Level 1
5 es ori
st ide! ins
First steps in independent reading
How to use this book This book contains five short stories with a phonic focus on the short vowel sounds a, e, i, o, u. The text is decodable, apart from the character names and some high-frequency words such as ‘a’ and ‘is’. Familiarity with the character name as a sight word will enable your child to read the whole book! Step 1 - First, read the story out loud. It helps to give your child confidence if they are familiar with the contents of the story before they read it themselves. Step 2 - Phonemic Awareness - Awareness that the words we speak and hear are made up of smaller units of sounds is a key skill for beginner readers. The focus of this book is short vowel sounds. Emphasize them in words as you read each story out loud for the second time. Step 3 - Phonics - Children need to begin to decode words, developing knowledge of phonics, syllables, and word parts. Try breaking the words into separate sounds, then blending them together again to say words like: c-a-t, t-e-n, s-i-t, d-o-g and b-u-s. Look for two words with the same ending, e.g. d-og, l-og. Point out how these endings both sound the same. This will help your child predict how to read other words such as fr-og. Step 4 - Vocabulary - Acquiring and using new vocabulary is a vital skill in learning to read. Talk about any words that might not be familiar. Repetition helps to consolidate learning. Look at the pictures together and point to the words as you go. Step 5 - Fluency - Reading fluently is a skill that can be achieved through familiarity with a text. Come back to this book later with the new purpose of reading the stories with expression and flow. Note any difficult spots and practice them. The more expression the better! Step 6 - Comprehension - Children can be too busy decoding the words to fully understand what they are reading. Talk about the story and ask questions like, “How do you think Annie Apple felt?” Retell the story together, just looking at the pictures, so your child is doing most of the talking.
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Introducing
Annie Apple
By Lisa Holt
Annie Apple had a cat. 2
Annie Apple had a hat. 3
Annie Apple had a fan. 4
Introducing
Eddy Elephant
By Lisa Holt
Eddy Elephant gets a pet hen. 10
Eddy Elephant gets an egg. 11
Eddy Elephant gets ten! 12
Introducing
Impy Ink
By Lisa Holt
lt’s a gift. 18
Fill it, Impy Ink. 19
It fits!
Impy Ink sits in it. 20
Introducing
Oscar Orange
By Lisa Holt
Oscar Orange got on a dog. 26
Oscar Orange got on a log. 27
Oscar Orange got on a box. 28
Introducing
Uppy Umbrella
By Lisa Holt
Uppy Umbrella jumps up. 34
Uppy Umbrella jumps a hut. 35