How Books Work – Infants 1 English

November 11, 2026November 11, 2026 Aven BrisailLeave a comment

Books have parts, just like our bodies do. Today we learn the parts of a book and how to read a page.

The front cover

This is a pretend book. Look at its front cover.

TitleKiskadee Can SingPicture🐦🌳Author: wrote the wordsWritten by Ana LeeIllustrator: drew the picturesPictures by Raj Mohan

The title is the name of the book. The author wrote the words. The illustrator drew the pictures. The spine is the edge that holds the pages together. The back cover is at the end.

Inside the book

Start here, at the top leftThe kiskadee sat in the tree. It sang a song.Read left to right, then go down to the next linePicture

We start reading at the top left. We read from left to right. At the end of a line, we go back to the left and down to the next line. We turn pages one at a time.

Letters and words

A letter is one mark, like b. A word is a group of letters, like bird. Words have spaces between them.

b · bird · t · tree

Caring for books

🧼 Clean, dry hands.

📖 Turn pages from the corner, gently.

🔖 Use a bookmark, not a folded page.

🏠 Put books back on the shelf.

Try it

TRY ITBook explorer

Pick a game. Then tap the right part.

Let’s practise

Point, say or draw. Open each answer after trying.

1. Find a book at home. Point to the title on the front cover.

Show answer

The adult checks the child points to the title.

2. Who draws the pictures in a book?

Show answer

The illustrator.

3. Show where you start reading on a page.

Show answer

At the top left.

4. Which is a word?
(a) s
(b) sun
(c) m

Show answer

(b) sun.

Quick check

Try these three on your own first. An adult may read the words.

1. Who writes the words in a book?

The illustrator
The author
The reader

Show answer

The author. The author writes the words.

2. Where do we start reading on a page?

Top left
Bottom right
In the middle

Show answer

Top left. We start at the top left and read to the right.

3. Which is a letter?

Show answer

k. k is one letter.

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English lesson 5: How Books Work — worksheet

Point, draw or tell an adult. An adult can write for you.

Draw the front cover of your own book. Draw a title box, a picture, and a box for the author name.
Draw an arrow showing which way we read: left to right.
Circle one letter and one word in a book or magazine. Show an adult.

English words

Say these words with an adult. Can you use each one in a sentence?

front cover · back cover · title · author · illustrator · spine · page · letter · word

Try it at home

Before a bedtime story, point to the title, the author and the illustrator.
Let your child turn the pages and point to the first word on each page.
Make a little book by folding paper. Your child draws and you write the words.

For parents and teachers

After this lesson, your child should be able to:

point to the front cover, back cover, title, author and illustrator of a real book
show where to start reading and track left to right and top to bottom with a finger
tell the difference between a letter and a word and handle a book carefully

Use real books for this lesson: the screen activities are only practice. Let your child hold the book and turn the pages.

Accept pointing, speaking, signing or communication aids. An adult can scribe. Observe the hands-on work as well as the Quick check; the badge records supported completion only.

Previous: Lesson 4: Creole and Standard English
Next: Lesson 6: The ABC (coming soon)
Back to Infants 1 English

Updates

2026/11/11
– First version of this lesson.
– Linked the previous lesson.

Attributions to media used in this post:

Children’s books (Unsplash).jpg – Robyn Budlender robzy_m – CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons; image resized only)
The pretend book cover and page are original teaching drawings made for this lesson (no photo used).

Creole and Standard English – Infants 1 English

November 11, 2026November 11, 2026 Aven Brisail1 Comment

Many of us speak in more than one way. At home we might speak Creole. In school books we use Standard English. Knowing both ways is a great skill.

Two ways to talk

In Trinidad and Tobago, many people speak Creole with family and friends. Creole is a real language with its own rules. It is part of who we are.

Standard English is used in school books, on the news and with some visitors. Being able to use both is like having two keys for two doors.

Say it another way

These pairs mean the same thing:

Creole: Mih belly full.
Standard English: My belly is full.

Creole: Ah eh know.
Standard English: I do not know.

Creole: Wha yuh name?
Standard English: What is your name?

Creole: Doh do dat.
Standard English: Do not do that.

Neither way is wrong. We choose the way that fits the place and the listener.

Polite words at school

At school we often use Standard English, especially when we speak to the class or to visitors:

Good morning, Miss.

May I go to the washroom, please?

Thank you, Sir.

Excuse me, may I have a pencil, please?

Try it

TRY ITSay it another way

Pick a game. Then tap your answer.

Let’s practise

Point, say or draw. Open each answer after trying.

