Usborne Very First Reading - More Printables and Teaching Tips

I have been continuing homeschool using the Usborne Very First Reading Set (and the extra UK only expansion) with Michael on his reading. I am still very pleased with the sets and the extras available online.

We finished the six books on my first progress chart so I needed to make another one. I just made the full set while I was at it. If you have any need for them, here they are.

I continue to fine tune the implementation of the reading program. This is what I'm doing right now.

Preparation

1. Print progress charts in this post.
2. Go to the Very First Reading Resource Page (US) and download and print the activity sheet for each book and the word bank for each book.
3. If you have the UK expansion set for levels 1-7, go to the Very First Reading Resource Page (UK) and download and print the activity sheet for the extra level 1-7 books. (If you're teaching UK English, just print everything from this page.)
4. Cut out the word bank cards.
5. (Optional: Pre-print child's name and answers to activity sheet questions on clear labels. Use a simple font in a light grey color. You can place these labels on the activity sheet for the child to trace if you're still working on handwriting/letter formation with the child.)

Teaching

Modify this to suit your needs. This is just what we do with the books and materials. We do this over three-four different days. Since we homeschool twice a week right now, it takes us 1-2 weeks to do each level.

Day 1 (and sometimes an extra day)

1. Read the book with the child. You read the words in the smaller font. The child reads the words in the larger font.
2. Do the first activity in the back of the book with the child.
3. Practice the word bank cards sorting into a "fast" and "slow" pile. Teach the words in the "slow" pile. Keep those pile separated for future use.
4. Do the activity sheet for the book with the child. I use my pre-printed labels and work on Michael's handwriting during this activity.
5. Put stickers in the appropriate spots on the progress chart.

Day 2

1. Review the word bank cards. I review both piles and move any cards Michael's learned from the slow pile to the fast pile.
2. Read the book a second time.
3. Do the second activity in the back of the book.
4. Put stickers in the appropriate spots on the progress chart.

Day 3

1. Review the word bank cards. I review both piles and move any cards Michael's learned from the slow pile to the fast pile. (Usually he's learned all the word bank cards at this point. If not, I sneak any leftover "slow" cards into the set for the next level.)
2. Read the book a third time.
3. Do the third activity in the back of the book.
4. Put stickers in the appropriate spots on the progress chart.

Notes

I am particularly pleased with the word bank cards. The "rule breaker" words (words that "break" the regular phonics rules) are outlined in red. High frequency words are outlined in green. The rest of the words are words chosen because they do follow the phonics rules introduced in that level's book(s).

Reading the books multiple times is essential for developing reading fluency and confidence. The multiple activities in the back of each book and additional materials online keep the child interested in multiple readings. Once they've learned the book, have them read it with an older sibling or a grandparent for additional practice and so they can proudly show off their reading.

Are you superstitious?

I do not consider myself to be a superstitious person. I do not immediately think of seven years of bad luck when I see a broken mirror. I am not concerned about... (hmm, what is it?) something negative when someone walks under a ladder. I am not worried about Friday the 13th, black cats, or opening an umbrella in the house.

I do, however, compulsively knock on wood. Whenever I make a statement aloud, or even in my own mind, that acknowledges good fortune I immediately follow it with "knock on wood" and I physically knock gently on some nearby object (although, oddly enough, that object does not literally need to be made of wood to satisfy my compulsion). It isn't, really, that I logically think I need to knock on something to avoid negative consequences. It -is- something more than simple habit though.

I think that, subconsciously, it is a way of acknowledging that I recognize my good fortune and that I am grateful for it and do not take it for granted - only in shorthand. I have to make a deliberate and not insignificant effort to refrain from the motion under circumstances in which it would be inappropriate.

I was thinking about all of this when I recently found myself knocking on the dashboard of the car when having a conversation with the children. To date, they've never asked me why I'm randomly knocking on things in the middle of a conversation but at some point they will ask. I'm not sure how I will answer. I'm not sure it is a habit I wish to pass on.

Do you consider yourself superstitious? What superstitions do you believe in? How do you explain them to your children?

Mixed V Printable Speech Fishing Activity

Practice V in Initial and Final Position While Playing with Speech Fish

Click on the image to open it to full size and then right click to save it to your computer. Print the sheet with a program of your choice on cardstock for durability. You might even want to laminate these. Put a few heavy-duty staples in each fish or put paper clips on them to use them in a fishing game with a magnetic wand.

Children might also enjoy lining the fish up, pretending to feed the fish or feed the fish to another stuffed animal, sorting the fish by color, using the fish to make patterns, or tossing the fish into a pond (small bowl, bucket, or blue piece of paper).

You can practice the words in isolation, in pairs, in phrases, or in sentences. You can use the words with or without cues. Adapt the stimuli to the level your student needs to work at.

This worksheet is modeled after Speech Fish worksheets included in the Simple Vowels Speech Kit and the /S/- Blends Speech Kit.

Enjoy!