Hello, me and my class
Routines, greetings, colours, numbers to ten, body, feelings, toys and family. Sound work is all listening: rhythm, rhyme, syllables and robot talk. No letters yet.
Show itAll About Me book
Free English / Early years
Level 0 · Free curriculum · Ages 4 to 6 · No login
Before phonics, there is talk.
Little Steps English is a 36-week programme for the youngest learners: Reception, kindergarten and pre-primary classes. Songs, rhymes, stories and play build listening and first words, then letter sounds and blending arrive once children have English to hang them on. Short sessions, lots of movement, no worksheets needed.
36weeks
108sessions
3 × 40minutes a week, flexible
→ Pre A1direction of travel
The whole year. Tap a week to open it.
Term 1Term 2Term 3Review and observe
By week 36
Children follow everyday instructions, join in with 20 or more songs and rhymes, say short phrases about themselves and their world, retell a simple story with props, hear rhyme and first sounds, know most single letter sounds, blend some three-letter words, and write their name. The vocabulary heads towards Cambridge Pre A1 Starters, but most children this young are not ready to sit a paper test, and they do not need to. Level 1 picks up once children can decode.
How the year fits together
Three terms, one thing to show each time
My world
Food, clothes, animals, home, transport and the day. Children move from single words to short phrases. The first letter sounds arrive, with blending done out loud first.
Show itOur World class big book
Stories and adventures
Traditional tales, animals, growing and helpers. Children retell and act stories, read three-letter words they understand and form letters in families.
Show itA story show for families
Every week has three sessions
A
Words and songs. New words with real objects and actions, the week's song, and talk.
B
Sounds and hands. A listening or phonics game, then playdough, pegs, painting or mark-making.
C
Story and play. The week's story read twice, then role-play or a game using the words.
If you see the class every day, add a 10-minute song and story time on the other days. Little and often suits this age better than one long lesson.
Read this first
Using it in England, or anywhere else
Reception class in England
- The EYFS applies.The statutory framework in force from 1 September 2026 sets seven areas of learning, with communication and language as a prime area.
- Phonics is your school's programme.DfE guidance expects systematic synthetic phonics from the start of Reception, and many schools use a DfE-validated programme. Do not swap it for our Sounds column: use our column as extra talk and listening around it.
- English and home language.When assessing communication, language and literacy, staff must assess English. If a child's English is limited, the framework says to explore their home language with families to check for any language delay.
Kindergarten or pre-primary abroad
- English is a new language.Children may hear it only in your sessions, so songs, routines and repetition do most of the work.
- Letters can wait.Cambridge's paper on phonics for young EFL learners notes caution about written English for very young beginners who know few English words. Our Term 1 is listening only for that reason.
- Fit your national curriculum.Many systems teach reading in the home language first. Follow local rules on when letters start and use the Sounds column as the later part of the year allows.
Home languages are a strength. The DfE's Development Matters guidance says children learn English from a strong foundation in their home language, and that a quiet phase and mixing two languages in one sentence are typical. Encourage families to keep talking, singing and reading in the language they know best.
In the first two weeks
A gentle first check
Not a test. Watch each child during play and circle time, or spend two minutes one to one. Note what they do, not just what they say.
-
HelloDo they respond to "Hello" or their name? Say their name?
-
Show me"Show me the red one. Where is the dog?" Pointing counts.
-
Do this"Stand up. Clap your hands. Sit down." One step at a time.
-
Sing with meDo they join in with actions, words, or just watch?
-
Draw yourselfWatch how they hold the crayon and what marks they make.
Quiet start
New to English, or not yet speaking. Lean on gesture, pictures and routines. Accept pointing and actions as answers, and never force a child to speak. Keep them in every song and game.
Already talking
Uses some English words or phrases. Model longer phrases back to them ("Red car? Yes, a big red car!") and ask open questions. They can start letter sounds earlier.
Not speaking in any language?
Ask families how the child talks at home. Little English is normal; little language at home too may need a closer look by your setting's special needs lead or a speech and language service.
Scope and sequence
All 36 weeks
Open any week for its three sessions and matching free songs, stories and flashcards. Where a story is not linked, use any picture book on the topic or a StoryWeaver book.
Short blocks, lots of movement
The 40-minute session
Young children settle when every session has the same shape. Change activity every 5 to 10 minutes and move between sitting and standing. For a 30-minute slot, keep the hello, words, sounds and story and move the hands-on part to another time. Older or more settled groups can stretch to 45.
Session C swaps the weight: the story grows to 15 minutes with role-play, and the words block shrinks to a quick review.