1. Say “Ah eh know” in Standard English.

Show answer

I do not know. You can also say: I don’t know.

2. Say “What is your name?” the way you say it at home.

Show answer

Answers will vary. Both ways are fine in the right place.

3. How do you ask Miss for a pencil, politely, in Standard English?

Show answer

For example: Excuse me, Miss, may I have a pencil, please?

4. “Mih belly full” means:
(a) My belly is full.
(b) I am hungry.
(c) I want more.

Show answer

(a) My belly is full.

Quick check

Try these three on your own first. An adult may read the words.

1. “Doh do dat” in Standard English is:

Do not do that.
Do that now.
I did that.

Show answer

Do not do that.. Doh do dat means do not do that.

2. Which is polite at school?

May I go to the washroom, please?
Washroom now!
Ah going.

Show answer

May I go to the washroom, please?. May I … please is polite.

3. Is Creole a real way of speaking?

Show answer

Yes. Creole is a real language with its own rules.

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English lesson 4: Creole and Standard English — worksheet

Point, draw or tell an adult. An adult can write for you.

Draw yourself talking to your family at home. An adult can write what you say.
Draw yourself talking to your teacher at school. An adult can write what you say in Standard English.
Draw a speech bubble with a polite school phrase, such as May I, please.

English words

Say these words with an adult. Can you use each one in a sentence?

Creole · Standard English · polite · meaning · same · please · may I

Try it at home

Play Say it another way: one person says a Creole sentence and the other says it in Standard English. Then swap.
Practise asking for something politely in Standard English, as you would at school.
Talk about where you hear each way of speaking: on the radio, at the market, at school.

For parents and teachers

After this lesson, your child should be able to:

say a short Creole sentence in Standard English with the same meaning
use polite Standard English phrases to greet, ask and thank at school
explain that Creole and Standard English are both real ways of speaking used in different places

Value your child’s home language. Never call Creole bad or broken English. The aim is to add Standard English, not to replace the way your family speaks.

Accept pointing, speaking, signing or communication aids. An adult can scribe. Observe the hands-on work as well as the Quick check; the badge records supported completion only.

Previous: Lesson 3: Who, What, Where?
Next: Lesson 5: How Books Work
Back to Infants 1 English

Updates

2026/11/11
– First version of this lesson.
– Linked the previous and next lessons.

Attributions to media used in this post:

FOOD Chaguanas Fruit Stall 1.jpg – Grueslayer – CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons; image resized only)

Who, What, Where? Listening and Following Directions – Infants 1 English

November 11, 2026November 11, 2026 Aven Brisail1 Comment

Good listeners can answer questions about what they hear. They can also follow directions, one step at a time.

Listen to a story

Asha at the beach
On Saturday, Asha went to the beach with Granny. Asha took her red bucket. She built a big sandcastle. Then a wave came and knocked it down! Asha laughed. She built it again, far from the water.

Tap Read it to me, or ask an adult to read it. Then answer the questions.

Question words

Who asks about a person. Who went to the beach? Asha and Granny.

What asks about a thing. What did Asha build? A sandcastle.

Where asks about a place. Where did they go? To the beach.

When asks about time. When did they go? On Saturday.

Why asks for a reason. Why did the castle fall? A wave knocked it down.

How asks about the way. How did Asha feel? She laughed, so she felt happy.

Follow directions

Listen to all the steps first. Then do them in order.

One step: Touch your nose.

Two steps: Stand up, then clap two times.

Three steps: Pick up a pencil, put it in the box, then sit down.

If you forget a step, ask: “Please can you say it again?”

Try it

TRY ITListen and do

Pick a game. Tap Read it to me to hear the question again.

Let’s practise

Point, say or draw. Open each answer after trying.

1. Who built the sandcastle in the story?

Show answer

Asha.

2. Why did Asha build it again far from the water?

Show answer

So the waves could not knock it down.

3. Do this: stand up, turn around, then sit down.

Show answer

The adult checks all three steps in order.

4. Which word asks about a place?
(a) who
(b) where
(c) when

Show answer

(b) where.

Quick check

Try these three on your own first. An adult may read the words.

1. In the story, where did Asha go?

To the beach
To the market
To school

Show answer

To the beach. Asha and Granny went to the beach.

2. Which word asks about a person?

Who
Where
When

Show answer

Who. Who asks about a person.

3. Miss says: “Stand up, then clap.” What do you do first?

Clap
Stand up
Sit down

Show answer

Stand up. Do the steps in order: stand up first.

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English lesson 3: Who, What, Where? — worksheet

Point, draw or tell an adult. An adult can write for you.

