First Experiences
Series of 12 titles
First experiences can be intimidating, and children may have a hard time navigating their emotions and reactions to these situations. In First Experiences, beginning readers will follow young characters who are experiencing new situations or relationships for the first time. Social and emotional learning (SEL) concepts aid the reader in understanding the specific emotions and body sensations that can accompany each and help them prepare for the experience, while sight words, tightly controlled vocabulary, and repetitive text patterns and sounds help develop reading skills. Bright, fun illustrations match the storylines and enhance imagination while readers learn healthy ways to navigate new situations.
Each title includes tools for teachers and caregivers, a table of contents, and a picture glossary. A Let's Review! feature asks readers to reflect on the content to answer a quiz question.
Reviews
SLJ Review of First Experiences
This adorable series will help young children overcome their fear of new situations. Each book is narrated by a child facing an unfamiliar experience. They express their feelings to a parent and receive advice to help them cope. In the end they discover that there was nothing to be afraid of after all.
The books begin with techniques parents and teachers can use before, during, and after reading to guide the student developing their reading skills. Following the text is a review question and picture glossary.
VERDICT: Simple, joyful illustrations and hopeful stories make this a good choice for reading practice and preparing for those scary first experiences.