as the previous Teach Set 2008. And also the new Japanese back.
Teach Set March 1, 2011
Here again a picture of the full set in its original configuration:
And here a close-up of the (partial) Oshawott, which is the only card I have from this set in my personal collection.
NOTE: My Oshawott is trimmed/cut into this shape, which is why the back is also weirdly cut. Before I wasn’t aware of this, but after seeing the picture shown later in this post with the Snivy from this set, and three cards from another set, I realized my Oshawott was trimmed.
This set was distributed in (at least) two magazines in 2011: あんふぁん (Enfant), and 小学一年生 (Shougakkou Ichinensei). The former was a subscription-only magazine, not distributed in stores. While the latter was more widely available (source). The cards are also displayed at the cover of the April 2011 issue of Shougakkou Ichinensei (bottom right):
This set consists of 6 cards. The background of the cards are again a checkered yellowish pattern, but still different than the earlier mentioned checked yellowish pattern of the Teach Set 2008.
Unlike the previous Teach Sets, the artworks of these cards are unique and not found on any existing Pokémon TCG card. The Pokémon in this set are: Timburr; Litwick; Zorua; Oshawott; Snivy; and Tepig.
The sizes of the cards are slightly larger than a regular TCG card, but smaller than the Teach Set cards of 2008 and 2009 (again, see the table at the bottom for accurate dimensions). The back of the cards are again the new Japanese back.
Teach Set July 18, 2011
For this one I own the full set sealed in my personal collection. Here are some pictures of that below.
With again a close-up of the Pikachu:
This set was distributed starting July 18, 2011 in Denny’s restaurants. Customers with kids in primary school and younger could get this set, and play with them at the restaurant, as you can see here below (sources: source1; source2; source3).
What’s also interesting is that the advertisement artwork for Denny’s restaurants shows pictures of the previous Teach Set from March 1, 2011, instead of the actual Teach Set that was given. (Does anyone have a link to this advertisement? The link provided by @hayo links to this article instead.)
This set consists again of 6 cards. The background is a similar checkered yellowish pattern like the previous Teach Set, but with a slightly darker shade of yellow, as you can see when you compare the pictures of both sets.
Just like the previous set, the artworks used are completely unique. The Pokémon in this set are: Pikachu; Victini; Snivy; Tepig; Oshawott; and Scraggy.
The sizes are the same as the previous Teach Set, and although I can’t confirm it because I’d like to keep my set sealed, I’m positive they also have the new Japanese back.
Teach Set September 21, 2011
Here again a picture of the full set in its original configuration:
And here a semi-close-up of the Litwick, Zorua, and Oshawott, as well as the Snivy of the March 1, 2011 set, which I came across in an eBay auction:
These were distributed in the CoroCoro Comic magazine of November 2011 (released September 21, 2011). The full title of this Teach Set roughly translates to: “CoroCoro Ichiban’s Special Pokémon Card Game BW Tryout Set”. Here a picture of this magazine, which shows the cards at the front:
The cover states something along the lines of: “Wow! You can play right now with this 6-card set!! The Pokémon Card Game BW Tryout Set!”.
Just like with the advertisement of the Denny’s restaurant of the previous set, the advertisement of this Teach Set in the previous CoroCoro Comic magazine of October 2011 shows pictures of the Teach Set from March 1, 2011:
This set consists of the same 6 cards as the Teach Set from March 1, 2011, in again the same dimensions and configuration. The only difference is the background, which is green with a Pokéballs pattern.
Size comparison
Here one last picture as a size comparison of the sets, including a regular sized Pokémon TCG card and Jumbo sized Pokémon TCG card:
The Teach Set cards from 2000 are the largest of the Teach Set cards, but still smaller than Jumbo cards. They are also thinner in terms of their width vs height when we compare them to regular-size or Jumbo-sized TCG cards.
The Teach Set cards from 2008 and 2009 are slightly smaller, but still larger than regular sized Pokémon TCG cards.
The Teach Set cards from 2011 are also larger than regular sized Pokémon TCG cards, but smaller than those of 2008/2009.
Overview of all dimensions:
| Card type | Width (in mm) | Height (in mm) |
| Regular-sized TCG card | 63.0 | 87.0 |
| Jumbo-sized TCG card | 145.5 | 205.5 |
| Teach Set 2000 | 86.5 | 142.5 |
| Teach Sets 2008/2009 | 77.0 | 107.0 |
| Teach Sets 2011 | 69.0 | 96.5 |
*So, that’s about all I know. I really want to thank @hayo for all the distribution and release date information provided, which is about 50% of the article. My original post of just pictures and basic information has now grown to an actual article thanks to all he’s provided!
If anyone could provide the missing information in red I would greatly appreciate it. Also, given how these are all distributed differently, it wouldn’t surprise me if more Teach/Tryout sets are perhaps out there, so if you find evidence of a Teach/Tryout Set missing from this article, let me know a.s.a.p. 
Thanks for reading, and make sure to leave any feedback or additional information in the comments.
Greetz,
Quuador (Kevin)*
Thanks a lot, Scott. I’m glad my posts are well-received. 
Here’s all the info I have to share :
It’s definitely a place to share knowledge.
