Beginning Steps to Reading (BSR) provides a systematic, phonetic approach to teaching children to read. The sounds are introduced beginning with short vowels and then consonants from more common to less common. Long vowels come last. By the end of 90 school days (the first half of the year), reading begins. BSR takes a student to this point. After BSR, any course can carry the child into reading skills.

Pupil Workbooks
These workbooks provide 4 detachable pages of exercises per lesson. Each lesson is divided into three basic parts: auditory discrimination, visual discrimination, and comprehension. The final page may be review, a picture to color, or extra practice in a basic skill. There are 3 workbooks of 30 lessons each.

Teacher's Editions
Each workbook has an accompanying teacher's edition which contains directions for the lessons as well as copies of the student pages with answers filled in. These teacher pages are unbound and hole-punched, designed to be placed in a 3-ring binder (not included). Teacher's Edition A also includes a valuable introduction to the course, explaining how all the basic components and teaching aids are to be used together.

Worksheets
These loose-leaf pages provide exercises to reinforce the three basic skills taught in the workbooks, and to develop motor skills. Pasting, cutting, and coloring are employed. After the lesson for the day has been taught, pupils should be able to do the worksheet exercise with very little teacher help.

Word Practice
This book contains words arranged according to sounds, listed in the same order as the sounds are introduced in the lessons. Each page emphasizes a specific sound and should be used after the lesson which introduces that sound. Use the book daily to reinforce the lesson and to cause the pupil to put to practice what has been taught. Use it as a reference book to review when necessary.

Reader
This hardcover book gives the pupil practice in reading sound words in sentence form, to be used after several weeks of phonics instruction. It is made up of 50 sentence-practice sets. In these sets, 318 sound words are introduced and nine sight words. The reader is intended to help the pupil form the habit of attacking words phonetically. Sight words are kept at a minimum so that the pupil is required to use his knowledge of phonetics in actual reading. The 318 sound words are made up of sounds which the pupil has studied in earlier lessons.

Practice Sheets
Approximately four or five practice sheets accompany each lesson. These sheets provide extra practice in the skills that are taught in the daily lessons. They may be used on the same day that the lesson is taught, or at a later date for review. Included are sheets that provided practice in writing the letters for the sounds taught. The Index and Directions for these sheets is bound in a separate booklet.

Flow Chart (½ school year ≈ 90 school days):

Supplementary items (not included):

Teacher Guide Introduction Contents

• A. Introduction To This Course
• B. Materials Needed to Teach This Course
• C. General Suggestions and Explanations
• D. Explanation of the Format
• E. Explanation of Teaching Aids
• F. How to Make Teaching Aids
• G. An Overall View of the Course
• H. Supplementary Visual Aids
• I. What Follows This Course
• J. Terms Defined
• K. Letter Forms
• L. Book A Teacher Guide

