Emergent reading – ensure that the learner:

• holds the book the right way up
• turns pages correctly when ‘reading’
• develops correct eye movement, such as following lines of text from left to right.

Shared reading

• Learners ‘read’ the Big Book as a whole class with the teacher.
• Choose a story to read with the learners.

• Before reading the story, ask a few questions. For example, show learners the picture on the cover of the Big Book or one of the pictures in the story and talk about it. They should say what they think the story will be about. (Covers for each story can be found on the inside front cover of the Big Book.)
• Read the story through once, then read it again. Let the learners join in any refrain.
• Use one or more of the following activities to check whether learners understand the story.
• They can:

•  join in the chorus
• answer a few simple questions
• describe and discuss characters
• draw a picture, capturing the main ideas of the story
• retell the story
• say whether they liked the story
• say how the story made them feel
• sequence pictures from the story
• respond through mime, movement and other drama activities.

For optimum classroom use, purchase one set of Big Books per classroom.