Core Book Progression
Children in the nursery will be exposed to a wide range of books, stories, rhymes, and texts throughout
their time in each room. This includes free-choice reading, seasonal texts, child-led interests, and adult-led
story sessions.
However, each room will also have a core set of high-quality texts and nursery rhymes that are revisited
regularly. These focus texts are used intentionally to support the development of literacy, communication,
language skills, and a lifelong love of books through repetition, familiarity, and deep engagement.
Whole-Nursery Books Progression Overview
0–17 months:
Sensory + bonding → “Books are enjoyable”
17–24 months:
Repetition + participation → “I can join in”
2–3 years:
Story structure → “I understand stories”
3–4 years:
Narrative + language play → “I can tell stories”
Nursery Rhymes Progression Overview
• Start with: listening and actions
• Move to: joining in
• Then: remembering and repeating
• Finally: adapting and playing with language
BOOKS: 0–17 months (LION CUB Room)
Focus: sensory exploration, bonding, listening to rhythm and voice
Skills developed: attention, early listening, visual tracking, sound awareness
Core books in Lion Cubs
• That’s Not My Puppy… – sensory exploration, early vocabulary
• Dear Zoo – anticipation, repetition
• Peek-a-Who? – object permanence, surprise
• Black & White – visual development
• Baby Faces – recognising emotions
Progression in the Lion Cubs room
• From looking → touching → reacting
• From hearing sounds → recognising familiar words
• Builds comfort with books as part of routine
Core nursery rhymes in Lion Cub Room
• Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
• Row, Row, Row Your Boat
• Wind the Bobbin Up
• If You’re Happy and You Know It
• Round and Round the Garden
Skill progression in the Lion Cubs room
• Responding to rhythm and tone
• Eye contact, anticipation, and turn-taking
• Early sound discrimination
17–24 months (Monkey Room)
Focus: repetition, naming, early speech
Skills developed: word acquisition, pointing, joining in
Core books in the Monkey Room
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? – repetitive language, prediction
• Where’s Spot? – interaction, questioning
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar – sequencing, counting exposure
• Each Peach Pear Plum – spotting, rhyme
• Noisy Farm – sound imitation
Progression in the Monkey Room
• From single words → two-word phrases
• From listening → joining in repeated lines
• From passive → interactive reading
Core nursery rhymes in Monkey Room
• The Wheels on the Bus
• Old MacDonald Had a Farm
• Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
• Five Little Ducks
• Baa Baa Black Sheep
Skill progression in the Monkey Room
• Single words → two-word phrases
• Joining repeated lines and actions
• Naming objects, animals, and body parts
2–2.5 years (Hippo Room)
Focus: storytelling, rhyme, early narrative understanding
Skills developed: vocabulary growth, memory, sentence formation, imagination
Core books in the Hippo Room
• We're Going on a Bear Hunt – rhythm, retelling
• Room on the Broom – rhyme, character recall
• Dear Zoo – familiar repetition (revisit)
• The Gruffalo – story sequencing
• Owl Babies – emotional understanding
Progression in this room Hippo Room
• From phrases → simple sentences
• From joining in → retelling parts of stories
• Begin understanding beginning–middle–end
Core nursery rhymes in Hippo Room
• Hickory Dickory Dock
• Jack and Jill
• Incy Wincy Spider
• Five Little Monkeys
• This Little Piggy
Skill progression in the Hippo Room
• Remembering sequences
• Filling in missing words
• Developing rhythm and rhyme awareness (early phonological awareness)
2.5–3.5 years (Crocodile Room)
Focus: narrative skills, comprehension, early literacy awareness
Skills developed: storytelling, prediction, phonological awareness, empathy
Core books in the Crocodile Room
• The Gruffalo – deeper comprehension
• Stick Man – story structure, memory
• The Tiger Who Came to Tea – imagination, discussion
• Peace at Last – humour, sequencing
• Supertato - Character roles (hero/villain), humour, engagement
Progression in this room Crocodile Room
• From retelling → creating own stories
• From listening → predicting and questioning
• Early understanding of sounds, rhyme, and print awareness
Core nursery rhymes the Crocodile Room
• Humpty Dumpty
• Little Miss Muffet
• Hey Diddle Diddle
• Pop Goes the Weasel
• Ring a Ring o’ Roses
Skill progression the Crocodile Room
• Predicting rhyming words
• Retelling and adapting rhymes
• Recognising patterns and sounds (pre-phonics skills
3.5–4.5 years (Zebra Room)
Focus: narrative skills, comprehension, early literacy awareness
Skills developed: comprehension, early phonics awareness, storytelling
Core books in the Zebra Room
• The Gruffalo - Complex retelling, inference, repeated language (revisit)
• The Tiger Who Came to Tea - Narrative understanding, imagination (revisit)
• Funnybones - Story recall, sequencing events
• The Gingerbread Man - Repetition, oral storytelling, pattern recognition
• Handa’s Surprise – prediction, cultural awareness
Progression in this room Zebra Room
• From retelling → creating own stories
• From listening → predicting and questioning
• Early understanding of sounds, rhyme, and print awareness
Core nursery rhymes the Zebra Room
• London Bridge is Falling Down
• The Grand Old Duke of York
• A Sailor Went to Sea
• The Muffin Man
Skills progression
• Begin linking sounds to letters
• recognise patterns in words
• join in reading familiar phrase
• recall and retell longer stories
• use new vocabulary in play