Start Your Students on an Early Path to Reading Success

First Steps

Early Literacy Program for Grades Pre-K to 1

Reading is essential to academic achievement and success in life. Starting your youngest students on a path to reading success requires the systematic implementation of a comprehensive, proven early literacy program.

F.A.S.T. First Steps, developed specifically for kindergarten and entry-level first grade students, is grounded in research-based methods and best practices. It addresses all components of reading, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. Your youngest students will develop the skills they need to identify, blend, segment, and manipulate sounds in words.

Just as importantly, your young readers will be captivated by First Steps’ engaging storybooks and multisensory activities as they discover how to listen to sounds and link these sounds to letter symbols. They will quickly become confident and motivated readers as they apply their new skills to reading with the First Steps storybooks.

Comprehensive and based on years of classroom testing, F.A.S.T. First Steps: 

• Provides ample opportunities for children to practice their developing phonemic awareness skills and show their understanding of the alphabetic principle.
• Teaches spelling as well as reading.
• Uses think-alouds and a retell method to develop comprehension skills.
• Develops basic handwriting skills through an innovative approach.
• Instills a lifelong love of reading through rich literature experiences, including structured read alouds.
• Addresses common early literacy challenges before they become problems.

Assessment-Driven Standards-Based Instruction:

F.A.S.T. First Steps includes multiple opportunities to measure a student’s reading growth, as well as determine instructional goals at the individual level. It provides the necessary tools and assessments to preempt early reading challenges and identify children who may need additional instructional support.

Appropriate for RTI and aligned to the Common Core Standards, F.A.S.T. First Steps allows teachers to seamlessly implement the new standards while teaching with a highly effective, proven early literacy program.

Learn more about the First Steps workshop, or contact a F.A.S.T. Learning literacy specialist at 800-325-3278 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to find out if the First Steps Program is a good fit for your school.