Step 1: Setting up the cards
Sit close enough to the students so you can reach out and help them when necessary.
As you set up your own cards (facing you and not them), give simple, clear directions: "Take your top guide card and put it face up to one side. Take the bottom guide card and place it face up on the other side. Place your card stack in the middle."
Step 2: Why Freddie is important
Demonstrate each of these steps at the same time you are speaking:
- Look around to make sure Freddie is facing the correct direction on all the stacks. This will ensure that the students' piles are correct. If Freddie is upside down, either help the students turn their piles or let them do it.
- Ask everyone to point to Freddie.
- Since the first few cards are symmetrical, finding Freddie on the first card ensures that they are reading left to right without you having to give them any further directions.
- As you move your finger to the first blue, say, "Let's move our fingers to the first note". Then glance around to see if everyone's ready.
- "Ok, let's go. Blue blue blue blue blue."