Worked example
Week 7, Session A: Toys
- Aim
- Children recognise and name six toys, ask and answer "What's this?", and blend a toy name said in sounds.
- You need
- A bag with a ball, doll, car, teddy, kite (or a picture) and train. Big paper and chunky crayons.
- Free extras
- Toys flashcards and the song Old scruffy teddy (British Council)
- Adapt it
- Quiet start: point and fetch. Already talking: "It's a big red car."
| Time | Adult | Children |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 5 | Hello song. "How are you today?" with feeling faces | Sing, wave, show a feeling |
| 5 to 15 | Pull toys from the bag one by one. Say each twice. Play "Show me the car", then "What's this?" | Repeat, point, fetch, then answer "It's a ball" |
| 15 to 20 | Sing Old scruffy teddy twice, with actions | Do the actions, join in the words they can |
| 20 to 27 | Robot talk: "I can see a c-ar." Say the sounds slowly, then pause | Blend the sounds, shout "car!", find it |
| 27 to 35 | Big paper: draw balls (circles) and kite strings (long lines). Talk while they draw | Draw, say "ball", "big", "red" |
| 35 to 40 | Read "Where is Teddy?" twice. Goodbye song | Point, guess, join in "Hello, Teddy!" |
- Where is Teddy? (point to the bag)
- Is Teddy in the box? (shake head: no)
- What's in our toy bag today?
- Where shall we hide Teddy next?
Hide a real teddy as you read. The second time, pause before "No!" and "Yes!" so children shout it.
Watch, do not test
Assessment by observation
At this age, what a child does in play tells you more than any worksheet. Do the first check in weeks 1 and 2, then observe a few children each session and see everyone once more in weeks 12, 24 and 36. In England, the EYFS framework says your knowledge of the child and professional judgement are enough evidence: photos and written records are not required.
Where to put your attention
One four-point scale for every skill
1Not yet, watches others
2With help or copying an adult
3On their own, in the session
4Uses it in new situations or in play
What to look for at the end of each term
| Skill | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | Follows one-step instructions with gesture | Follows instructions without gesture | Follows two steps; answers questions about a story |
| Speaking | Single words, names, joins songs | Short phrases: "I like apples" | Short sentences; retells with props |
| Sounds | Copies rhythms, spots some rhymes, blends robot talk | Says the first 19 letter sounds; blends aloud | Reads some three-letter words; hears first sounds |
| Hands | Circles, lines, uses playdough and pegs | Holds a crayon with control; traces name | Writes own name; forms some letters correctly |
These are aims for a class with three short sessions a week, not promises. Children who hear English only in your sessions will move more slowly than children who also hear it at home, and that is fine. Schools in England complete the EYFS Profile against the early learning goals in the summer term (by 30 June): this page does not replace it.
Beyond the session
Families and different ages
Five minutes at home
- SingSend the week's song link. Singing it at bath time counts.
- NameFive words from the week with real things at home: toys, food, clothes.
- ReadShare a picture book in any language. Talk about the pictures.
- MakePlaydough, pegs, cutting and drawing build the hands that will write later.
Families do not need to speak English to help. Talking and reading together in the home language builds the same understanding of stories and words.
Adjusting for ages 4 to 6
| Age 4 | Ages 5 to 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Session | 20 to 30 minutes | 30 to 45 minutes |
| New words | 3 to 4 per session | 5 to 6 per session |
| Sounds | Listening games, rhyme, robot talk | Letter sounds and blending |
| Hands | Playdough, painting, big marks | Pencil grip, patterns, name |
| Stories | Very short, lots of repetition | Traditional tales, retelling |
Two questions
Where should you start?
Free to use, checked November 2026
The free resource library
Everything below is free from the publisher's own site. Some need a free account, and each site sets its own terms for copying and sharing.
What this programme is based on
- EYFS statutory framework, effective 1 September 2026 (GOV.UK)
- Development Matters, non-statutory guidance (GOV.UK)
- The reading framework (DfE)
- Communication and language approaches (EEF Early Years Toolkit: about +7 months on average)
- Preparing for Literacy guidance report (EEF)
- Phonics and literacy instruction for young learners in EFL (Cambridge Papers in ELT, 2020, PDF)
- Cambridge Pre A1 Starters (Cambridge University Press & Assessment)
Getting ready
Classroom checklist
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Read next
From the people behind Litlings
Running this with a whole class? Litlings keeps track.
This programme is free and always will be. Litlings is our classroom app for phonics and early English, and it is free for up to 40 pupils.
- Plan these weeks in a timetable and reuse sessions with any class.
- Track every child's sounds and blending through the year.
- Mark photo and voice homework in seconds.
- Share progress with families automatically.