USBORNE VERY FIRST READING ^

Firef Phonics*
• Help your child to read the big words
at the top of the page, and then try the
smaller words in the labels.
• Read the questions at the bottom of
the pages to your child, and talk about
the answers together.
• \bu’ll find further guidance at the end
of the book.

Further help and support for parents

and teachers can be found on the
Very First Reading website,
www.usborne.com/veryfirstreading

Usborne Very First Reading has been

developed in consultation with literacy
specialists Alison Kelly and Anne Washtell
of Roehampton University, London.
first Phonics
Words

Mairi Mackinnon
Illustrated by
Francesca Carabelli
How many cats with spots can you see?
Do you think the rat will get away?
Can you say what all these bags are used for?
Do you have any bags like these?
Why do you think the dog at the top is sad?
 sad dog ]

hot dog

Can you think of names for all the dogs?

 rat in a hat

wet rat

bad rat
<=o

Do you think the wet rat likes swimming?

Why is the little rat looking upset?
hat

sun hat

Can you sec a warm hat to wear in winter?

Which hats would be good for a party?
How many pigs can you see here?
Which pigs are running, standing, sitting?
 a hen
can hop O >

What time of day is it in the picture?

Can you spot any eggs? How many?
 a man in bed

Who can you see sleeping in the beds?

Which bed would you like to have?
man sad man

a man and a dog

Oh no! What did the bad man do?

What sounds could you hear in this scene?
 man on a bus
dog on
a bus

Why do you think the man is running?

 red bus

big bus

Can you see any children on the big bus?

What have all these bugs found to eat?
What would you like to eat at a picnic?
Can you say what you’d put in each box?
Do you have any boxes like these at home?
How many people are in the picture?
 C

□□□□
cTLcxa
a C3

DD
.
0D 3

—i ir

man in a van

bed in a van

C-f

Why are they putting a bed in the van?

Can you see any sleepy foxes?
what is the bad fox doing?
 Guidance notes
About phonics
Phonics is a way of teaching children to read
by breaking words down into combinations of
sounds or phonemes. There are 44 phonemes in
the English language. Some are represented by
single letters, like the c - a -1 sounds in the word
cat. Others are represented by more than one
•letter, like the sh - ar sounds in the word shark.

Getting started
This book uses only the more basic phonemes,
sounds made by a single letter, in short and
easy-to-read words. It is a great way to
encourage your child to take an interest in letters
and words, and to build their confidence in the
very early stages of reading.

Pronouncing phonemes
It’s important to use the sounds of the letters,
rather than the letter-names (“sss” not “ess”).
%u can find out how to say all the phonemes
by listening to them on the Very First Reading
website, www.usborne.com/veryfirstreading*
- go to the Resources area and scroll down to
Pronouncing the phonemes.

*US readers go to www.veryfirstreading.com

Sounding and blending
Show your child how to run the sounds together,
or blend them, in order to read words. Read the
phonemes separately at first, c - a -1, then read
them more quickly, c-a-t, until you have run the
sounds together to make cat. Encourage your
child to try this too.

More words, more practice

Each double page has one simple word to read
in large letters. Start by helping your child to
read these words, and have fun spotting all the
different bags or cats or foxes on the page and
talking about them. When your child is more
confident, try reading the smaller labels which
introduce new words and short phrases.

Make reading fun

Reading is an important skill, but learning to
read can be stressful for children and parents too.
Help your child by making reading an enjoyable,
shared activity. Look for fun details to talk about
in the pictures. Read for just as long as your child
wants to — short sessions can be very effective —
and give plenty of praise and encouragement.
 Edited by Jenny Tyler
Designed by Caroline Spatz
Digital manipulation by Nick Wakeford

First published in 2013 by Usborne Publishing Ltd., Usborne House,

83-85 Saffron Hill, London ECIN 8RT, England, www.usborne.com
Copyright © 2013 Usborne Publishing Ltd.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior permission of the publisher. The name Usborne
and the devices f f)are Trade Marks of Usborne Publishing Ltd.
UE. Eirst published in America in 2013.
 USBORNE VERY FIRST READING
There are over thirty titles in the Usborne Very First
Reading series, which has been specially developed to
help children learn to read. Here are some of them.

To find out more about the structure of the series, go to

www.usborne.com/veryfirstreading

Pirate Pat

Uluiifoied by Miie onj CofI Gortlen

virt fikst kading »ook A . sEAr ■ ^

Captain Mac A Bus

Miss'Moss

b(f ^id OH

-JADuv ^

Grizzly Bear
 l#£T»fAC>i(- :. •
; RE^

Ueg.ueen Stop that

Scene Cnin f

I Frtd Btunt

1|J40*NI vtlr fUSJ #f*l>!M5

First Phonics Easy

*4: Words

OS&ORNf VERY FIRST READING .

P Phonics Tlie Ushorne

WorKbooK 4
Bi^
^PKonicg
orktook
bu'.‘
 USBORNE VERY FIRST READING

first Phonics
Words
Help your child in the very first stages of reading
with this delightful book. Simple words and lively
pictures introduce your child to the basic principles
of phonics and reading, giving essential practice
and building confidence from the start

Find out about all the titles

www.usborne.com

£4.99
CAD$8.95
02491/6
JFMAMJJ SOND/16
Printed in China
Mode with paper from o sustoinable source.