Book A

Sounds	Comprehension	Bible Lessons
	Classification
1. short a 2. short a 3. short e 4. short e 5. short i 6. short i	1. Classifying fruits 2. Classifying tools 3. Classifying foods 4. Classifying zoo animals 5. Classifying Indian objects 6. Classifying buildings	1. Genesis 1:1—God Created the Apple 2. II Kings 6:1-7—The Borrowed Axe 3. James 1:17—The Egg 4. Genesis 6-8—Noah and the Elephants 5. Genesis 2:7; Mark 9:36-37—God Made the Indian 6. James 1:17; Ephesians 5:22-6:3—God Cares About Families
	Relationships
7. short o 8. short o 9. short u 10. short u 11. s 12. m	7. Relating an animal and its home 8. Relating a part and its whole 9. Relating an object and its use 10. Relating objects used together 11. Relating an object with the weather 12. Relating objects of similar height	7. Job 1:13-22; 42:10-13—Job's Oxen 8. Genesis 1:21; 2:19-20—God Made the Ostrich 9. Jeremiah 32:17—God Can Do Anything 10. Genesis 2:6; 6-8—The First Rain 11. Genesis 1:14-19; Luke 23:44-45—God Made the Sun 12. Exodus 19:7-25—God on the Mountain
	Following oral directions
13. f 14. r 15. n 16. g 17. b 18. t 19. p	13. Understanding the position word in 14. Understanding the position word below 15. Understanding the position word above 16. Understanding the position word on 17. Understanding the position word after 18. Understanding the position word before 19. Understanding the position word between	13. John 21:1-14—One Hundred and Fifty-Three Fish 14. Exodus 17:1-7—Water From a Rock 15. Matthew 10:29; Deuteronomy 32:11—The Sparrow and the Eagle 16. Judges 16:1-3—Samson and a Gate 17. II Kings 2:23-25—Elisha and Two Bears 18. Genesis 18:1-8—Abraham and Three Visitors 19. Luke 8:26-36—Pigs Run to the Sea
	Opposite meanings
20. d 21. s helpers sa, se, si, so, su 22. s helpers + final consonants 23. s helpers + final consonants 24. s helper words 25. s helper words 26. m helpers and words 27. m helpers and words 28. f helpers and words 29. r helpers and words 30. n helpers and words	20. Understanding the meanings of big and little 21. Understanding the meanings of sad and happy 22. Understanding the meanings of ugly and pretty 23. Understanding the meanings of up and down 24. Understanding the meanings of alive and dead 25. Understanding the meanings of cold and hot 26. Understanding the meanings of kind and unkind 27. Understanding the meanings of hard and soft 28. Understanding the meanings of empty and full 29. Understanding the meanings of straight and crooked 30. Understanding the meanings of wet and dry	20. Matthew 21:1-11—Jesus Rides on a Donkey 21. Acts 9:36-43—Dorcas and the Widows 22. I Samuel 5:1-5—Dagon Falls 23. Acts 20:7-12—The Boy Who Slept in Church 24. John 11:1-46—Jesus Makes Lazarus Alive 25. Psalm 104:16; 147:8; 74:16—David Sings to God 26. Exodus 2:15-21—Moses Helps Seven Sisters 27. John 5:1-9—Jesus Heals a Lame Man 28. John 6:1-14—A Boy's Lunch 29. Numbers 17:1-10—Aaron's Rod 30. Luke 5:1-8—Simon Fishes All Night

Book B

Sounds	Comprehension	Bible Lessons
	Story Sequence
1. g helpers and words 2. b helpers and words 3. t helpers and words 4. p helpers and words 5. d helpers and words 6. c and k helpers and words 7. helpers + ck 8. l helpers and words 9. h helpers and words 10. helpers + 2 consonants	1. ⋮ 10.	1. Exodus 14:19-15:22—God Makes a Path in the Sea 2. Mark 2:1-12—Friends Help a Sick Man 3. Luke 15:8-10—The Lost Coin 4. II Kings 4:38-41—Death in the Pot 5. Daniel 6:4-24—Daniel and the Lions 6. Genesis 40:1-13, 20-21‐Joseph in Prison 7. Matthew 7:24-27—The Two Houses 8. Genesis 28:10-22—Jacob's Ladder 9. Esther 3 and 6—Proud Haman 10. Luke 17:11-19—Ten Lepers
	Outlining
11. review 12. j helpers and words 13. w helpers and words 14. v and q helpers and words 15. y and z helpers and words 16. sh helpers and words 17. ch helpers and words 18. helpers + ng and nk 19. th and th helpers and words 20. wh helpers and words	11. ⋮ 20.	11. Genesis 1:14-18—God Made the Sun 12. Genesis 3:1-24—Adam and Eve 13. Genesis 1:20-23—God Made Fish 14. Genesis 1:11-13—God's Perfect Creation 15. Genesis 2:21-23—How God Made Eve 16. I Samuel 17:34-36—David Kills a Bear 17. Matthew 6:28-34—God Dresses the Fields 18. Matthew 6:26—God Cares for the Birds 19. Luke 15:4-7—The Lost Sheep 20. Genesis 26:18-22—Isaac's Wells
	Inferring from context
21. helpers + x 22. suffixes: s, ’s, es, ed 23. compound words; 2-syllable words 24. initial blends: bl, cl fl gl, pl, sl 25. initial blend words using sl, pl, gl 26. initial blends: sc, sk, sm, sn, sp, st, sw; words using sc, sk, sm, sn 27. initial blend words using sp, st, sw 28. initial blend review 29. long a with final silent e; long e with final silent e; words using this vowel 30. long i with final silent e; words using this vowel	11. ⋮ 20.	21. Daniel 6:16-23—What an Angel Did 22. Genesis 1:20-23—God Made the Duck 23. Exodus 8:1-14—Frogs in Egypt 24. Matthew 7:24-27—God Made Sand 25. I Samuel 2:18; 3:15—Samuel Helps 26. II Kings 5:1-14—A Slave Girl Helps 27. Jonah 4:1-10—Jonah and the Vine 28. Luke 16:19-31—The Rich Man and the Beggar 29. Exodus 8:20-32—Flies in Egypt 30. Jonah 1-2—Jonah and the Fish

