Kumon First Steps Workbooks + Basic Skills
First Steps Workbooks
The First Steps Series is designed for children, ages 2 and up, who have never used a workbook before. The colorful exercises allow toddler to practice motor control skills and develop spatial reasoning and problem-solving abilities. Stickers and paste, scissors, coloring, and folding aren’t just for fun–these activities are a child’s First Steps toward success. Each First Steps Workbook is 5 7/8 x 8 1/4 inches, paperback, 40 pages, and full color.
More Let’s Color!
Consumable Workbook Ages 2 & Up
Pages: Paperback (binding on top)
Date Published: November 2006
Publisher: Kumon Publishing North America
This book will provide children with continued practice coloring. Building on the previous book in the series, children will be able to slowly learn more advanced coloring skills. Using crayons is an important precursor to learning to write with a pencil.
When my almost preschooler first started showing an interest in “school” activities I found myself to be really excited. I have always loved to color and I could not wait to jump in and get her started and then in my mind was plotting out the years in schooling with the awesome Bellerophon and Dover themed museum quality coloring books. To my astonishment she showed no interest in coloring what-so-ever. I think it wasn’t until we were at a restaurant that the server wrote on the table that she was interested, because writing on the table was neat and different. When it came to my trying to show her how to color at home with some random store coloring books it was frustration for her and myself.
Enter the solution! More Let’s Color! was the first Kumon First Steps Workbook that I got my hands on and it’s amazing what it’s done for her (and my sanity!). I was starting to think that she would never color and I was left alone with my passion, but slowly as we have been working through this one pages at a time she is not only asking to do it, but her skill is obviously improving as well. I’m so excited and this book has made it possible when I was full of frustration and near to tears myself planning to just give up and hope she’d figure it out one day. I’m excited about this one and I plan to go back for the original Let’s Color! book as well!
Let’s Cut Paper! Amazing Animals
Consumable Workbook Ages 2 & Up
Pages: Paperback (binding on top)
Date Published: May 2011
Publisher: Kumon Publishing North America
Learning to safely use a pair of scissors is important for school and play activities—and your child will love developing this skill with paper animals. This workbook is for children who have never used scissors before. Children will learn how to hold and control a pair of scissors, and will advance from simple one-stroke cuts to complicated and curvy shapes.
When I first started to hear about skills books like cutting and stickers and paste I rolled my eyes thinking why would you need a book for that? I do not remember learning to use scissors it was just something that was. After using this book with my daughter I think it’s amazing. Using the thick lines and gently improving the skill level is so important and probably would have gotten over a lot of unnecessary frustration if I had just later given her scissors and just “here cut it”. Learning to cut straight is one thing, then the skill of opening the scissors and moving them to cut further down the line is another, then add onto that curves and change of directions! Let’s Cut Paper! is a great tool for teaching scissor skills and using something like this makes me feel a lot better about what she’s doing, plus with the little activities at a time, she is so proud of herself. 🙂
This one is Amazing Animals, each page is something related to an animal and that adds such a flavor of excitement and fun. There appears to also be other choices such as Food Fun and the originals of Let’s Cute Paper! and More Let’s Cut Paper! Is it silly that I want them all?
Let’s Fold!
Consumable Workbook Ages 2 & Up
Pages: Paperback (binding on top)
Date Published: October 2005
Publisher: Kumon Publishing North America
Folding paper provides an important tactile experience and fine motor control lesson for young children. This workbook progresses from simple one-fold projects, all way through beginning origami. Along the way, children will delight in creating fun and amusing paper toys and art projects.
I have to say this is one of my favorites. When we first started on the Kumon First Steps Workbooks this was the skill that my almost preschooler was able to master (in her two-year old range, obviously). It was very exciting for both of us. From my early years in school all I remember is the teachers saying hot-dog or hamburger-style. But this goes so much further than that. I think that continuing this one and related books might even lead us to origami later, because folding is something that she knows she can calmly accomplish all by herself.
*Thanks to Kumon for providing samples for review.*
I have enjoyed working with these First Steps Workbooks so much that I have even gone on and ordered dozens more for us to work through. My daughter loves them and so do I! We’re also getting some of the Basic Skills workbooks as well. We bought our first one at a local bookstore and I have almost a dozen more ordered and on their way. 🙂
(No spam, I promise. Just creative madness ramblings, reviews and life-stories, with quilting and cross stitch inspiration in between!)
6 Comments
Julia
Wow, I really need to look into Kumon workbooks. I keep hearing them mentioned. My son needs practice in cutting. 🙂
Good to see you on the SL forums, too.
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Lindsey@Kindred Spirit Mommy
That photo is sooo cute! Appleblossom has really gorgeous hair. 🙂
Lindsey@Kindred Spirit Mommy
Oh, and I added these books to my wishlist on Amazon. 🙂
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