These prior experiences become apparent quickly in a first-grade classroom. Children whose book experiences have been few are often measured by the same yardstick. But seeing many different texts was precisely the way in which successful early readers learned to associate oral and written language, to understand the functions and forms of written language, and to distinguish the language of books from typical speech. Children are guided in tracking print and attending to particular words in the text. They practice writing words that they have seen in the text.
Teachers have expectations about their learning and attention to print.
However, learning to read is not viewed to be rigidly sequenced with children required to master elements of one text before moving to the next. Teachers in these programs recognize that children need to be involved in many texts to understand what reading is all about.