Product Review:  First Steps Workbooks series (Ages 2+)

There are a million products out there to prepare toddlers for pre-school and kindergarten and the Kumon First Steps Workbook series for the 2+ crowd is one that stands out to me.  The intent is to help very young kids learn how to use a workbook and learn essential school skills such as folding, coloring, cutting and pasting and using stickers.  The books are based on the Kumon method of learning which focuses on a child’s self-study with a gradual progress designed to their own abilities. Each workbook is smartly broken down into separate skills to give a toddler ample opportunity to work at each.  The books are on the smaller side at 5 7/8 x 8 1/4 inches, paperback and offer 39 activities and a fill-in certificate of achievement at the end.

Brooke and I worked with both the Let’s Color! and Let’s Fold! workbook and I was quite pleased with the age appropriateness and quality of both.  The pictures are fun and vibrant and there are a lot of teaching opportunities for parents to point out things such as shapes, different colors and animals.  Brooke loved pointing out the different animals in both books and had a great time trying to fold (we have to practice on that one).  Lets Color! starts off with little coloring stroke activities such as coloring lines of rain or a plate of spaghetti then moves on to little blank squares to fill in a bigger completed object so it creates a quick accomplishment for a toddler.  Get ready to roll up your sleeves on Lets Fold! since an adult will need to cut out each folding project on behalf of your child.  The folding workbook offers a great opportunity to develop fine motor skills starting with a simple one fold activity into a more complicated paper swan.  Fold outs include interactive origami projects with a chick hatching from an egg or a gorilla thumping at his chest.

My favorite thing about the workbooks is the encouraging parental hints throughout that reminds us that building a foundation for a self-motivated child comes from developing your child’s desire to learn.  The First Steps Workbooks educate parents to participate with helpful suggestions on each page.  The coloring book shows example colors that can be used and the folding instructions have hints to give kids like, ‘First fold up and then down’.  It offers quick rewards which I think encourage a love of learning.

Check it out!  While this review only focuses on the toddler First Steps series, Kumon Workbooks have different skill building series (such as math and verbal skills) up to 6^th grade.  The First Step series offers additional More workbooks to advance your little ones skills in the areas noted above.  New to this series are themed workbooks that include Amazing Animals and Food Fun.  I plan to get Let’s Cut! and Sticker and Paste! workbooks for Brooke next.

First Steps Workbooks series

Kumon Publishing

$5.95 each