This book contains four different kinds of phonics games, one of which is used on the first page of every unit to introduce the sounds being taught. Nonsense words have been included in the games to encourage pupils to practise their decoding skills and to challenge those who have a tendency to learn words by sight.

Vocabulary containing the sounds taught within the unit has been incorporated into the comprehension reading passages wherever possible. This helps to bridge the gap between phonics and real reading practice, rather than teaching both in isolation.

At this level, pupils are being introduced to answering written, lower-order thinking questions. In order to ensure that higher-order thinking skills are not overlooked, a list of questions is provided online for each reading passage, allowing teachers to develop these skills orally.

Word Wizard for 1st Class takes a unique approach to genre writing. The reading passage serves as a template for the genre. Discrete oral language activities act as building blocks for genre writing, and grammar activities are linked to the genre wherever appropriate.