First Steps Beginning to Read

This book is part of our First Steps series following the guidelines of the Curriculum. Reading Pictures, this leads to understanding that flat drawings on a page have meaning. Linking a flat drawing with, for example, a soft cuddly toy is a remarkable achievement for a young child. Situation pictures e.g. in the park, on the beach encourage children to think about a picture and what it is telling them. Questions such as 'What are they doing?' 'What happens next?' encourage the children to think about pictures. This should lead to them making drawings based on their own experiences. Skills developing should include matching, sequencing and talking about their own drawings. Soon pupils can write the first (missing) letter of simple words. There is space for this on the worksheets. Encourage the children to colour their work. This develops dexterity and often makes the work more interesting and easier to understand. The stories, reading and discussion stimulate the imagination. Activities leading to logical thinking are invaluable. Teaching children to question material presented to them and to plan their work will help them in their everyday lives when they are grown up.