Draw Asha and her sandcastle at the beach.
Draw what knocked the sandcastle down.
Listen to an adult give two steps, such as draw a sun, then draw a tree. Do them here.

English words

Say these words with an adult. Can you use each one in a sentence?

who · what · where · when · why · how · first · then · direction

Try it at home

Read a short story. Ask one who, one where and one why question.
Play Simon says with two steps, then three steps.
Hide a toy and give two-step directions to find it. Then swap roles.

For parents and teachers

After this lesson, your child should be able to:

answer who, what and where questions about a short story they have heard
give a reason for one event in the story using because
follow a two-step and then a three-step spoken direction in the right order

Say directions once, clearly, then wait. Build from one step to three steps over several days. Children who need it may use pictures or gestures to help them remember.

Accept pointing, speaking, signing or communication aids. An adult can scribe. Observe the hands-on work as well as the Quick check; the badge records supported completion only.

Previous: Lesson 2: Rhymes, Sounds and Action Songs
Next: Lesson 4: Creole and Standard English
Back to Infants 1 English

Updates

2026/11/11
– First version of this lesson.
– Linked the previous and next lessons.

Attributions to media used in this post:

Orbe – Chantemerle – salle de classe 2.jpg – Abaddon1337 – CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons; image resized only)

Rhymes, Sounds and Action Songs – Infants 1 English

November 11, 2026November 11, 2026 Aven Brisail2 Comments

Our ears hear sounds all day. Today we listen for sounds, find words that rhyme and say an action rhyme.

Sounds around us

Close your eyes and listen. What can you hear?

🐓 A rooster crows: cock-a-doodle-doo!

🌧️ Rain falls on the roof: pitter-patter.

🥁 A steelpan rings: ping, pong.

🐕 A dog barks: woof, woof.

🚌 A maxi taxi horn goes: beep, beep.

Words that rhyme

Words rhyme when their ends sound the same.

cat, hat, mat

sun, fun, run

bee, tree, sea

pan, can, man

Say them slowly. Can you hear the same end sound?

An action rhyme

Say this rhyme with actions. Tap your fingers for rain. Wave your arms for wind. Pretend to play a pan. Then clap!

Rain on the roof, tap, tap, tap.
Wind in the trees, flap, flap, flap.
Pan in the yard, ping, ping, ping.
Clap your hands and sing, sing, sing!

Find the rhyming words: tap and flap, ping and sing.

Try it

TRY ITSounds and rhymes

Pick a game. Then tap your answer.

Let’s practise

Point, say or draw. Open each answer after trying.

1. Listen outside for one minute. Name two sounds you hear.

Show answer

Answers will vary, for example birds, cars or wind.

2. Say a word that rhymes with hat.

Show answer

For example cat, mat, bat, sat or rat.

3. Say the action rhyme with all the actions for your family.

Show answer

Answers will vary. The adult checks the words and actions.

4. Which word rhymes with tree?
(a) bee
(b) bus
(c) cup

Show answer

(a) bee.

Quick check

Try these three on your own first. An adult may read the words.

1. Which word rhymes with cat?

Show answer

Hat. Cat and hat both end with at.

2. What makes a pitter-patter sound on the roof?

Rain
A rooster
A book

Show answer

Rain. Rain goes pitter-patter.

3. Which pair rhymes?

Sun and run
Sun and moon
Sun and tree

Show answer

Sun and run. Sun and run end with the same sound.

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My completion badge

Help and retries are welcome. This badge celebrates finishing, not a test score. Discuss the answers, then save it.

English lesson 2: Rhymes, Sounds and Action Songs — worksheet

Point, draw or tell an adult. An adult can write for you.

Draw something that makes a loud sound and something that makes a soft sound.
Draw a cat and a hat. Say the rhyming words.
Draw one picture for the action rhyme. Say the rhyme to an adult.

English words

Say these words with an adult. Can you use each one in a sentence?

sound · listen · loud · soft · rhyme · action · steelpan

Try it at home

Go on a listening walk. Name every sound you hear.
Play rhyme tennis: one person says a word, the other says a rhyming word.
Make up a new line for the action rhyme and act it out together.

For parents and teachers

After this lesson, your child should be able to:

name four everyday sounds when they hear them
say whether two spoken words rhyme and give a rhyming word for a simple word like cat
say the action rhyme from memory with matching actions for a family audience

Rhyming is a listening skill, so say the words aloud rather than showing spellings. Real sounds from your home and street are better than any recording.