Book C

Sounds	Comprehension	Bible Lessons
	Relationships
1. long o with final silent e; long u with final silent e; words using these vowels 2. short and long vowel review 3. final long e and o words (be, no, and so forth.) 4. long o and i: old, olt, ost oll, oth, int, ind, ild; words using these vowels 5. initial blends: br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr; words using br and cr 6. initial blend words using dr and fr 7. initial blend words using gr, pr, tr 8. initial blends using long vowels 9. vowel digraphs: ai, ay; words using these vowels 10. vowel digraphs: ee, ea; words using these vowels	1. ⋮ 10.	1. Mark 6:34-44—A Thankful Lad 2. Acts 16:19-40—Sing in Prison 3. Exodus 2:1-9—Baby Moses 4. I Samuel 17:1-58—David Kills Goliath 5. Acts 27:13-44—The Shipwreck 6. Matthew 17:24-27—Peter and Tax Money 7. Matthew 23:27—A Hen and Her Chicks 8. I Samuel 25:18-35—Kind Abigail 9. Matthew 24:27—When Jesus Comes 10. Genesis 1:11-13; Psalm 106:1—God Gives Food
	Story sequence
11. vowel digraphs: oa ow, oe 12. vowel digraph ie; final vowel y; words using theses vowels 13. irregular vowel digraphs: ea, ie; words using these vowels 14. 2-syllable short vowel words ending ing 15. 2-syllable long vowel words ending ing 16. modified vowels: ar, or; words using these vowels 17. modified vowels er, ir, ur; words using these vowels 18. 2-syllable words ending with the suffix er 19. prefix a; and 2-syllable words 20. diphthongs: ou ow; words using these sounds	11. ⋮ 20.	11. Luke 15:11-32—The Prodigal Son 12. Exodus 17:1-7—Thirsty People 13. II Samuel 9:1-13—King David and Mephibosheth 14. Numbers 13:1-33—Joshua and Caleb 15. Joshua 7:19-26—Achan Steals 16. Genesis 37:23-28—Joseph is Sold 17. Luke 2:1-7—Jesus is Born 18. Luke 10:30-36—The Good Samaritan 19. Acts 12:1-17—Peter in Prison 20. Luke 19:1-9—Zacchaeus Sees Jesus
	Following written directions
21. diphthongs: oi, oy 22. 2-syllable final y words 23. vowel digraphs: o͝o o͞o; words using these vowels 24. vowel digraphs: ew, ue; words using these vowels 25. controlled a: aw, au, al, all; words using these vowels 26. silent letters: igh, kn, wr, mb; words using these vowels 27. soft c: ce, ci, cy; words using this sound 28. soft g: ge, gi, dge; words using this sound 29. se, ph, final le; words using this sound 30. tion, sion, sure; words using these sounds	21. ⋮ 30.	21. Mark 4:36-41—Jesus Stills a Storm 22. Matthew 2:7-12—Wise Men and the Star 23. Joshua 2:1-24—Rahab and the Spies 24. Daniel 3:1-30—Three Hebrew Boys 25. I Kings 18:41-46—Elijah and the Cloud 26. II Kings 4:1-7—The Widow's Oil 27. II Kings 4:8-17—A Room for Elisha 28. I Kings 17:1-6—Elijah Fed by Ravens 29. Judges 6:33-40—Gideon and the Fleece 30. II Chronicles 20:12-22—Praising God