Ages 4–6 · Preschool–K3
English foundations × Reading skills × Primary school readiness
Foundation: From first sounds
to ‘I can read.’
A sound becomes a word. A sentence becomes a story. Foundation helps children connect the pieces of English, with the confidence to try for themselves.
With Teachers Rianne & Irene
40FoundationReaders
- one-hour lessons
- 40
- school year
- 1
- sequenced readers
- 40
- StoryFlip home access
- Included
One connection at a time
Phonics is the beginning. A story is where it comes together.
Children learn to connect the sounds they hear with the words they see, understand what they read, and use that English to share their own ideas.
- 01
Sound
Hear itNotice and distinguish the sounds in spoken English.
- 02
Word
Blend itConnect letters and sounds to decode a word.
- 03
Sentence
Read itBring familiar words together in a short sentence.
- 04
Story
Understand itFollow what happens and talk about what it means.
- 05
Communication
Use itAnswer, retell and share an idea in their own words.
What children practise
Five skills. Growing together.
Knowing letters is one part of learning to read. Foundation gives children repeated chances to connect decoding with meaning, conversation and writing.
Phonics
A way into unfamiliar words.
Listen for sounds, connect them to letters and practise blending. Children develop a strategy they can try when a word is new.
Reading
From a short sentence to a whole story.
Revisit familiar sounds, words and sentence patterns, gradually moving from reading with the teacher to trying independently.
Comprehension
Understand the words they have read.
Use pictures, story events and questions: Who? What happened? Where? Why? What do you think?
Speaking
Make the English their own.
Answer questions, describe pictures and talk about stories. Single-word answers gradually grow into sentences and ideas.
Writing
Put familiar language on the page.
Build letter formation, words and simple sentences around English children already understand, with purposeful early writing practice.
The Foundation Readers
Little books. A growing sense of ‘I can.’
Forty carefully sequenced readers bring classroom sounds, words and sentences back in familiar stories. Each step gives children another chance to try, understand and read with more independence.
Look inside a reader
‘I am Pat.’ Three words. A real beginning.
Meet Pat, notice the sounds in the words, read a short sentence and talk about the picture. The same story gives children ways to listen, decode, understand, speak and write.
- Listen
- Decode
- Read
- Understand
- Tell
- Write
Reading continues at home
Read it again. Discover ‘I can’ again.
StoryFlip brings Foundation Readers home. Children can revisit the stories they meet in class, recognise familiar words and gradually need less help. For a beginning reader, rereading is learning.
StoryFlip access is included with Foundation enrolment.
Classroom learning and home reading, connected through the same stories.
Meet your Foundation teachers
A little encouragement goes a long way.
Rianne and Irene are the main teachers for Foundation, guiding children from their first attempts towards more confident reading and expression.
Foundation teacher
Teacher Rianne
Read a sentence. Understand it. Talk about it.In Foundation, Rianne guides children through the Foundation Readers, helping them blend sounds, read short sentences and talk about what happens in each story. Picture questions and retelling turn reading practice into English they can use.
Foundation teacher
Teacher Irene
Connect the sounds, letters and words.In Foundation, Irene helps children connect spoken sounds with written letters, build words and practise early writing. Familiar language from the Foundation Readers gives letter formation and simple sentences a clear purpose.
Before your first class
A few useful answers.
Who is Foundation for?
Foundation is for children aged 4–6, from preschool through K3—the same age group as First Steps and ESM. It supports children beginning their English reading journey and preparing for primary school. A trial helps the teachers understand your child’s starting point.
How is the course organised?
Foundation has 40 lessons across a school year. Each lesson lasts one hour. Ask us about available class times when booking your trial.
Is StoryFlip included?
Yes. StoryFlip access is included with Foundation enrolment, so children can revisit Foundation Readers at home.
How does Foundation fit with First Steps and ESM?
Foundation focuses on English, reading and early writing. First Steps offers hands-on STEAM exploration, while ESM focuses on LEGO engineering. Foundation is a parallel learning option for the same age group; the teaching team can help you find the right combination.
What if my child is shy or needs help reading?
Learning starts with support: listening, looking, reading together and trying small steps. Children gradually move towards reading and expressing ideas more independently. Share their current experience with us at the trial.
Their next chapter starts here
‘Let me try first.’
Give your child a place to build the sounds, stories and confidence they can carry into primary school.
Book a Foundation trialAges 4–6 · 40 one-hour lessons · StoryFlip included