Accept pointing, speaking, signing or communication aids. An adult can scribe. Observe the hands-on work as well as the Quick check; the badge records supported completion only.

Previous: Lesson 1: Good Listeners and Good Speakers
Next: Lesson 3: Who, What, Where?
Back to Infants 1 English

Updates

2026/11/11
– First version of this lesson.
– Linked the previous and next lessons.

Attributions to media used in this post:

Crowing rooster.jpg – Tiia Monto – CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons; image resized only)
Steelasophical Gary Trotman Steelpan soloist.jpg – Steelasophical – CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons; image resized only)
3040 flaque et ronds dans l eau.jpg – Jean-Marie Vugnon – CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons; image resized only)

Good Listeners and Good Speakers – Infants 1 English

November 11, 2026November 11, 2026 Aven Brisail1 Comment

Good listeners help everyone learn. Good speakers help everyone understand. Today we practise listening, speaking and using kind words.

What good listeners do

👀 Look towards the person who is talking.

🧍 Keep your body calm.

🤐 Wait for your turn. Do not talk over others.

🤔 Think about the words. Ask a question if you are not sure.

Some friends listen best while moving a little. That is fine too.

What good speakers do

🗣️ Speak clearly, so others can hear.

🔉 Use the right voice size: a soft voice inside, a bigger voice outside.

🙂 Face your listener. Use your hands and face to help show what you mean.

🔁 Take turns: speak, then listen.

Kind words

Kind words make people feel welcome:

Good morning and Good afternoon

Please and Thank you

Excuse me and Sorry

May I play with you?

Friends may greet you in other ways. Some say hola in Spanish or bonjour in French. Some friends use signs, pictures or a talking device. Every friend belongs.

Try it

TRY ITListening and speaking

Pick a game. Then tap your answer.

Let’s practise

Point, say or draw. Open each answer after trying.

1. Name two things a good listener does.

Show answer

For example: looks towards the speaker, keeps calm, waits for a turn, thinks about the words.

2. What do you say when someone gives you something?

Show answer

Thank you.

3. Tell an adult about your favourite food. Use a clear voice and face them.

Show answer

Answers will vary. The adult checks for a clear voice and taking turns.

4. Which voice do we use in the library?
(a) a shouting voice
(b) a soft voice
(c) a singing voice

Show answer

(b) a soft voice.

Quick check

Try these three on your own first. An adult may read the words.

1. Miss is talking. What does a good listener do?

Talks to a friend
Looks towards Miss and listens
Walks around

Show answer

Looks towards Miss and listens. Good listeners look towards the speaker and think about the words.

2. You bump into someone by accident. What do you say?

Sorry
Hurry up
Nothing

Show answer

Sorry. Sorry shows that we care.

3. Two friends want to speak. What should they do?

Both shout
Take turns
Stop playing

Show answer

Take turns. Taking turns lets everyone be heard.

When JavaScript is off, use these questions and celebrate finishing together. Progress cannot be saved here.

My completion badge

Help and retries are welcome. This badge celebrates finishing, not a test score. Discuss the answers, then save it.

English lesson 1: Good Listeners and Good Speakers — worksheet

Point, draw or tell an adult. An adult can write for you.

Draw yourself being a good listener.
Draw a friend with a speech bubble. Put a kind word in it, such as please or thank you. An adult can write it.
Draw two people taking turns to talk.

English words

Say these words with an adult. Can you use each one in a sentence?

listen · speak · turn · voice · please · thank you · excuse me · sorry

Try it at home

At dinner, take turns to tell one thing about your day. Pass a spoon to show whose turn it is.
Play voice sizes: whisper, talk, then use a big outside voice in the yard.
Practise greeting a visitor: smile, say good morning, and say your name.

For parents and teachers

After this lesson, your child should be able to:

show at least three good listening behaviours while an adult reads a short story
greet an adult, say please and thank you, and take turns in a short conversation
choose a suitable voice size for the library, the classroom and the playground

Listening looks different for different children. Looking away or moving can still be attentive listening, so notice whether your child takes in and responds to what is said. Model kind words yourself.

Accept pointing, speaking, signing or communication aids. An adult can scribe. Observe the hands-on work as well as the Quick check; the badge records supported completion only.

Previous: Infants 1 English
Next: Lesson 2: Rhymes, Sounds and Action Songs
Back to Infants 1 English

Updates

2026/11/11
– First version of this lesson.
– Linked the next lesson.

Attributions to media used in this post:

Indian children in school near Chaguanas, Trinidad, 1949.jpg – UK National Archives, INF 10/357/1 – Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons; image resized only)