Here I Am tells the story of a family preparing to leave the house, only to realise that one of the children is missing. As the family searches, readers are drawn into the repetitive and playful phrase “is looking for me”, which supports fluency and predictability in text. High-frequency words and names of family members are introduced naturally, while the use of capital letters, full stops, and exclamation marks reinforces punctuation awareness. This story is ideal for encouraging expressive reading and helps children identify sight words within varied sentence structures. With its relatable theme of family and everyday routines, children can make personal connections and build comprehension skills. Teachers can extend learning by integrating activities such as family tree crafts, role play, and phoneme sorting games using words from the text. The book also encourages group discussion, imaginative thinking, and confidence in decoding.
Educational Benefits
- Strengthens understanding of sentence punctuation and structure
- Develops confidence through repetition and expression in reading
- Encourages connection with family-related vocabulary and concepts
- Supports decoding of -ing word endings and initial letter sounds
Classroom Ideas
- Use hoops to sort words with similar sounds (e.g. ‘m’ and ‘d’)
- Create “missing person” posters for characters in the story
- Act out the family roles in a simple classroom play
- Make family photo collages or labelled drawings
Safety & Information
- Ages: 4+
- Size: 14.5cm x 16.5cm; 16 pages
- Safety: Safe for classroom activities. Cutting should be supervised










